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.
Students participating in an internship must register for the 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.
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 typically experience few difficulties in securing an appropriate placement. Upon arrival in London, students will interview with the potential employer before final placements are secured.
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.
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 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 March 2013, the application fee for this visa was £289 which is approximately $450).
