Work Experience bursaries

The University of Birmingham Work Experience Bursary scheme offers financial support for undergraduates of all years to undertake unpaid or low-paid work experience.

The work experience can be within the UK, overseas or for research related experiences (for example, a research project at a university or within an organisation that is undertaking research). Awards for this bursary strand are for work experiences that are undertaken outside of term time and during the summer vacation period only (between June and September).

Please note that the Work Experience Bursary is currently closed and will re-open in autumn 2021. Please check back shortly for details about the latest bursary offering.

Important information regarding COVID-19

Please note that, due to restrictions in place as a result of COVID-19, the Work Experience and Gateway Bursaries cannot currently be used towards funding work experience outside of the UK. This is in accordance with guidance issued across the University of Birmingham. This webpage will be updated as and when the guidance develops or changes.

If you have any queries or concerns, please email the team at internships@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Information about the bursary

To apply for a bursary you must complete an application process. The application process consists of 2 parts; an online application form and an online video interview. To be considered for a bursary, both parts of the application process must be completed before the bursary deadline date.
The online video interview must be completed via Shortlist.Me; direct links to the interview can be found in the application form and guidance document.
If you have been awarded a bursary previously, you can apply again, however, you must strongly demonstrate how this experience is different, and builds upon the previous opportunity for which you received an award.
Students can only apply for one bursary scheme, not both.

Work Experience Bursary guidance documents

The below guidance documents have been created to provide you with all the information you need to know about the Work Experience Bursary. It is highly recommended to read each section of information in detail to ensure you complete your application to a suitable standard. If you have any questions or require further information, you can contact the Work Experience Team by emailing internships@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Once the application deadline has passed, all applications received will be assessed by Careers Network staff. Students will be provided with an outcome to their applications shortly after the deadline date.

Who can apply for a Work Experience Bursary

The scheme is open to all undergraduate students of all years, including international students. You must source your own internship / work experience.

Support available for a Work Experience Bursary

Undergraduate students can apply for a bursary of up to £500 to undertake work experience in the UK, overseas or for research related experiences. The amount you apply for will depend on the individual circumstances of your proposed work experience. In the past bursaries have supported in covering expenses including:

Accommodation costs
Travel expenses
Living costs and utilities bills
Insurance
Visa costs

Interview skills support

The application process consists of two parts; an online application form and an online video interview. To be considered for a bursary, both parts of the application process must be completed before the bursary deadline date.

For support and guidance on interview skills, explore the interview resources on the Careers Network website.

Internship opportunities

We advertise a range of internship opportunities exclusive to current students and graduates of the University of Birmingham; take a look at some of the great positions available. You can also try logging on to our jobs database on Careers Connect - there are lots of internships on offer and more are added regularly so do keep checking!

Previous Work Experience funding winners

See details of previous winners of our work experience funding schemes and their experiences.

Fundraising

Each year many students fundraise themselves to cover all or part of their costs, particularly for opportunities overseas. We are currently developing resources to support you in fundraising.