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MBDA UK Undergraduate Placements 2027

Pays £24,460 a year in Stevenage, Bristol and Bolton.

NoUndergraduate Placements

No. MBDA UK does not sponsor its undergraduate placements for international students who need a visa. MBDA's own FAQ states plainly that it is unable to sponsor any visa applications because of the nature of its business and security restrictions. This rules the programme out for almost all international students on a student or graduate visa route.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Below the threshold
Opportunity
placement
Pay
£24,460 per year
2027 cycle
Applications for the September 2027 programme are open now, no closing date published
Confidence
high

MBDA UK Undergraduate Placements: at a glance

MBDA's undergraduate placement gives penultimate-year students 12 months on live projects in its business, engineering, software and manufacturing areas. Depending on the placement, students focus on one specialist area or split their time into two five-month placements in different departments of their function. Placement students who want to return after graduating could be offered a place on the graduate programme at the end of the placement. Source

Duration
12 months“Over 12 months, you’ll work on exciting live projects in our business, engineering, software and manufacturing areas”Source
Start date
September 2027“Applications for our September 2027 programme are now open!”Source
Who can apply
University students in the penultimate year of their studies“It’s open to university students in the penultimate year of their studies”Source
Locations
Stevenage, Bristol, BoltonSource
Starting pay
£24,460 per year, plus eligibility for the company bonus scheme“Starting September, you'll earn £24,460 per year; you'll also be eligible for our company bonus scheme.”Source
Degree requirement
on track to graduate with a minimum 2.2 classification in a relevant undergraduate degreeSource

How MBDA UK recruits

September 2027 placements (applications open). 6 stages, from MBDA UK's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where MBDA UK names them.

  1. Submit an application

    Application form

    Application form with factual questions, role-related questions and a free section about yourself. One early careers application per recruitment year.

    “Our application form contains a few factual questions, some questions relating to the role you have applied for and a section for you to tell us all about you!”
    Source

  2. Online assessment part one (strengths)

    Online tests

    Online strengths assessment tailored to MBDA and its early careers schemes.

    “Part one of our online strengths assessment, completely tailored to our business and early careers schemes.”
    Source

  3. Online assessment part two (video tasks)

    Recorded video interview

    Three recorded video tasks based on authentic work scenarios from the programme.

    • 3 questions
    “Part two of our online assessments include three video recorded tasks which are authentic work scenario based activities”
    SourceHow to prepare for a one-way video interview

  4. Internal review

    Other stage

    Hiring managers and recruiters review the application and assessment results and shortlist for assessment centres.

    “Hiring managers and members of the recruitment team assess your application and assessment results and if successful, you'll be shortlisted for our assessment centres.”
    Source

  5. Assessment centre

    Assessment centre

    Half-day virtual strengths-based assessment centre with a range of tasks and meeting current programme members and the department.

    “Our strength based assessment centre is a half day virtual experience!”
    Source

  6. Offer

    Offer

    A call within three weeks of the assessment day with feedback and offer details.

    “We'll call you within three weeks of your assessment day to talk through your feedback and the finer details of your offer”
    Source

Every programme and stage at MBDA UK

“No. Due to the nature of our business and security restrictions that are applied, we are unable to sponsor any visa applications.”
MBDA UK, from its own careers pages
The catch: Even UK dual nationals face extra questions and a longer clearance process because of the second nationality, so this is not just a formality for anyone without sole UK nationality.
MBDA UK early careersVerify on gov.ukSee the licence record

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What MBDA UK publishes about this programme

Checked against MBDA UK's own careers pages on 2026-09-22. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at MBDA UK

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-21. Application dates last checked 2026-09-22. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does MBDA UK sponsor visas for its undergraduate placements?

No. MBDA UK does not sponsor its undergraduate placements for international students who need a visa. MBDA's own FAQ states plainly that it is unable to sponsor any visa applications because of the nature of its business and security restrictions. Security clearance requires proof of UK or UK dual nationality, and the vetting page adds that a candidate's background, previous nationalities and place of birth can further limit which roles they can do. This rules the programme out for almost all international students on a student or graduate visa route.

What is the MBDA UK undergraduate placements?

MBDA's undergraduate placement gives penultimate-year students 12 months on live projects in its business, engineering, software and manufacturing areas. Depending on the placement, students focus on one specialist area or split their time into two five-month placements in different departments of their function. Placement students who want to return after graduating could be offered a place on the graduate programme at the end of the placement.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme sits below the Skilled Worker salary threshold, which is itself a reason sponsorship is not possible.

What is the catch international students miss with MBDA UK?

Even UK dual nationals face extra questions and a longer clearance process because of the second nationality, so this is not just a formality for anyone without sole UK nationality.

When do applications open for the MBDA UK undergraduate placements?

Applications for the September 2027 programme are open now, no closing date published. Checked on 2026-09-22 against MBDA UK's own site.

How long is the MBDA UK undergraduate placements?

12 months, according to MBDA UK's own careers information.

When does the MBDA UK undergraduate placements start?

September 2027, according to MBDA UK's own careers information.

Who can apply for the MBDA UK undergraduate placements?

University students in the penultimate year of their studies, according to MBDA UK's own careers information.

Where is the MBDA UK undergraduate placements based?

Stevenage, Bristol, Bolton, according to MBDA UK's own careers information.

What does the MBDA UK undergraduate placements pay?

£24,460 per year, plus eligibility for the company bonus scheme, according to MBDA UK's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the MBDA UK undergraduate placements?

on track to graduate with a minimum 2.2 classification in a relevant undergraduate degree, according to MBDA UK's own careers information.

How should I confirm MBDA UK's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on MBDA UK's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

All visa and sponsorship guides

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.