Internships

Overview

What is an internship?

An internship is a full-time work-learning placement for which you will be awarded academic credit. These placements are supervised, career-related work experiences combined with reflective, academic study that help students apply theoretical knowledge in the workplace.

You may take an internship for 3 credits, for a duration of eleven weeks in any of the three semesters. It is a challenging but rewarding course to take; a test of your character, the skills you have acquired in your studies, and of your suitability for your intended line of work. In an increasingly competitive graduate careers market, practical experience is an invaluable addition to classroom learning.

Benefits of doing an internship

An internship provides exposure to the demands of specific jobs and allows you to learn from professionals in your field. The practical skills and experience that you will gain by carrying out an internship will not only give you a taste of what it would be like to work in your chosen sector, and to help you decide if this is the right path for you, but it will also greatly increase your employability in an ever competitive job market. You will be able to relate classroom situations to the workplace, make contacts which may prove valuable to your future employment prospects, and gain confidence in your capabilities, creativity and communication skills. A graduate CV that clearly details relevent internship experience shows an employer that you are focused towards your future career goals, you have shown initiative and motivation in planning your internship, and also that you already have the basic skills required to work in a professional environment. Some further benefits are clearly outlined in this article from the Sunday Times

Who is eligible for the Internship Programme?

The Internship Programme is open to Junior and Senior degree students of any discipline with a minimum of 75 credits. Your GPA must be greater than 2.75 (or 3.00 for Finance, Psychology & China placements) at the time of application, and you must have the prior approval of your Advisor.

How does it work?

Having developed the format and content of your CV, we contact suitable organisations and ask them to indicate if they are interested in considering you for internship. If so, you will be required to attend an interview with the organisation before they make a final decision as to whether or not to offer you a placement. Please see our list of Recent Internships for an idea of the organisations we have links with. It is a competitive process, not only with your fellow Richmond students, but also with the students of other universities. For this reason we cannot guarantee an internship with specific organisations.

The academic component:

As well as the work-learning placement, you must write an internship report, complete a learning journal and make a presentation on your internship to a panel of advisors and fellow students. The assessment of your academic work is combined with an assessment from your workplace supervisor to make an overall grade between A and F.

Internship Planning Flowchart

What happens next?

If you are interested in an internship, contact Sarah Douglas to arrange a meeting to discuss your internship possibilties and the placement process in detail or stop by 16 Young Street for an application.