PROFESSIONAL TRAINING YEAR MODULE (FULL-YEAR STUDY) - 2025/6

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. 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 skills.

Module provider

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Module Leader

BUSSEMAKER Madeleine (Chst Chm Eng)

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. This development takes place across a wide range of learning environments with great variety in the studies undertaken.  Nevertheless, all of these offer the same opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

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:

• Final Report (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6)

Completed at the end of their study exchange, this report reviews the student’s placement experience, analyses their academic experience and how this relates to the development of their academic knowledge and professional skills and provides a critical reflection on their personal and professional development. The 3,000 word Placement Report contains two elements; (a) a subject specific or technical section (word count ranges from 2,000 to 2,500 words depending on School/Department requirements); and (b) a section about the student’s reflection on their personal and professional development from the Professional Training placement (word count ranges from 500-1,000 words).

• Study Exchange (LO1, LO2, LO4, LO5, LO6)

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.

Formative assessment and feedback

The requirements of the partner institution are applied to any aspect of formative assessment and feedback.

Module aims

• Enable students to acquire and develop knowledge as it occurs in professional practice
• Apply academic knowledge from the learning experience at a partner institution (generally at an overseas location).
• Enable students to mature through the evaluation of their placement experiences
• Support students to develop and apply new skills appropriate to the academic setting in which they are studying
• Enable students to develop the employability skills and attitudes/approach 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 strategy is designed to:

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.


• 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: ENGP018

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 2025/6 academic year.