Housing Studies placements

If you have a specific business challenge that you don’t have the time or resource to tackle, hosting a Stirling student for a placement may offer the perfect solution.

Read on for more information about how student placements can benefit your business, or contact us to ask a question

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Student placements and projects

Our students are looking for work experience related to their studies throughout the year. By welcoming a Stirling student into your business, you’ll be gaining a valuable asset to help you tackle a specific project or need, as well as building relationships with the next generation of leaders.

What skills can our Housing Studies students offer your business?

Housing students can offer a range of skills and knowledge exchange in the following areas:  

  • Providing Housing Services
  • Sustainable Communities
  • Organisational behaviour
  • Housing Governance
  • Healthy Housing
  • Finance and Strategy

Students are supported by a leading team of academics who comprehensively cover the multi-disciplinary nature of housing, research, policy and practice. Our research-led teaching draws on our specialist expertise in policy analysis, homelessness and housing rights, social theory, housing and land market analysis.

Supporting cutting-edge housing practice

This MSc/PgDip Housing Studies course fully integrates academic and practice components of the professional qualification of the Chartered Institute of Housing. This includes a structured, assessed work experience internship, spanning 50 days over the academic year, and which sets up graduates for a ‘fast track’ into a career with housing organisations in the social, voluntary and private sectors. 

Students are introduced to the most up-to-date ideas and debates in housing and offered the opportunity to learn about the cutting edge of housing practice.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Housing, the course provides a comprehensive academic and professional qualification with structured work experience. 

We are following a blended model for the internships:

  • Remote online work based learning projects with hosts
  • Ask internship hosts (when safe and permissible via University and host organisation guidelines) for face to face time in a work environment for the students (subject to flexible working and student wishes).

Internship students are expected to complete a piece of research for their host organisation while also gaining valuable experience, the topic of which is agreed between the host and student (making sure to align with host requirements and student interests).

Examples of previous projects

  • A qualitative investigation into the ways place-based tenancy support services were delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this can shape future practice.
  • "How can I live in this home”: A thematic analysis of how inadequate housing can affect health and wellbeing.
  • 'An easy read?' Review of tenant handbooks.
  • Report on barriers to move on from homelessness in Oxford.

When do students go on their internship/placement?

Internships can begin as early as January and run until September. However, timings are flexible and subject to student and host convenience. Dates are discussed and agreed at a pre-internship meeting, which is the first step in the process. Some students have childcare responsibilities and need to negotiate an internship programme which does not include the school holiday period. Students must gain 50 days of housing experience (inclusive of both remote experience and research project related work as well as face to face experience if that is applicable).

Costs to the host organisation

Student internships are not paid but we ask host organisations to cover the cost of the student’s travel to the workplace and lunch costs. Any other incidental expenses incurred during the internship should also be covered. Some organisations have given students a stipend, or been able to support paid positions. This is not required, but if possible very welcome.

Internship programme/experience

Internship organisations are expected to put together a programme which allows the student to develop an understanding of the housing and other roles undertaken and to provide the student with as much experience of practice as possible. It is helpful for the student to have a project to undertake for the organisation as this helps structure the work time and provides for more in-depth learning and engagement. In the past the student has often done a research report for the housing organisation that is useful for the host and doubles as their assessment for the course.

Submit a project proposal

Complete our scoping form to let us know the kind of support you're looking for and what you'd like students to work on within your business.

Get in touch

If you have any questions please contact Dr Vikki McCall.