London Internships

Internship placements are available for students in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Interns spend 20 hours per week at their placement as well as participating in a regular Internship Seminar meeting with other LU London Centre interns. Examples of placement opportunities include political parties, government agencies, human rights organizations, museums, arts organizations, primary and secondary schools, publishing companies, small businesses, multi-national corporations, brokerage houses, and law firms.

Lawrence's London partner, the Foundation for International Education (FIE), provide internship placements. In the internship application process, students list their preferences for the type of placement they would like. FIE London's internship site provides a wealth of information about placement options, intern support, and other resources helpful for students applying to or participating in the internship program.

Internship Seminar

Students participating in an internship must register for the 6 unit London Internship Seminar. Due to the fact that students are required to devote two full days to their placement, students participating in the internship program may only enroll in one other elective course in addition to the 3 unit core course (British Life and Culture) which is a total of 15 units. Non-credit internships are not available.

The internship seminar meets through the term and builds upon the field study, lectures, and discussions in the British Life and Culture course. Students may be expected to maintain a journal or blog of substantial entries critically reflecting on their experiences and may also be required to complete short reflective essays and/or a final internship essay interrogating their experiences in terms of the course readings, class discussions in the seminar and the broader issue of how a liberal arts-informed perspective frames one's experience in the workplace.

Application & Placement Process

To apply to the Internship program, students should indicate their interest in this program on their London Centre proposal application and submit their completed supplemental Internship Interest Inventory form with their application materials by the London Centre application deadline. Once internship application materials are reviewed, students will be notified whether or not they are admitted to the Internship program.

The internship placement process replicates the real-life experience of seeking employment. It is, therefore, incumbent upon students to present themselves in a professional and mature manner both on paper and in person, to indicate areas of potential placement for which they are academically and personally prepared, and to exhibit high levels of responsibility at all times during their participation in the internship program. Since internships involve a third party, final placements are based on the on-site interviews and, therefore, cannot be guaranteed in advance. However, students who listen well, are flexible in their expectations, and follow advice will experience few difficulties in securing an appropriate placement. Upon arrival in London, students will interview with the potential employer before final placements are secured.

UK Visa

Students who do not have an EU passport will need to apply for a UK Tier 4 General Student visa to participate in the internship program. FIE and the Off-Campus Programs office provide guidance on the application process and a timeline for completing the visa appliction. However, students should be aware that they will need to complete this application, attend an appointment to have biometric data taken (photo and fingerprints taken), and pay the Tier 4 application fee (as of April 2013, the application fee for this visa was £298 which is approximately $460). The visa application process takes place approximately three months before the start of the program.

What Past Interns Say...

“The main reason I chose to study abroad in London was the opportunity to do an internship. Once I was in London, though, I fell in love with the city- in part, I think, because I was working in London. I got to feel like I was actually living there as a part of the larger day-to-day community instead of just taking classes with and being around other Lawrence students. I met wonderfully funny people there, took several tea breaks a day with co-workers (!), and even learned more about a potential career. So many people I have encountered professionally after graduating have been impressed (and jealous!) by the fact that I had the chance to intern in London. It was by far one of the biggest reasons my study abroad in London was so special.” Tara DJangi, ’06 interned at Henley Media Group (online, TV, and print publications and marketing) in Fall 2004 and is now working at Random House publishers in New York as a Marketing Assistant
"I would definitely encourage anyone and everyone to take advantage of the internship program while studying at the London Centre! Not only do you get university class credit for it and a great plus on your resume, but you also get to feel more like a local Londoner as you head to “work” every day…I did my internship at St. Gabriel’s Primary School in London…It was the best experience and now I know that teaching is the path for me. If you have an area of interest—whether that is education, science, government, or business—there is an internship for you—and London is definitely the perfect place to do it." Megan Roberts, '08 interned at St. Gabriel's Primary School in Winter 2007 and is now a Lead Preschool Teacher
"Working in the larger world and studying in the classroom simultaneously can greatly expand the value of a liberal education." -Micha Jackson, '07 Interned with the Respect Coalition in Winter 2006
“My internship at the London Centre became the defining experience of my time at Lawrence. I was placed with Milet Publishing, a small, independent publisher that specializes in children’s multicultural literature... Patricia, one of the directors of the company and my supervisor became a mentor…My experience solidified my belief that publishing was the career I wanted. After I graduation, I took a publishing graduate course at the University of Denver and started looking for jobs… I am now an assistant publisher. I work closely with the directors on developing new titles, working with our distributors, and handling publicity. Not only did my internship give me the connections I needed for my position, it also gave me the experience I needed to perform my job.” Becky Passick Mann, ’04 interned at Milet Publishing in Winter 2004, went on to be an Assistant Publisher for the Chicago office of Milet Publishing, and is now an Editor at McGraw-Hill