Undertaking a placement as part of your Masters degree in the School of Global Studies is an exciting way to develop a global perspective and to undertake research which can feed directly into your dissertation. The experiences, knowledge and skills gained are invaluable. At Sussex we actively encourage our students to undertake work placements and provide a range of opportunities.
Why do a placement?
A placement can help you in several ways. By giving you real-world work experience in a challenging environment, it can help you develop valuable skills such as team work, accountability, analytical ability and relationship building. These, together with the experience you gain, will raise your attractiveness to potential employers and will help you meet the challenges of project work and intensive study.
How does it work?
Placements last for 12 weeks and generally take place after the end of teaching at the end of April/early May. You spend the Autumn term researching potential placements, and making speculative applications.
The School of Global Studies and the Careers and Employability Centre (CEC) will help you with your applications, and a member of faculty will encourage you to devise research questions to create a relevant dissertation topic and mentor you during the placement.
Where can I go?
Anywhere! Some students want to find placements overseas while others look locally for opportunities. Masters students have travelled around the world to countries including Mexico and Indonesia, while others are undertaking placements in Europe and more locally in London and Sussex. They are gaining valuable experience in a range of organisations including NGOs, Government agencies and conservation bodies.