Sandwich degree

Asandwich degree, orsandwich course, is anacademic degreeorhigher educationcourse (also known astertiary education) involving practical work experience in addition to academic study. The work experience is often referred as an industrial placement orinternship. Manyuniversitiesoffer sandwich degrees.
In theUnited Kingdom, athick sandwich degreeis either a four-yearundergraduatecourse as part of a bachelor's degree, or a five-yearpostgraduatecourse as part of a master's degree, and involves a placement year orinternshipin industry, that is, asandwich year, normally after the second year at university. Athin sandwich degreeinvolves multiple shorter placement or internship periods rather than an unbroken year.
Similar types of degrees or courses are offered in other countries, particularlyFranceand otherFrancophonecountries.
Placement years are often offered by industrial companies as a route to recruiting graduate employees.
The concept was pioneered byAlexander Russell, a Scottish electrical engineer and educator, in the early 20th century. It was articulated in a 1945 report by theMinistry of Educationin the United Kingdom which advocated those attending courses at technical colleges would receive a new kind of education in which theoretical studies and industrial training would be interwoven.The term "sandwich" was used in a 1950 National Advisory Council on Education for Industry and Commerce report on possible developments within the further education sector.During the early 1950s, sandwich course proposals were formulated involving the close association of industry and colleges, encouraging movement of students and researchers between academia and industry.Growth of sandwich courses was encouraged by a Ministry of Educationwhite paperon Technical Education 1956.
TheNewcastle PolytechnicBachelor of Arts degree in "Design for Industry" starting in 1953 was an early example of this kind, formerly a three-year "Industrial Design" degree. The new course with two additional terms for industrial placements, extended the degree to four years and popularised the term "sandwich course".
At what is nowBrunel University,Marie Jahodawas involved in establishingpsychologydegree programmes including a four-year, thin-sandwich degree between 1958 and 1965.Architectural education in the United Kingdomsaw the introduction of sandwich courses in the 1960s.Engineering educationsometimes includes industry placement. Non-degree courses include those provided byAir Service Training. Over time, sandwich courses became widespread in the United Kingdom.
Sandwich courses are widespread inFrance, and also exist in other countries such asAustralia,Denmark(Royal School of Library and Information Science),India,Norway(optometry) and several countries in French-influenced Africa (Françafrique), includingCameroon, theDemocratic Republic of the Congoand theRepublic of the Congo,GhanaandNigeria.
Some specific courses offered internationally are typically sandwich courses, such asMaster of IT in Business.
Alumni of theNewcastle PolytechnicBachelor of Arts degree in "Design for Industry" includeRick Dickinsonof Sinclair andJony Iveof Apple.
Alumni of sandwich courses at other universities include:Nicola Pellowof Leicester Polytechnic (nowDe Montfort University) who was involved in work on theWorld Wide Webin the early 1990s;Nigel McGuinnesswho studied at theUniversity of Leicesterand became a professional wrestler;Veronica German, a politician, who studied at theUniversity of Birmingham;Olga FitzRoy, an audio engineer and campaigner who studied at theUniversity of Surrey;Paul Walshwho studied atManchester Polytechnicand became thechief executiveofDiageo;Alex Cartañá,a British-Spanish singer-songwriter and actress who studied at theUniversity of Westminster;Russell Deaconwho works in governance and policy and studied at theUniversity Glamorgan;Sean Ekins, apharmacologistwho studied at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic, nowNottingham Trent University; Bunmi Olaye who studied atUniversity of East Londonand founded a luxury fashion brand,Bunmi Koko;Lorraine Gradwellstudied a degree in Fashion Design and Management at Middlesbrough Art College and Hollins College in Manchester;Colin Larkinwho studiedtypographyand book design at the London College of Printing, now theLondon College of Communication; severalalumni of Aston University; andÉlise Delzennea French former professional road and trackracing cyclistwho studied atENSAITin France.
During 1989 in the United Kingdom, about 20% of the students in higher education were on sandwich courses.By 2002 this had dropped to 9.5 percent and by 2010 7.2 percent.Enrollments were growing again by 2014/15.