This page contains information for Computer Science, Computing Systems, Computer and Management Sciences, and Computer and Business Studies students who are interested in spending a year away from the University. This can be either to work in industry, or to study at a university in another country. The intercalated year is taken between the 2nd and 3rd years of a degree course. In the case of a 4-year degree course, the year away can alternatively be taken between the 3rd and 4th years.

Please discuss your intentions to take an intercalated year firstly with your personal tutor.

Before you leave

Fees

During your intercalated year, the University charges a reduced fee; further information on the fees is available from the Academic Office website. You should check the exact amount at the Undergraduate Office in University House. Students who are supported by their Local Education Authority need to make sure they do not miss the LEA deadline for approval of funding, which may mean that they need to transfer to an Intercalated Year degree during the 1st term of the academic year preceding the year away.

Finding a placement

It is your task to find a job, or a programme of study, for your intercalated year. However, students looking for a job will find the Careers Centre helpful. Students wanting to study abroad will benefit from consulting the International Office, in particular about the Socrates-Erasmus scheme.

• IBM at Warwick, Hursley, Portsmouth
• BT
• Siemens
• 3Com
• Barclays Capital
• Goldman Sachs
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• PA Consulting
• Powergen

Some students spent the year away studying at the University of Rostock in Germany, which we have links with (contact Steve Russ for more information). We also have an exchange agreement with the University of Eastern Finland (contact Mike Joy for more information).

Placements opportunities are also advertised in the forum http://forums.warwick.ac.uk/departments/computer-science/placements/.

Approval of placement

Your placement must be approved by the Department. For this, you need to complete the Placement Approval form, available from Jackie Pinks. This form also enables you to transfer to an Intercalated Year degree course if you have not already done so.

Firstly, the purpose of approval is to ensure that the placement is appropriate and relevant to your degree course. You can discuss this with the Intercalated Year coordinator.

Secondly, we need confirmation that your placement will be financially viable. If you are planning to spend the Intercalated Year working, your employment should be full-time, for at least nine months, and with a salary which is not below the legal minimum wage.

Thirdly, as part of the approval process, we shall ask the placement provider to confirm that they will meet their responsibilities for ensuring your health and safety (as summarised here). In case of successful approval, we shall also provide you with a copy of the Health and safety guidance notes (available here), which you must read carefully.

Inform us of your contact details

Please fill out a form for contact details during your year away, which is available from Jackie Pinks.

Accommodation for the year after

You can obtain a Warwick Accommodation application form for the year following the year away, from the International Office.

During your year away

Visit

If you have a placement with a company in the UK, we will seek to arrange at least one visit by an academic member of staff from the Department.

Choosing a third/fourth-year project

You need to find a project for the year when you come back. You can do this during your year away by browsing the relevant departmental web pages, and contacting the academic staff by e-mail or telephone. In the case of individual projects, you can alternatively find a supervisor and a topic in the year preceding the year away. For further assistance, you can approach the project organiser Steve Matthews.

Support

If you experience difficulties during your year away which you would like to discuss with us, you can contact your personal tutor or the Intercalated Year coordinator.

Assessment

• You need to submit a written report on your intercalated year activities, to arrive to the Department by Monday of Week 1 of the Autumn Term following the year away. It should be approximately 1500 words long, plus appendices if needed. You should send it by recorded delivery to Jackie Pinks.
• You also need to give a presentation about your intercalated year. These will be scheduled during the Autumn Term, and we will inform you of the date and time. A presentation should be 15 minutes long, plus 5 minutes for questions. The presentations will be open to other students and staff to attend.
• If a member of staff visited you while on placement, they will provide a short written report.
• We will also ask your manager, or tutor if you are studying abroad, for a brief report on your work.

These assessment components will be considered by two members of the academic staff, to determine whether you have spent the intercalated year in a manner which is appropriate, and relevant to your degree subject. If you pass, you will be eligible for a degree ‘with Intercalated Year’.