PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENT - 2026/7

Module Overview

This module builds on the programme's Level 5 modules and is designed to allow students to advance the development of skills and knowledge in a practical professional context, enabling students to learn and discover with autonomy.
 

This module enables students to undertake a placement within GSA or with an external organisation, subject to availability. It provides a flexible framework through which students can pursue professional experiences aligned with their individual interests and areas of enquiry, which may include practical placement activities, observation, and engagement with industry professionals.

 

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

TRINGHAM Anna (GSA)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

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

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Placements can be undertaken within GSA or externally, subject to availability. Students may engage in a combination of placement activities and shadowing opportunities within appropriate organisations (for example, GSA, schools, care homes, arts organisations, museums, or subject-related settings) that best support their individual learning journey and enquiry. If required, students may also conduct interviews with up to three industry professionals of their choosing as part of their placement module.

Students may arrange a single placement across the teaching block or combine multiple placements and shadowing opportunities. The placement hours indicated above are indicative and may vary depending on each student's selected combination of activities.

Structured guidance to support students in undertaking the summative assessment will be delivered via the VLE.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

The student should pre-record and submit a video version of their reflective presentation. 

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate practical evidence of a developing methodology as a creative practitioner.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Reflective Presentation - 10 mins. Presented to staff and peers on campus at the end of teaching block 3.

Formative assessment

• Students will use AI tools to draft a CV, Cover Letter and generate a list of industry companies of interest, critically evaluating and refining the outputs. Using this as a foundation, they will create a LinkedIn page to demonstrate their understanding of the digital landscape and professional networking in the creative industries. Structured feedback from the tutor will guide students in refining their professional profile, enhancing digital capabilities, and developing strategic engagement with the industry. Emphasis is placed on process, critical reflection, and ethical use of AI, rather than producing a perfect final product.

Students receive informal and formal verbal and written feedback and also benefit from personal tutorials/feedback panels where this feedback can be discussed after reflection and grading has taken place. Formal feedback will be published via SurreyLearn by a published date within three teaching weeks.

Module aims

• To train and develop practitioners with high order creative skills in a broad range of artistic situations
• To facilitate students' independent learning, self-management and creative entrepreneurship
• To enable experiential understanding of theatre and drama, adding to it a level of critical awareness and analytical ability which will enrich practice and extend potential, as inclusive interpreters, facilitators and creators
• To support students who can contribute creatively, innovatively, inclusively and intelligently to their chosen professional field

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

•  Facilitate and support independent, creative and confident engagement with professional contexts

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: APP2003

Other information

Guildford School of Acting is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Digital Capabilities

Students develop their digital skills and literacy throughout the module. They are introduced to the virtual learning environment and required to make use of online resources including online research, creation and submission of digital work (video, written) for formative and summative assessment.

Global and Cultural Capabilities

Module content encourages students to engage and work within a range of different social, economical and cultural contexts. They will examine their positionality in relation to a mixture of sites and settings. Through this students will be introduced to diverse perspectives, via engagement with their placement hosts and communities.

Employability

Students directly gain skills and experience in a professional environment, equipping them for careers in the creative field.

Resourcefulness and Resilience

Students are guided to develop the ability reflect, evaluate, adapt, and respond flexibly to unforeseen circumstances throughout the module and particularly in their development of professional skills and experience and through the integration of self-reflective assessment.

Sustainability

Throughout the module students are encouraged to consider how they can apply their work placement learning to the professional creative field. This includes the strengthening of key professional skills and reflective practice which supports resilience and wellbeing.

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 2026/7 academic year.