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BIOL3996: Biology Placement Year

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Type Tied
Level 3
Credits 120
Availability Available in 2025/2026
Module Cap
Location Durham
Department Biosciences

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To provide the experience of working in a science or science-related field as complementary to academic study.
  • To enable students to acquire transferable skills, to develop personally, and to enhance their employability with the placement provider or otherwise, upon graduation.

Content

  • This will be determined in agreement with the placement provider. Content will usually focus on business needs and can include routine work, research or projects that would be suitable for a science graduate.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Increased knowledge and understanding of the work environment, as distinct from the academic, and of the hierarchies, routines, pressures, and disciplines of this environment.
  • Increased knowledge of the specific techniques involved in the placement, and of their practical application.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • An enhanced ability to work independently or in a team, as appropriate to the placement.
  • An enhanced ability to work on both technical and non-technical tasks, and with non-technical colleagues.

Key Skills:

  • Increased confidence in the ability to work in different environments and to assume personal responsibility.
  • An ability to carry out work as instructed by host, manage workload and meet deadlines.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Pre-placement briefing in order to prepare the student for the work environment and the nature of the placement.
  • Regular contact with a placement advisor during the placement to help the student assess the on-going value of the placement and the skills acquired including one site visit by the placement advisor, where this is reasonably practical.
  • Post-placement debriefing to help the student assess the final value of the placement and reflect on the skills acquired.
  • The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis. Assessment is via satisfactory completion of the placement, as evidenced by an end of placement report.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures2One pre-placement briefing, and one post-placement debriefing and questionnaire1 hour2 
Placement40 weeks1198 
Total1200 

Summative Assessment

Component: CourseworkComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Report100

Formative Assessment

More information

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