Students based in the UK
Frequently asked questions

You can apply for a placement through IAESTE UK provided you are:

- A UK resident. Please note that we cannot accept applications from international students who are in the UK on a student visa.

- Currently enrolled at a UK institution as a full-time, undergraduate student of engineering, science, computer science, agriculture, architecture or related fields. Please note that you must be studying your full undergraduate degree at a UK institution; students completing only one year of their studies at a UK institution (e.g. ERASMUS students) are not eligible.

- An undergraduate at least in your second year of study; students in their first year cannot apply – this is because IAESTE employers always require a student who has completed at least two years of their course. Final year students are eligible and there are some longer term placements available but preference for short-term placements will be given to students who are not in their final year.

- Over the age of 19 by the time you take up the placement.

Note: students studying outside the UK should contact their national IAESTE offices at home. To locate these visit www.iaeste.org.

Aeronautical Engineering
Agriculture*
Anatomy*
Applied Arts
Architectural Studies
Architecture
Astrophysics
Audio technology with multimedia /Audio Engineering*
Automotive Engineering
Avionics
Biochemistry
Bioengineering*
Biology
Biomedical Science
Biophysics*
Biosciences
Biotechnology
Brewing*
Building Surveying*
Business Information Systems*
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Computer Animation*
Computer Engineering
Computer Games Technology/Design
Computer Science
Construction management & surveying*
Dairying*
Digital media*
Ecology
Electrical Engineering
Electronics
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Science
Fire Safety*
Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition*
Food Technology *
Forensic and crime scene investigation /Forensic Anthropology*
Forestry*
Genetics
Geodesy*
Geography*
Geology
Geoscience
Graphic Design*
Horticulture*
Immunology
Industrial Engineering
Information Technology
Interactive Media Development*
Land Use and Environmental Management*
Marine Biology
Material Science
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Mechatronics
Medical Engineering*
Medicinal Chemistry
Metallurgy
Microbiology
Mining
Naval Engineering
Neuroscience*
Nutrition*
Optometry*
Parasitology*
Petroleum Engineering
Pharmaceutical Studies
Physics
Plant Science
Power Engineering
Process Engineering
Product Design
Prosthetics *
Quantity Surveying*
River & Coastal Engineering *
Rural Surveying *
Statistics
Structural Engineering
Technology
Telecommunications
Zoology

We do not have placements in the following areas:

Chiropody
Commerce
Dentistry
Design & Communications
Economics
Hotel & Management
Languages
Marketing
Media Studies
Medicine
Music
Physiology
Podiatry
Psychology
Social Sciences
Sports Science

You should include the title of your degree course and your current year of study.

You would be eligible if you are an EU citizen here for the full duration of your course (e.g. not an Erasmus student). You would not be eligible if you are just here for one year of your course.

I am afraid that you would not be eligible to apply to the programme. We can no longer accept applications from international students in the UK on student visas. IAESTE UK is funded by the UK education departments in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and these funding bodies expect that we only accept applications from students who are normally resident in the UK. This eligibility would of course include EU citizens who are here for the full duration of their course (e.g. not Erasmus students) and any student who was resident in the UK prior to entering university, regardless of their nationality.

IAESTE training placements are available in industrial and commercial organisations, research institutes, local government bodies, state enterprises, consultancies, laboratories and academic institutions, covering a wide range of disciplines. Normally the placements are for six to 12 weeks in the summer months, although longer-term placements of up to a year are sometimes available. Unfortunately, because of the timing of IAESTE’s administrative cycle, IAESTE placements cannot meet the requirements of students seeking year-long placements as part of a sandwich course.

There are four broad categories of work offered through IAESTE:

- Research & Development offers: Offers in this category are often laboratory based, dealing with specialised work. They entail some element of diagnostic analysis, testing and evaluation with some theoretical content. Such offers will normally be filled by advanced level students. These offers could also be useful for diploma, project or thesis work.

- Professional Offers: These offers entail specialised professional work and the level of skill normally found in more advanced students. They often deal with special project work, possibly in a design office, in technical management or in testing services.

- Working Environment Offers: These offers cover operational activity and usually involve on-site or assembly work related to the production process. Through these placements students gain experience in a hands-on working environment. Such offers are suitable to students at the beginning or middle of their studies.

- Non specific offers: These offers are not confined to students from a particular subject field. They cover activities such as general administrative and office work experience, outdoor work, or language teaching.

Are you:

- Open to new experiences?

- Interested in other cultures?

- Keen to gain an international work perspective?

- Flexible, adaptable, enthusiastic?

