professional placement at uni for biology

8

hello, i am currently doing ucas application for sep2026 but i am planning on deferring until 2027 so i can have a gap year.
does anyone have any experience with a professional placement, specifically within a biology degree?
and furthermore, has anyone done a professional placement with bath, bristol or exeter, and how did you find it?
i'd love to hear your expereiences and whether or not you found it beneficial

TIA,
ella :smile:

Reply 1

UEA Rep Rosie

Official Rep

7

Original post

by ella123444

hello, i am currently doing ucas application for sep2026 but i am planning on deferring until 2027 so i can have a gap year.
does anyone have any experience with a professional placement, specifically within a biology degree?
and furthermore, has anyone done a professional placement with bath, bristol or exeter, and how did you find it?
i'd love to hear your expereiences and whether or not you found it beneficial
TIA,
ella :smile:

Hi @ella123444

Whilst I haven't done a placement year, I am currently on a year abroad in the middle of my Ecology degree. I would really recommend any course variation where you can do a 'sandwich year' if you can! They are really interesting, let you gain lots of new skills and make lots of connections, and really make you stand out to potential employers/ in applications for further study! Depending on the uni, you can either reach out to potential placements or organise through the uni, but you can do placements in a variety of fields related to your degree (e.g. lab work, field work, science communication/ outreach etc.). I know people who have done placement years and they have told me how valuable the experience was to them and how its really helped them with post-graduate prospects too!

I think it's a very good idea to consider a placement, and it's much easier to apply for one now and then you can switch off the programme if you change your mind later on!

I hope that is helpful, please let me know if you have any questions!
UEA Rep Rosie ☺️

Reply 2

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by ella123444

hello, i am currently doing ucas application for sep2026 but i am planning on deferring until 2027 so i can have a gap year.
does anyone have any experience with a professional placement, specifically within a biology degree?
and furthermore, has anyone done a professional placement with bath, bristol or exeter, and how did you find it?
i'd love to hear your expereiences and whether or not you found it beneficial
TIA,
ella :smile:

Hi @ella123444,

I am a current final year student at the University of Exeter. I do not study biology but I did do a placement year as part of my degree.

Honestly, to put it short, doing my placement was the best decision I could have made for my degree and career journey. It meant that within that one year I learnt so much that can't be taught at university, and to see the things I had learnt at uni in practice beyond just the texbooks. It also meant that now I have 1 year of valuable work experience to put on my CV as well as a lot of practice applying for jobs, which now means that I am confident in my potential when applying for graduate programmes. And actually coming pack from placement to complete my final year of education has really put into perspective how much I have grown over that year - confidence and skill wise.

It is difficult to put into words how beneficial it was and how much I would recommend it for everyone if they have the opportunity - and every other placement student I have talked to also whole heartedly agrees.

If you have any more specific questions let me know 🙂

Klaudia
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

Reply 3

ella123444

OP

8

Original post

by ExeterStudentRep

Hi @ella123444,
I am a current final year student at the University of Exeter. I do not study biology but I did do a placement year as part of my degree.
Honestly, to put it short, doing my placement was the best decision I could have made for my degree and career journey. It meant that within that one year I learnt so much that can't be taught at university, and to see the things I had learnt at uni in practice beyond just the texbooks. It also meant that now I have 1 year of valuable work experience to put on my CV as well as a lot of practice applying for jobs, which now means that I am confident in my potential when applying for graduate programmes. And actually coming pack from placement to complete my final year of education has really put into perspective how much I have grown over that year - confidence and skill wise.
It is difficult to put into words how beneficial it was and how much I would recommend it for everyone if they have the opportunity - and every other placement student I have talked to also whole heartedly agrees.
If you have any more specific questions let me know 🙂
Klaudia
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

That is really helpful thanks so much!
I was just looking on the Exeter website and saw that for Biology only about 15-25 students do a professional placement each year, and I thought that number was quite low. Would you say this is because it is quite compeitive to get a placment or is it just because many students overlook it?
Also with Exeter specifically, is there any availability to transfer to a course with a work placement year one I am accepted, as that is what seems to be done at Bristol. I'm assuming this is not the case though, as the biology course with the work placement at exeter has higher grade requirements.

Thanks for your help,
Ella

Reply 4

University of Bath

Official Rep

14

Original post

by ella123444

hello, i am currently doing ucas application for sep2026 but i am planning on deferring until 2027 so i can have a gap year.
does anyone have any experience with a professional placement, specifically within a biology degree?
and furthermore, has anyone done a professional placement with bath, bristol or exeter, and how did you find it?
i'd love to hear your expereiences and whether or not you found it beneficial
TIA,
ella :smile:

Hello,

Thanks for your interest and questions!

