• Application skills and support: Available on the Careers Portal, the Pathway is designed and delivered by the Careers team to simulate the steps of a typical application process.

• Make yourself more employable: Split over Terms 1 and 2, you’ll work through activities to develop your CV and master your video interview technique, as well as accessing a suite of extra resources and materials to boost your employability.

• Manageable workload: As long as you complete the mandatory activities by the deadlines, you can easily fit the programme into your schedule. 

• Access placement opportunities: Completing the mandatory activities gives you access to apply for placement opportunities sourced exclusively for students on the programme.

You don't need any previous experience to take part, you just need to complete the online Pathway. This means you’ll get to apply for exclusive placement opportunities sourced by the Placements team in your area of interest – we tailor this programme to you as much as we can.

Placement criteria:

• UK based
• 2 or 4 weeks in duration (part-time available to fit around other commitments such as paid work)
• take place in the summer vacation so there is no disruption to your studies
• remote, hybrid or in-person
• Placement providers do their best to tailor the role and work to your interests
• Placements are unpaid by the employer - you receive a grant of £400 or £650 from the university on completion
• Public travel expenses will be reimbursed
• You can only do one placement, and will only receive one grant amount

Completing the programme means the voluntary module will be displayed on your degree transcript.

Please note placements cannot be guaranteed, but you are welcome to source your own opportunity and have it count on the programme provided it meets criteria.

If you complete the Pathway, you'll gain access to opportunities sourced and advertised by the Placements team from March 2026.

You'll get application support and the team can assist with facilitating any reasonable adjustments or other requirements to enable your participation in this programme.

The Placements team facilitate the application process but it is ultimately up to the employer hosts to select successful candidates.

While placements cannot be guaranteed, you do have the option to find and submit a self-sourced placement to count on the programme.

Yes!

You’ll have the chance to tell us what sector and roles you’re interested in exploring, and we do the sourcing for you.

We've worked with companies across all sectors, and our hosts do their best to tailor the experience to your interests, meaning you get a much more hands-on and in-depth experience.

Please note: placements are unlikely to be available in some specific areas such as banks and the NHS, however, the team will provide relevant opportunities for you to develop industry-relevant skills and experience from companies and organisations that align with or work closely with these areas.

Yes! As long as you meet the eligibility criteria you can do this programme and will receive the grant as well.

Please note that placements are UK-based only, so do bear this in mind for the summer 2026 if you know you may be travelling. The placement providers set the dates/timeframe for their opportunities and these will be detailed in the placement adverts.

Placements on this programme are typically hosted by employers from Small to Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) which include local and national companies, and many which are London-based. We source opportunities with you in mind, so we can seek a placement for where you will be based over summer.

Some hosts are Royal Holloway alumni, so have a great understanding of your current student experience, and can help guide your steps beyond the placement.

Many of our programme students go on to further paid work with their placement company and report higher levels of confidence in securing roles after graduation.

Experience life on placement - download the Booklet

Read case studies from students and employers!

"I feel a lot more prepared and confident now I have proper experience in an industry that is quite difficult to get into." - Film & Television student

The Placements Team are on-hand throughout the programme for support. 

A range of resources are available on the Careers Moodle, and we encourage you to speak directly to Royal Holloway's Wellbeing team for further guidance.

During the programme, you will have access to request adjustments for the video interview submission, as well as during the placement applications stage. You will receive guidance on how/when to declare disabilities and the Placements Team are able to faciliate conversations with placement hosts that will enable you to get the most out of the experience.

Please contact us at any time if you are unsure about any parts of the programme, or if you may need specific assistance that is not mentioned here.

Email: CareersPlacements@rhul.ac.uk

• Grant award: all placements are awarded a grant of £400 or £650 respective of a 2 week (70-hour) or 4 week (140) experience. 
• Travel: Public travel expenses will be reimbursed.
• Study Support Grant: if you feel that you need further financial support at any point during your time at Royal Holloway any student can apply for the Study Support Grant - this is paid in cash and involves a standard assessment procedure which calculates the level of support based on the gap between annual income and essential expenditure. Please visit the webpage for more information and how to apply.

Please contact the Placements Team at CareersPlacements@rhul.ac.uk.

Alternatively, the Enterprise & Careers Hub in the Davison Building is open Monday to Friday between 10am to 4pm and the Careers team can be emailed at Careers@royalholloway.ac.uk

Congratulations! If you've completed the Summer Skills Placement Programme and are going into your final year, you can apply for the Royal Holloway Alumni Mentoring programme (RHAM).

Find out more and how to sign up to RHAM here.