Student Placements and Projects

Unique insights for students, meaningful results for your organisation.
How a Placement or Research project can benefit you:
- Get support with a project or series of tasks from a student with social science skills
- Engage with potential employees
- Build long-lasting relationships with us and join a network of businesses, academics and experts
Placements
Our student placements are a great opportunity for organisations to get the benefit of a student undertaking a project or relevant set of tasks. Benefits of hosting a placement student include:
- Access relevant expertise and time – students can be set to work on meaningful projects or tasks for your organisation;
- Build a relationship with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, University of Bristol and thereby access other opportunities, including internships paid for by us and engagement with relevant research groups;
- Engage with potential future employees for your organisation.
What’s involved?
- Placements are unpaid and should be approximately 80 hours long – a typical working pattern would be one day per week for 10-12 weeks, often on a Wednesday, but this can be flexible depending on your requirements. Placements must take place between November and May.
- We will discuss your placement ideas with you to ensure we match the most appropriate student to the opportunity.
- Placements must be developmental and broadly related to students’ academic studies. They are an optional part of a number of undergraduate degrees in the Schools of Education, Management and Policy Studies.
For more information, please download the Placements overview document (PDF, 234kB)
Recruitment for placements for this academic year is now closed, but if you would like to discuss the scheme in more detail or express an interest in supporting a student on a placement for the academic year 2022-23, please get in touch.
For more information, contact Claire Horton at fssl-pln@bristol.ac.uk
Management Consultancy Unit
This unit provides a great opportunity for you to get the benefit from a group of undergraduate students undertaking a research-based consultancy project on an issue of interest and importance to your organisation. Students also benefit from the opportunity to draw together their learning from over the course of their degree and to use it to solve a real management/organisational challenge.
What’s involved?
This is an optional unit open to third year Management students. We will discuss details of potential research projects with you during the summer/autumn and once agreed, students will begin work on your project when they return for term two in February. You will have the opportunity to discuss the project with students and attend the final presentation in May (‘virtually’ if necessary).
For more information, please download the Management Consultancy Unit overview (PDF, 292kB) or contact a member of the team.
Recruitment for Management Consultancy Units for this academic year is now closed, and planning for the 2022/23 academic year will begin in the summer of 2022.
For more information, contact Alex Barlow on fssl-pln@bristol.ac.uk
The Bristol Model
Bring rigorous social sciences research to your organisational challenges, unlocking new learnings and creating a deeper understanding of your key issues.
Find out more or for more information contact Nora Pau at fssl-pln@bristol.ac.uk
Marketing Applied Extended Project (AEP)
MSc Marketing students are given the opportunity to put into practice what they’ve learned throughout the programme by undertaking a research project around a current marketing issue for an external organisation as an alternative to a traditional dissertation.
For more information and guidance, please download the Marketing AEP Guidelines for orgs (PDF, 186kB).
For more information, contact Alex Barlow at fssl-pln@bristol.ac.uk
Recruitment for Marketing AEPs for this academic year is now closed, and planning for the 2022/23 academic year will begin in the summer of 2022.
Accounting or Finance Professional Placement Year
We are looking for organisations to offer a year-long placement to one of our high-achieving students studying either BSc Accounting and Finance, BSc Accounting and Management or BSc Economics and Accounting, during the third year of their course.
Aims of the placement year
We launched the placement year to enhance students’ understanding of the areas of Accounting and/or Finance encountered in their studies, as well as helping them to take on responsibility within a team and to develop an understanding of how relevant organisations operate.
The placement year allows students to see their academic field engaged in a practical context, giving them new perspectives from which to reflect on their studies. It also enables them to start their professional development and to gain an insight into an organisation which may seek to recruit graduates.
Why offer a student placement?
- Engage with high academic achieving students studying an accredited Accounting and/or Finance related degree
- Access cost-effective staffing and recruitment for your organisation for a year-long placement
- Identify talent early on to develop a long-term relationship with high-calibre future employees
- Raise your profile with our cohort of students
- Access support from the University to advertise your vacancy
What is the role of the organisation?
- Provide a student with a one year paid placement (11-13 months)
- Nominate a person to provide supervision to student during placement
- Provide a detailed job description so the University can ensure the placement will meet the required learning outcomes of the placement year
For more information, contact Claire Horton on fssl-pln@bristol.ac.uk
Data Analytics Research project
The new MSc Business Analytics will provide its highly-skilled students to work with external partners on data-related challenges.
Students will have opportunities to develop specialist skills in business analytics, including forecasting, machine learning, optimisation/simulation, and social media analytics, and apply the knowledge and techniques learned through projects developed with industry partners.
Benefits of being involved in a Data Analytics Research project include;
- Benefit from working with skilled postgraduate students to complete a data-related challenge that is of importance to your organisation.
- You will receive a summary of the report findings and get to meet with the student(s) to discuss their recommendations (if required).
- Build a relationship with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, University of Bristol and thereby access other opportunities, including engagement with relevant research groups.
For more information, please download the Organisations Guide and/or contact Alex Barlow fssl-pln@bristol.ac.uk
Get in touch
Management Consultancy Unit and Marketing AEP - Alex Barlow, Professional Liaison Administrator
Bristol Model - Nora Pau, Professional Liaison Administrator
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We've always had great experience working with University of Bristol students and appreciate what each intern brings to the team as well as watching them progress. We find the extra input and support from interns helps our organisation hugely.

This (internship) was hugely beneficial. We have a report that not only gives us measures and info for the community that we work within, but will also help inform us about the services we deliver in the future. It is of such a professional standard that we will likely distribute it externally to local community organisations as I feel it would be of benefit to them also.