China Placement Year Programme 2026

• Programme locations: Multiple cities in China, including Suzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Wuxi (varies by employer)  

• Planned start date: September 2026 

• Duration: Full time; minimum duration varies by school — see school-specific requirements below  

• Placement opportunities: A curated selection of roles across engineering, technology, and business. Please refer to the full list of available opportunities: China Placement Year Positions List, 2026

• Selection process: Shortlisting by the University, followed by employer assessment and/or interviews and final selection by the host employer  

• Pay: Varies by employer and role. Please refer to the individual opportunity listing for details

• Accommodation: Not provided. Students are responsible for arranging their own accommodation. Host employers will recommend and assist with suitable options. 

You can apply if you are: 

• A current second-year undergraduate student at the Edgbaston campus studying within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) or Birmingham Business School (BBS) 

• Intending to undertake a Year in Industry / Placement Year as part of your degree. Please note:  

• If you are already on a degree programme that includes an industrial year (for example, BEng/MEng Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Year), you can apply directly. 

• If you are currently on a degree programme without an industrial year but would like to take this opportunity, you are also eligible to apply. If you are offered and accept a placement, you will need to contact your School to transfer to the industrial year route of your degree and contact the International Student Team (IST) to update your student visa accordingly. 

• Meeting your school's academic progression requirements for a placement year (see school-specific requirements below) 

You must also: 

• Be available to undertake a full-time placement starting from September 2026 

• Meet the required academic background for the specific role 

• Demonstrate strong academic performance, self-management, organisation, and communication skills 

Please note: The majority of placements require Mandarin Chinese as the working language. Language requirements vary by role. Please refer to the full list of available opportunities for details on each position. 

You will become ineligible for this opportunity if you withdraw from your studies or go on a Leave of Absence. 

School-specific placement year requirements 

During your placement year, you will be required to complete academic work set by your school, in addition to your day-to-day placement responsibilities. Requirements vary by school and are set out below. You should also be aware that your tuition fees and student finance arrangements will differ during a placement year. Please refer to the University's Placement Year Guide for further information on fees and funding. 

In addition to the programme eligibility criteria above, students must meet their own school's requirements for undertaking a placement year. Please refer to the relevant section for your school. If you are unsure whether a placement through this programme meets your school's requirements, please check with your school's placement or employability team before applying. 

Birmingham Business School  

• Minimum placement duration: 33 weeks  

• Academic progression threshold: Minimum 2:2 required; 2:1 strongly advised in order to secure placements and manage the academic workload alongside assignments 

• Academic work during placement: a Reflective Essay and a Research Project 

• More information on guidance and support: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/81878 

School of Engineering  

• Minimum placement duration: 45 weeks 

• Academic progression threshold: Minimum 55% and passing all credits in Year 2 

• Academic work during placement: Quarterly skills reports, a final report, and a poster presentation 

• More information on guidance and support: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/83411/pages/year-in-industry 

School of Computer Science  

• Minimum placement duration: 9 months 

• Academic progression threshold: Must have passed all Year 2 credits 

• Academic work during placement: 9 monthly work logs; two meetings with a University tutor; a reflective report (due April); and a poster about the placement. No private company IP needs to be disclosed in any of these submissions. 

• More information on guidance and support: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/81072/modules 

School of Chemical Engineering  

• Minimum placement duration: 12 months 

• Academic progression threshold: any student who is able to secure a placement is welcome to transfer to the industrial year version of their course 

• Academic work during placement: A skills booklet and a poster promoting the placement to the next student cohort, both to be submitted in the first week of Autumn term. Students will also have a pastoral video call with their Industrial Tutor to discuss settling in and the assessment. The placement year is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis. 

School of Physics  

• Minimum placement duration: One academic year, typically September to June as a minimum 

• Academic progression threshold: 55% or greater average across Year 1 and Year 2 

• Academic work during placement: Three termly placement reports and a formal presentation at the end of the year 

• More information on guidance and support: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/80621 

School of Mathematics

• Minimum placement duration: 9 months
  
  
• Academic progression threshold: Must have passed all Year 2 credits
  
  
• Academic work during placement: Three progress reviews, and a final placement year repor

Stage 1: University application 

The application form for the China Placement Year Programme 2026 can be found here. The deadline for completing the form is 23:45 (UK time) on 7 June 2026. 

You will need to upload your CV and an up-to-date academic transcript as part of your application. You may select up to 2 placement opportunities in the application form. Please refer to the full list of available opportunities (China Placement Year Positions List, 2026) before completing your form. 

The Careers Network team will review all applications and shortlist candidates. Application outcomes will be communicated via email. 

Stage 2: Employer assessment 

If shortlisted, the employer for the role(s) you applied for will contact you to arrange the assessment and/or interview and make the final decision on whether to offer you a placement. 

Please note that being shortlisted does not guarantee an offer. Employers will make the final selection based on your application and interview performance. 

If you have questions about the programme or application process, please contact: careersenquiries@contacts.bham.ac.uk