Types of work experience opportunities and internships

The Work Experience Bursary scheme was set-up to support students wishing to challenge and push themselves, which will mean different things for different people.

You may apply for, or find and secure your own work experience opportunity or internship; the type of opportunity you look for should reflect your career aspirations and personal development needs.

A challenging work experience opportunity or internship does not need to be overseas and it does not need to be in a ‘glamorous’ field. We are more interested in how this opportunity is ambitious for your development. For example internships may take place in:

• The voluntary or not-for-profit sector in policy and campaigning, community development, service provision, etc.
• Marketing/advertising
• Sustainability/environmental work
• Professional services e.g. Business consultancy, IT, Human Resources, Accounting, etc
• Education and/or work with young people (note that this does NOT include study abroad or attending summer schools)
• Industry-based research in technology, engineering, the sciences, arts, or social sciences
• Laboratory-based research within the University of Birmingham or another research institution
• Professional development or training that will aide your skills and experience to enter a field/sector, e.g. conference attendance
• Virtual work experiences if your experience incurs a relevant cost

These are just some examples of potential work experience areas. The opportunity you apply for or create will depend on what you want to get out of it.

Overseas Work Experience/Internships

If your internship is overseas, you must consult the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website and read the appropriate foreign travel advice and safety and security advice for your destination. 

In particular, you must consult the guidance in relation to COVID-19 and the location of your proposed work experience, as well as take into consideration the below points:

• Consider risk factors such as your health, safety and wellbeing, the eventuality of having to self-isolate whilst on your trip or upon your return and the possibility of becoming ill whilst you are abroad.
• Research the support available pertaining to your health, safety and wellbeing from your host organisation.
• Download the GlobalRiskManager app for travel advice, security information and to receive alerts for any incidents occurring in your destination country or region. You need to have registered on the Risk Monitor Traveller website before logging into the app. Alerts can be configured by country, proximity, severity and/or category to ensure that you receive the alerts that you need. Please find more pre-travel information and how to download the app on our insurer's pages.

The University reserves the right not to fund any student it deems is travelling to an unsafe destination. In the event of safety and/or security concerns arising after the initial bursary offer has been made, the University reserves the right to revoke its offer of bursary funding which had not been spent or cannot be recovered via refunds or insurance claims.

Work Experience/Internships within the University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham has an Internship policy which applies to work experience placements and internships taking place within the University.

If you are planning to undertake an internal work experience placement at the University of Birmingham, please ensure that you have read this University's internships policy and that your placement supervisor is also aware of the policy.

In accordance with the Internship policy, work experience placements within the University of Birmingham that are longer than four weeks in duration must be paid at the appropriate rate.