I'm a current final year psychology student and I got back from my professional placement year this June. My placement year was a fantastic experience.

I worked as a Research Assistant in the Social Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Southampton, where I supported a project investigating the neural mechanisms behind emotional processing. This involved using EEG to measure event-related potentials, which was both technically challenging and incredibly rewarding.

I received hands-on training in EEG setup, participant preparation, and data recording. Once I became confident with the equipment, I took responsibility for running testing sessions independently. I also learnt to use specialist software, building on the analytical foundations I gained from university. Alongside the technical skills, I developed strong teamwork abilities by working closely with researchers, PhD students, and other trainees. It was an incredible opportunity and I'm so glad I have this experience.

Additionally, Bath’s placement process is really well supported from start to finish. Before applications even open, the Placements Team run workshops and one-to-one sessions to help you build a strong CV, write an effective cover letter, and prepare for interviews. I found the mock interviews especially helpful—they give constructive feedback and really boost your confidence.

Once the application cycle begins, the team releases a placement database with a wide range of opportunities. These are varied: research, clinical roles, lab work, and more, so you can tailor your applications to the areas you’re most interested in. Each listing includes a role description and the contact details for applying, making it easy to understand what the position involves and how to submit your materials.

From there, the process is similar to applying for a job: you may have one or several interview rounds, after which you’ll hear whether you’ve been offered the placement. What’s great is the variety and quality of opportunities available. Bath has strong connections with organisations both in the UK and internationally—students secure placements everywhere from local research labs to institutions in New Zealand, Boston, and beyond.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement, and I hope you have a similarly pleasant experience on yours!

University of Bath

Reply 5

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by ella123444

That is really helpful thanks so much!
I was just looking on the Exeter website and saw that for Biology only about 15-25 students do a professional placement each year, and I thought that number was quite low. Would you say this is because it is quite compeitive to get a placment or is it just because many students overlook it?
Also with Exeter specifically, is there any availability to transfer to a course with a work placement year one I am accepted, as that is what seems to be done at Bristol. I'm assuming this is not the case though, as the biology course with the work placement at exeter has higher grade requirements.
Thanks for your help,
Ella

Hi @ella123444,

Honestly both. A lot of the time it is because placements are very competitive, and also a lot of students don't want to extend their degrees for longer than they have to if possible. However, in my experience its a lack of resilience quite often actually. I think in my placement module there were about 60 student initally signed on and only 12 of us actually did the placement and quite a lot of them applied to a few placement and then gave up. If you want to do a placement you need to have a lot of resilience and commitment as it requires a lot of time and honestly a lot of rejections. Unfortunately, it sometimes is also just a waiting game, for my cohort the timeline for job offers was December to June so you just need to be patient. But also I hope this doesn't scare you away as all the stress of trying to secure a placement was so worth it in the end.

As for swapping, in my case the University was very flexible for students swapping into the placement course. To be safe and if you have the grades I would just apply to the placement year course as worse case you can always drop out of it, as for doing it the other way I am not too sure in the case of Biology so I would contact our admissions team to get clarification: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/contact/

Hope this helps 🙂

Klaudia
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

Reply 6

UniofReading

Official Rep

14

Original post

by ella123444

hello, i am currently doing ucas application for sep2026 but i am planning on deferring until 2027 so i can have a gap year.
does anyone have any experience with a professional placement, specifically within a biology degree?
and furthermore, has anyone done a professional placement with bath, bristol or exeter, and how did you find it?
i'd love to hear your expereiences and whether or not you found it beneficial
TIA,
ella :smile:

Good afternoon,

Placements can be great if you find the correct one. Some students accept whatever they can get, and this can become an issue if they dislike it. However, if you take the time to find something you really like and will enjoy, then you will have a more positive experience. Also, consider where you will live and what your social life will be like, as students can often end up in a new area where they don't make many friends, which can be a lonely experience. Therefore, it's essential to ensure you are in a place where you will be happy.

Often, students find the placements refreshing and provide key experience for their CV, making it easier to secure graduate jobs. The University of Reading offers various placements, Useful Resources, and Placement Pathways to support students.

Additionally, there are lots of placement experience blogs available, such as Hafran's year, Neha's experience, and Maral's journey.

I hope this information is helpful.

All the best,
Ella
BSc Ecology

professional placement at uni for biology

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