Apply Now: UK Universities Offering Paid Internship Opportunities to International Students
Internships allow students to gain hands-on work experience, learn valuable skills, and enhance their resume while expanding their professional network. It is a professional learning experience that offers practical and meaningful work related to the student’s field of study or professional interest.
An internship gives the student the opportunity to explore and develop their career, as it also allows the employer to bring new ideas and energy to the workplace, develop talent and potentially build a pipeline for future full-time employees. It provides a platform where trainees improve their employment prospects as most employers are more likely to offer employment to graduates who have gained some form of work experience.
To leverage the benefits of internships, some UK universities partner with some global companies such as PwC, HSBC, Santander and Vodafone to provide internship opportunities to domestic and international students to improve their skills.
This article seeks to provide potential interns with information about some of the UK universities that offer platforms for students to undertake their internships.
UK universities offering paid internships to students
1#. Edinburgh University
The Summer Internship Program at the University of Edinburgh is open to all students and alumni of the institution for up to two years after completing their programs. Internship opportunities are available in fields including science, business, law, performing arts, and design. Other fields are engineering, computing, technology, etc.
Students will have the opportunity to enroll in a 10-week internship program in which they will work 35 hours per week. Santander and the university’s Career Services department support the offer of internships.
2#. Oxford University
Internship programs at Oxford are designed to help students develop their skills during term time and holidays. Students are offered the opportunity to gain work experience while on campus, which will further enhance their ability to apply what they have learned in school. Employers looking to hire interns at the University of Oxford also have the opportunity to get involved and participate in Oxford’s internship programmes.
Internship programs available include the Summer Internship Program, the Micro-Internship Program, and the Crankstart Internship Program. Information on internship offers and participation is available from the University of Oxford Careers Service.
3#. Loughborough University
Loughborough University has a number of paid internships available in Student Recruitment, Student Recruitment Marketing, Academic School Marketing, Alumni Engagement and Communications. The positions allow the intern to gain valuable marketing experience and are usually full-time and for a fixed period of 12 months.
Prospective interns should be passionate and talented graduates, current final year students or those wishing to undertake a placement year to join the University’s award-winning Marketing and Advancement team.
4#. Coventry University
Coventry University has provided a strong offering of internship opportunities for students. Students wishing to undertake an internship or consulting project must be interviewed and selected directly by an employer. Students wishing to enroll in the opportunity must demonstrate excellent academic performance and maintain regular attendance throughout the program.
The university’s talent team provides students with career support during their time at Coventry University and also prepares them for a potential interview and job opportunity.
5#. Imperial College London
There are several internship opportunities for students and recent graduates at Imperial College London. This university offers a job board for students (and graduates) where you can find internships and job opportunities from employers. People who have previously studied at another university can still access the Imperial College London job board.
6#. University of Birmingham
There are plenty of internship opportunities for University of Birmingham students. Summer internship takes place during the summer holidays in a professional role within the industry. They usually last 8 to 12 weeks. Formal internship programs are predominantly (but not exclusively) aimed at penultimate students and are also used to recruit students for postgraduate programmes.
Internship deadlines can also be in October, but can be announced throughout the year. They usually start in July. It is best to apply early if the places are filled before the deadline.
7#. University of Bristol
There are a wide range of internships advertised by companies looking to recruit students from the University of Bristol. These are all paid opportunities and can be local, national or even global.
Some of the internship opportunities available in Bristol can be found in the Career Services Unit and include: internship programs for small or medium-sized businesses, part-time work alongside your studies, summer and Easter holiday programs etc.

Apply Now: UK Universities Offering Paid Internship Opportunities to International Students