Employability is not just about getting a job after you finish your degree. It is about the skills and attributes that you develop which make you successful in what you do during and after your time at University.

We believe that developing your employability is important. LICA has excellent links with organisations in the creative sectors enabling students to collaborate with individuals and organisations outside of the University. What’s more, we are committed to the future of our graduates long term so Lancaster offers careers support for life.

Opportunities for undergraduates

In the third year all students can take the Creative Enterprise module, which is designed to develop the professional skills needed to become a freelance worker. This enables you to develop creative ideas into a viable proposal for a live arts event, a series of creative workshops with the community, or a mini-festival.

Employability module: Creative Enterprise

This third year module provides an opportunity for you to develop your understanding of the innovative ways in which creative practitioners produce and deliver their work. It provides an overview of the challenges faced by freelance practitioners, producers and small cultural companies within the creative industries. You will also develop a working understanding of the key management and enterprise skills involved in delivering creative projects. Working in groups you will put your learning into practice through the delivery of your own live creative arts project. This will enable you to understand the skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours relevant for employment in the arts and creative industries.

Take a look at some examples of what students have undertaken for the Creative Enterprise module.Placements, Internships and Employability

Extra-curricular activities

Many of LICA’s academic staff members are professional artists and practitioners who combine theoretical knowledge and research with their teaching career and their passion for the subject. We invite visiting artists and practitioners to give talks, show their work and engage with our students, and have excellent industry links UK-wide. This environment is ideal for you to start developing yourself as a professional and forming your own network of professional contacts.

Placement year links

A university placement year is totally different from any work experience you might have done at secondary school. You will be in a graduate level position for nine-twelve months working in the type of environment that you might be considering for after you graduate. A variety of positions are available in companies (large and small) across all sectors. As a full-time employee you will have a detailed job description with specific responsibilities and opportunities to access training and development, the same as other employees. Unlike other employees, however, you will still be a Lancaster University student and our placements team will be in touch regularly to support you throughout your placement. Your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years. This kind of placement is also known as a year in industry.

If you are interested in a placement year degree and this is available as a separate degree scheme (with its own UCAS code) you can apply for this via UCAS.

Opportunities for postgraduates

Master's students are encouraged to engage with external organisations as part of their dissertation or research project, with the support of their supervisors. We also bring in visiting professionals and practitioners to reinforce the real-world nature of our curriculum and encourage students from day one to develop external links that enhance their employability opportunities. Our research students are involved in the research life of the department and participate in research meetings and events alongside staff to gain professional experience. Doctoral students are encouraged to engage with the national and international research community in their speciality area through participating in conferences. This is supported through The Faculty of Arts and Humanities competitive funding scheme.

Careers service

Thinking about your career and next steps after university is important to us. Every subject in LICA has a designated careers contact and we work closely with the Lancaster University careers service which offers all students support from the day you enrol for the rest of your life.

Find out more about our and about Careers Service in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science