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School of Social Sciences

Placements

By providing experience and insights into the world of work, we prepare students for post-university life.

We encourage you to think about life beyond university from day one, offering modules and support to give you a competitive advantage when you graduate.

Tiffany's experience at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

A person smiling while leaning on a wall with trees in the background

“My placement year got me a dream start to my career.”

Placement student Amy blogs about her work experience year.

Woman wearing glasses smiling

“My placement really helped me develop my analysis skills and build my confidence.”

Placement student Emelie chatted with us about her work experience at Cardiff University.

Our dedicated employability and placements manager can advise you on available work placements, internships, work experience and other opportunities to enhance your CV and broaden your horizons.

The majority of our second-year students are eligible to take one of two modules that give insight into the working world. Both modules embed a work placement into the curriculum, allowing students to gain experience in a professional setting and acquire valuable skills. Placements are provided by the school and are based on student’s interests and preferences where possible.

Most placement hosts are based in Cardiff within easy reach of the University. Previous hosts include:

  • Welsh Government
  • Public Health Wales
  • NSPCC
  • British Council
  • Institute of Welsh Affairs
  • Universities’ Police Science Institute
  • DVLA
  • Arad Research
  • Primary schools
  • Legal practices
  • Third sector

Contact us

If you require more information regarding the available placements, please feel free to contact us by email: socsi-placements@cardiff.ac.uk.

One-year internships

All of our single honours and many of our joint honours programmes are available as four-year options which incorporate a year spent undertaking a professional placement. Students have the option of transferring to this programme of study in their second year. If you choose this option, you will spend your third year on professional placement. Years one, two and four will be taught at the school.

In recent years, several of our undergraduates have successfully secured fiercely competitive one-year paid internships (12-month sandwich student placements) with the Welsh Government’s Social Research Internship Scheme.

Summer placements

UK

Cardiff University Research Opportunities Programme (CUROP), one of the UK’s largest undergraduate research schemes, provides summer placements for undergraduates in the university research environment. Bursaries are offered to support students on a placement of up to eight weeks duration, working under supervision on staff-defined research projects.

International

Our students have the opportunity to undertake research projects in institutions around the world. Students also have the opportunity to work or volunteer abroad through the university’s Global Opportunities.

In recent years, students from the school have undertaken work placements, internships or volunteering opportunities in Auckland, Barcelona, Beijing, Dortmund, New York, Ottawa, Fiji, India, Japan and Thailand.