PROFESSIONAL TRAINING YEAR MODULE (FULL-YEAR STUDY) - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module supports students’ development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to a Professional Training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from their Professional Training placement experiences to their final year of study and their future employment. The PTY module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning, and is a process that involves self-reflection, the creation of a personal record, and planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives. Skills development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. However, the graded assessment takes place primarily towards the end of the placement. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written and presentation skills.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

MCNAMARA Anna (GSA)

Number of Credits: 120

ECTS Credits: 60

Framework: Professional Training Year

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• The module focuses on achieving the learning outcomes by offering via the placement experience the opportunity for students to nurture the employability skills that graduate employers look for and to develop the professional identity, competencies and attributes that support the future employability outcomes for students.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the learning outcomes regarding the successful acquisition of a Professional Training placement, and the acquisition of the employability skills and competencies that support students’ graduate employability outcomes.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• CV and Cover Letter (LO1, LO2, LO4, LO6, LO8) Submitted at two stages (a) before commencing placement for review by the Visiting PT Tutor but not assessed; and (b) upon completion of the placement year a comprehensively updated CV and Cover Letter is submitted as if tailored to applying for a potential graduate job. It is at this point that the Visiting PT Tutor provides feedback. CV no more than 2 pages; Cover Letter 1 page.


• Final Report (LO2, LO4, LO5, LO6, LO7, LO8) Completed at the end of their study exchange, this report of 3,000 words requires students to critically reflect on their personal and professional development. Students will also take account of their inter-cultural learning, any language capabilities they may have acquired from studying in a nonnative language and reflections on how the study exchange has enhanced their employability prospects.


• Study Exchange (LO2, LO4, LO6, LO7, LO8) Students must secure the agreed number of credits at the partner institution in order to successfully meet the requirements of the Professional Training year. This recognises the full-year nature of the study exchange.

Module aims

• Enable students to acquire and develop knowledge as it occurs in professional practice.
• Apply academic knowledge to the study of work activities and processes.
• Enable students to mature through the evaluation of their placement experiences.
• Support students to develop and apply new skills appropriate to their professional setting in which they are working.
• Enable students to develop the employability skills that graduate employers look for and are required of a person working
  in a professional capacity.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching methods include:

The learning and teaching methods are predicated on the requirements of the institutional partner.

• Where relevant, the academic mentoring, coaching and assessment role of partner institutions are focused on ensuring that students achieve the learning outcomes for the module; these relate to (1) personal and professional development, (2) evaluation of placement learning and (3) transfer of placement learning.


• The partner institution is encouraged to support students’ critical self-reflection and learning. In addition regular support and review of the Professional Development Review and student action plans provide additional experiential learning.


• The assessment of students’ academic attainment for the study element of the placement year is as per the requirements of the partner institution.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: APPP003

Other information

This placement module focuses strongly on students’ employability through an extended period of study in an international setting.  This experience of the international academic environment promotes their development as resilient, resourceful and culturally aware global citizens. The placement offers the opportunity to develop the digital capabilities, cultural sensitivity and understanding of sustainability that are key to students’ future employability.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.