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Improve your employability with an engineering placement year

Put your theory into practice with a year-long, paid placement during your engineering degree. You could earn between £16,000 and £25,000.

Work alongside professional engineers

All our BEng and MEng degrees give you the option of a year-long placement. You have up until the end of your second year to choose whether to take one or not.


A placement year is a great opportunity to get paid while you learn alongside professional engineers in a commercial environment1. The experience you get on placement will build your confidence and help you discover new areas of interest. When you return to your studies, you'll find the skills you've developed can be applied to the rest of your degree. It can also help your career progression as it counts towards becoming a chartered engineer.

On placement, you could work on projects in:

  • design and innovation
  • operations and production
  • electronic and electrical systems
  • energy and the environment

Depending on where you work, you may get the chance to use advanced equipment or learn about new technologies. You could work with particle accelerators, supercomputers, formula 1 cars, superconducting magnets or robots.

The benefits of taking a placement

Our students talk about the benefits of taking an industrial placement year.


Access to a range of companies

We have relationships with small and large businesses in the UK and abroad.


You could go on placement at a small start-up, a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) or an international company. Our placement employers include:

  • Airbus
  • BuroHappold
  • Dyson
  • Procter & Gamble
  • Rolls Royce Motor Cars
  • Transport for London
  • Unilever
‘A year working in a professional environment gives you new skills and a lot of confidence. I know it's going to be an invaluable addition to my CV.’
Patrick McLaughlin MEng (Hons) Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering with placement year

Support and guidance every step of the way

We have a team of staff dedicated to supporting you in your search for a placement.


Our support starts at the beginning of your second year. We’ll give you access to our online portal to search for job opportunities, including roles exclusively open to University of Bath students. You’ll be assigned a Placement Officer who specialises in your chosen sector. They will provide one-to-one support with your CV and application forms. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend presentation sessions and workshops throughout the year to guide you on interview skills and assessment centres.

During your placement, we’ll arrange a visit to your workplace to see how you are progressing and organise additional support if you need it. We’ll provide guidance on writing your Professional Development Review to develop your employability skills and pave the way for Chartership.

Contact us

Contact our Faculty Placements Team to find out more about the opportunities we have available.


1 Find out why you pay a fee while on placement 2 Placement opportunities can’t be guaranteed but you will receive tailored support from our specialist team to help you secure a placement. Visit our terms and conditions for further information go.bath.ac.uk/ugp-important-terms