Student Placements

Responsibility – the work placement should be of a suitable level of responsibility to add value to a student’s degree and to enable the student to meet the learning outcomes for the module.

Duration - the placement must be full time - a minimum of 37.5 hours per week.

Remuneration – students must be paid a salary commensurate with the placement role and not less than the minimum wage for the country in which the placement is taking place. Students need to be given an employment contract (no zero hours) and be covered by the company's insurance policy and health and safety regulations.

Person/role specification - information detailing the necessary skills, experience and attributes for the placement is required.

Budgets - you gain an extremely capable employee while keeping your costs down.

Languages - approximately 20% of our undergraduate students are international and so offer additional languages and cultural experience from abroad.

Recruitment - a cost-effective form of graduate recruitment, as many students are employed by their work placement organisations when they graduate.

University - your organisation gains access to university resources and expertise.

Strategy - enhance your CSR (corporate social responsibility) strategy by providing work placements and boost your employer brand, particularly in the graduate market.

A key feature of all our undergraduate programmes is the opportunity to spend a year (minimum of 40 weeks) in industry through our work placement scheme. Our undergraduate students are available for full-time work placements from May/June each year.

Studying courses in one or more subjects including Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business, Management, Marketing or Events, students gain invaluable transferable skills and attributes such as:

• Commercial awareness
• An international perspective
• Team working and problem solving
• Effective communications and collaborative working
• Critical thinking

After one year of taught full-time study, our Postgraduate Marketing & Business Management students are encouraged to take up the option of a 40 week placement starting in early October. There may be some students who would be prepared to start on a part-time basis (up to 20 hours/week) before then and several of our new employers have taken up this option.

The students bring practical, real-world marketing and business management-related skills, with modules in understanding customer behaviour and digital and social media marketing strategy. Their MSc courses include: Marketing, Digital Marketing, Marketing & Brand Management, International Luxury Marketing, International Business Management and Management.

Benefits to you:

• Gain a mature, skilled professional wanting to make a serious contribution to your organisation for a highly affordable salary (typically 16-22k)
• All the students have a first degree (although not all in marketing or events) and the majority have significant levels of previous work experience
• Many of the students are international, with fluency in other languages of emerging markets (including China and India) and a global perspective
• You do not have to sponsor an international student while they are on placement as they are eligible to work full time under their Tier 4/Student visa

The Oxford School of Hospitality Management prides itself on its strong relationships with hospitality, events and tourism organisations. Top employers seek out our graduates and our alumni have highly successful careers.

The placements team offers advice, informs employers of available students and assists with their preparation for employment.

The work experience module is optional but strongly recommended for hospitality & events students who want to develop industry experience. It is a great opportunity to put what they have learnt into practice.

Our undergraduate students must be placed for a minimum of 40 weeks starting their role in May/June.

Companies that regularly provide work placement opportunities to our students include:

• Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
• BaxterStorey
• InterContinental Hotels Group
• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Our postgraduate students are required to be in a work placement for a minimum of 40 weeks but with the experience of having already completed a degree (not necessarily in hospitality & events), they are clearer as to their choice of career and are more likely to have had previous work experience.

Postgraduate Students - the benefits to you:

• Gain a mature, skilled professional wanting to make a serious contribution to your organisation for a highly affordable salary (typically 16-22k).
• Many of the students are international, with fluency in other languages of emerging markets (including China and India) and a global perspective.
• You do not have to sponsor an international student while they are on placement as they are eligible to work full time under their Tier 4/Student visa.