Placement And Career Information

Bournemouth University has a strong placement culture, especially for students who want to build practical experience and move smoothly into work after graduating. CareersBU supports students with placements, employer links, careers advice and graduate planning.

How Placements Usually Work

For many courses, students can use BU's placement support to find relevant experience before graduating. Depending on the degree, this may include:

• A placement year
• A shorter internship
• A work placement module
• Overseas opportunities
• Industry projects or live briefs

For undergraduate students, the placement year fee is reduced and will not exceed 20% of the standard annual fee in the year of placement. On 2026/27 fee pages, BU states the placement fee is based on the year and level of study.

Career Support At BU

Students can use:

• CareersBU
• MyCareerHub
• Workshops and webinars
• Panel events
• Careers fairs
• Careers Consultants
• Graduate Skills Programme
• Employer recruitment events
• International student career support

CareersBU says it supports students from day one of their degree and continues after graduation, which is helpful for students who want more than just a final-year job search.

Graduate Pathways

BU students commonly move toward careers in:

• Business and management
• Marketing and communications
• Media and content production
• Health and social care
• Technology and computing
• Public sector and charities
• Creative industries
• Research and postgraduate study

Why Placement Matters

Placement and work experience can help students:

• Build confidence in a UK workplace
• Learn what employers expect
• Create examples for interviews
• Gain references
• Strengthen LinkedIn and CV profiles
• Improve post-study work prospects

This is particularly useful for international students who want to make the most of the UK Graduate Route after graduation.

Advice For September 2026 Students

Students starting in September 2026 should register on CareersBU early, check whether their course includes placement support, and keep an eye on employer events and skills programmes from the beginning of the year.

The strongest outcomes usually come when students combine BU's support with early action and steady applications.