We are looking for highly motivated students who will make the most of an IAESTE placement abroad both academically and culturally. Too many students cannot imagine themselves on a work placement in a non-English speaking country, yet that is where some of IAESTE’s most exciting and challenging opportunities lie. Work experience in another country will teach you much about yourself, about your own culture and aspirations, and will affect the career choices you make in the future. If you can demonstrate commitment and a sense of adventure IAESTE can provide work experience which will definitely stand out on your CV.

There are currently member IAESTE organisations in over 80 countries. In 2010 IAESTE UK exchanged at least one trainee with over 60 countries. To learn more about IAESTE in other countries and which countries are members go to the international IAESTE website www.iaeste.org.

IAESTE UK makes every effort to secure foreign training offers that specify that English is the working language, and the majority of placements available do not require you to speak a foreign language, although it is advisable to learn at least some basic expressions before departure. If there is a language requirement then it will be stated on the Offer Form.

Rates of pay vary from country to country and often from company to company. Participating employers are asked to pay trainees enough to cover the local cost of living, which includes food, accommodation and travel to and from work.

The fee to IAESTE UK for a successfully arranged placement is £200, paid once you have submitted a full application and have been successfully selected for a placement. Students are responsible for their own costs e.g. travel, insurance, and visa costs. You will receive a salary on your placement equivalent to the local minimum wage. There are a handful of travel grants available each year of approximately £200.00 to help UK students with their costs for the further flung destinations. These locations will be specified when the list of offers is published in February 2011.

You must be an undergraduate in your second year of study and over the age of 19. It is in the association’s long- standing regulations that the upper age limit is 30. But in IAESTE UK we have sent and received students who are over 30 and cannot discriminate against people for their age. Equally for under 19 year olds, although this is less common.

You must be an undergraduate in your second year or above to apply.

You would not be eligible to apply if you are in your first year. We would accept initial registrations from students who are in their final year of undergraduate study when they register; but not from recent graduates. We will accept students to go on placements up to six months after graduation. You are eligible if you register your interest during your final year and then your placement takes place just after you have graduated.

We do not accept registrations from master's students; we would only accept a master's level student if it is an integrated master's e.g. a four year MEng degree as opposed to a three year BEng. We do not have placements for PhD students. The positions are for undergraduates or students just about to graduate, and are suitable for that level.

IAESTE placements are aimed at students in the latter stages of HE degrees so Foundation Degree or HND level students would not qualify.

The same eligibility criteria applies for Architecture students. We cannot accept applications from 1st year students, but all other years are fine including year out. If you are an Architecture student between parts 1 and 2 of your degree on a year out (or longer) we would accept your application but if you don’t have student status that may restrict where we can send you (e.g. EU only).

Yes, IAESTE covers a wide range of subjects within the fields of science and engineering.

Due to the administrative cycle of our programme we do not offer 12 month placements for students on sandwich courses. We do occasionally have year long placements but these are normally taken up by graduates as they fit more with their availability.

I am afraid that the programme does not offer placements in your subject field; therefore we will not register you on our database. If you are still interested in a placement abroad, you should contact AIESEC, www.aiesec.co.uk.

Or you could look at a Language Assistantship, Comenius Assistantship or the Erasmus scheme? These are all administered by the British Council and are suitable for language students.

No, SAAS is not recognised as a sponsor. That section only refers to if a company is supporting you through your studies.

You will have to meet your own travel expenses and make your own travel arrangements. Consider costs carefully, especially for long distance flights, before applying. A return ticket must be purchased before departure but do not make firm bookings or payments until you have been accepted by the foreign employer. It would be a good idea to check whether your institution or department offers grants or scholarships towards travel to course-related training placements abroad. If you are a student member of a professional institution you should contact them to see whether there are travel grants available for international work experience..

Accommodation will be arranged by the host IAESTE organisation or by your foreign employer. Details of this and any reception arrangements will be sent to you after you have been accepted for training. In several countries IAESTE National offices are student run, and in the majority of countries local students volunteer to organise social activities for foreign IAESTE trainees. Where the network of such student local committees is extensive, you will probably be met by a student upon arrival in the host nation.

A work permit or trainee’s visa is generally required outside the European Union. The IAESTE office in the receiving country will forward information on conditions of employment relating to foreign nationals and issue specific IAESTE documents for securing a visa/permit once you have been accepted for training by your foreign employer. It is then up to individual trainees to apply to embassies or consulates for work permits or visas.

All trainees must arrange personal travel insurance (depending on the country to be visited) and may need to take out health, accident and life insurance as well. Details of requirements will be supplied when you are accepted for training.

If you are studying at a UK university, click here.

If you are studying at a university outside the UK, click here.