Placements and Employability
To be competitive in the current job market you need more than just a degree - you need to gain and demonstrate key skills for the workplace. Our work placements and employability programme provides valuable work experience, self-confidence and a practical application of your studies.
The school currently offers the following types of placements:
- Politics Placement Module (20 credits)
- Faculty-exclusive Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA) Placement Scheme
- Summer paid-lacements programme exclusive to faculty widening-participation students
Placements are available for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Current students can find out more about our placement offering in the school's Student Handbook.
Undertaking a placement will equip you with the following career-ready toolkit:
- A stronger CV with essential work experience listed
- Self-development as a person and understanding of the working environment
- Opportunity to apply taught course concepts and skills in a 'real world' working environment
- Great networking contacts
- Links to employers to assist you with career opportunities when you graduate
My placement experience has equipped me with practical skills that are needed in a crowded labour market: as well as developing my character, expectations in work, and an overall understanding of how things work outside of university life. I have been lucky to obtain a placement that reflected my passions and aspirations in a comprehensive manner.
Faculty Placements Programme
All students in the School of Politics and International Relations are eligible to participate in the Faculty Nottingham Advantage Award term-time Placement Programme each semester.
Additionally, there are Summer and Easter placements available to students, along with funded bursary support for students from widening participation backgrounds.
- This programme provides between 70 to 100 exclusive placement opportunities each semester
- Duration and commitment is 70 hours total across a 10 week period
- Placement organisations we partner support all interns to flexibly fit your placement around your academic study
- Completing your placement also enables you to take part in the prestigious Nottingham Advantage Award
- The faculty and school also partner with the university's Careers and Employability Service to provide end-to-end placements and careers support in the form of workshops, guidance, resources and tools to help you write the perfect CV, and perform to your very best at interview
Interested? The Autumn Programme vacancies go live in June/July and for Spring Programme in November. Keep an eye out for the big email launch.
Access the vacancies and support and guidance (log-in required)
Placement providers
Current and past placement providers include:
Placement role examples
- Social Impact Researcher
- Parliamentary Intern/Assistant for MP in Parliament
- Political Research Officer
- Social Media, Marketing and PR Officer
- Events and Campaigns Officer
- Research Assistant
- Strategy and Commissioning Assistant
- Partnerships and Networking Assistant
- Global Conflict Resolution Intern
- Communications Officer
- Statistical Analyst and Researcher
Skills and experience
- Communications
- Social Media skills
- Marketing
- Research skills
- Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
- Research design
- Evaluating information
- Formulating reasoned arguments
- Direct experience in UK Politics through Parliament
- Presentation skills
- Teamwork
- Market research
- Critical and evaluative thinking
- Logical argumentation
The University of Nottingham's Politics and International Relations internship programme is an invaluable resource for international organisations, businesses and non-governmental organisations alike.
The student base is one of the most motivated and qualified that I have come across in a long time, a combination which ensures we are provided with dedicated students, eager to learn while simultaneously able to produce high-quality work. The fact that the students can either come to the office or work remotely also adds a highly useful element of flexibility to the programme - for organisations and students.
The university's support streamlines the intern selection process; short-listing applicants whose profiles most fit the job, and remaining a reassuring background presence that you can turn to should anything not be going smoothly - a situation that is yet to materialise! I am extremely grateful for their support.
Josie Lianna Kaye, Director of TrustWorks Global - London
Contact
Steve Vaccarini, Faculty Placements Manager
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.