Self-Employed Placement Year

During the SEP year you are your own boss. The placement is about you
creating your own employment rather than being employed by an organisation.

A full breakdown of the year and how it works can be found here

The placement runs from mid September to the end of June each academic year.

Yes. If you joined the University during or after September 2024 you will be able to undertake the SEP at the end of your degree. More information on this can be found here

No, it does not have to be related, however you must be able to talk about how your placement year will benefit you in the final year or future career.

The self-employed placement option is not available to international students on a study visa. This is because students on an international student visa are not permitted to engage in any form of business activity as stated by the Home Office.

There is no specific funding linked directly to the SEP, however support is available to help you find alternative funding streams including Santander funding through the Student StartUp team (please note this is not guaranteed). You will also need to be aware of changes to your tuition fees and student loan; please contact Student Finance for more information.

This varies slightly from faculty to faculty, so please check with your placement office for details. Overall, the placement is designed to assess the  development of your enterprise skills through presentations and reports.

Ideally, you will be based in Portsmouth, however, if circumstances require you to be based elsewhere please discuss this with a member of the Student StartUp team. If you are based in Portsmouth, you are eligible for a 100% discount on a desk at one of the University Innovation Connect buildings, Halpern House.