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Year in Industry - BIO00070I

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  • Department: Biology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Richard Maguire
  • Credit value: 120 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module summary

The year in industry provides industrial experience with one of a wide range of industrial or charitable providers in an area relevant to the degree a student is enrolled in.
An industrial placement is an excellent chance to develop employability skills within a working environment. The placement will generally last between 9-12 months. Whilst on placement your work will be determined, supervised and assessed entirely by the provider that is offering the placement. The learning outcomes for the module are then assessed by academic staff in the form of a scientific report and a reflective statement.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24 to Semester 2 2023-24

Module aims

To provide an experience of the research environment within a professional setting relevant to the Department’s degree courses and enable the student to develop practical and problem solving skills in a professional context. The Year in Industry helps to support the aims and requirements of the higher education sector more generally as well as the aims and philosophy of the undergraduate courses by allowing students to become familiar with work, enhancing their employability by developing several different higher level skills.

Module learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

An understanding of an industrial/professional context for research skills relevant to a biosciences degree, for example laboratory/field, data recording, literature searches and scientific writing.

Develop key skills in demand from employers including effective communication, time management, teamwork, self-reliance and problem solving, communication and presentation skills.

Gain marketable experience and contacts that will be of benefit when you are looking for an industrial or academic position following graduation.

Test whether a particular sector of work or individual company is of interest as a potential employer following graduation.

Work effectively on a research project linked to the context of the placement provider

Demonstrate the ability to use techniques appropriate to research in the biosciences

Use appropriate methods to critically analyse results

Communicate project background, aims and findings through a written report

Present scientific data appropriately in written and graphical forms

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Placement (UK or abroad)
Scientific Report		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

Pass/fail

Reassessment

None

Module feedback

Marks for all assessments will be made available to you and your supervisor via e:vision. Model answers will be provided for all Q&A type of assessments along with cohort-level feedback indicating how students answered questions in general. Individual comments will be added to your script and/or on a separate summary feedback document depending on the question type or assessment type. You should take the opportunity to discuss your marks and feedback with your supervisor.

During the teaching of the module you will receive feedback that may be at a whole class or individual level. Forms of feedback may include: model answers and discussion of workshop questions, summaries of performance in practicals, VLE-based quizzes, individual spoken comments during workshops, individual written comments on formative work.

Indicative reading

These are available through the VLE module site.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.