PROFESSIONAL TRAINING MODULE - 2026/7

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 module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning, and is a process that involves self-reflection, documented via the creation of a personal record, planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives.  Development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process.  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

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

MATTHEIS Lena (Lit & Langs)

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

None

Module content

Work: A minimum of 1,125 hours subject to the requirements of the placement provider where additional hours are needed to meet the placement provider's requirements.
Study: The relevant workload parameters for full-year study as specified by the institutional partner (40 ECTS Credits).
Work/Study: A minimum of 562.5 hours subject to the requirements of the placement provider where additional hours are needed to meet the placement provider's requirements. The study element to meet the requirements of the institutional partner (20 ECTS Credits).
 

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 professional and academic environments with great variety in the work undertaken.  Nevertheless, all of these offer the same opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

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:

• Professional Development Report (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6)
  The Professional Development Report (PDR) is a self-reflection tool that provides guidance and framework for students, Workplace Supervisors and Placement Tutors to discuss and evaluate students' personal and professional development. Its aim is to facilitate and evidence this process over the duration of the placement period.  The PDR will include 4 phases of self-reflection (pre-placement, 1st/2nd/3rd meetings) and a post placement exercise, the precise nature of which is defined at subject level. Please see the relevant PDR Assessment Brief for more detail.

• Presentation/Poster or Video (LO1, LO2, LO4, LO5)
  Students are required to deliver one of an oral presentation or to present a poster covering their placement experience or to submit a video presentation as required by their Department.

Formative assessment:
Students will develop their Professional Development Report which they undertake several times across the duration of the placement experience. This feeds directly into the summative assessment.
Feedback:
Students will receive ongoing feedback as they develop their Professional Development Report.

Module aims

• Enable students to acquire and develop knowledge as it occurs in professional practice and/or an international educational environment.
• Apply academic knowledge to work/study activities and processes in practice.
• Enable students to mature through the evaluation of their placement experiences.
• Support students to develop and apply new skills appropriate to their professional/educational setting in which they are working.
• 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 experiential learning through the placement experience itself.

• The mentoring, coaching and assessment role of both the Workplace Supervisor and the University's Placement Tutors 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 learning and teaching is supported by placement meetings with the students on placement by a Placement Tutor to support students, critical self-reflection and learning and regular mentoring support via phone, email, teleconference or video conference. In addition Return Days, Industry Days and regular support and review of the Professional Development Report and student development plans (as part of the PDR) provide additional experiential learning.

• The assessment of students' performance by their respective placement provider is another key aspect of the experiential learning process for the placement student.

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: ELIP016

Other information

The Professional Training Module 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: Over the course of the placement, students apply the knowledge and technical skills developed during their degree within a professional setting. They gain practical experience using industry-relevant tools, systems, and methodologies, and may undertake additional employer-led training to enhance their digital and professional competencies.
Employability: The placement provides sustained experience in a professional/educational environment, enabling students to apply academic learning to real-world contexts. Students develop employability skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and time management, while contributing to organisational objectives. This experience strengthens graduate employability and career readiness.
Global and cultural capabilities: Students work within diverse teams and organisational cultures, developing intercultural awareness and professional communication skills. The placement experience fosters an understanding of how disciplines operate within national and international contexts.  Similarly, students undertaking a period of Study Exchange gain valuable international experience by engaging with different academic systems, cultural perspectives, and approaches to learning, further enhancing their global awareness and adaptability.
Resourcefulness and Resilience: Through adapting to workplace/educational expectations, meeting deadlines, and responding to feedback, students develop independence, confidence, and resilience. The experience enhances their ability to manage responsibility and navigate professional challenges effectively.
Sustainability: Placement opportunities may enable students to engage with organisations committed to sustainable and socially responsible practices. Students can apply their disciplinary knowledge to projects that contribute positively to environmental, social, or economic sustainability.

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.