According to abbreviationfinder, London is one of the most diverse metropolises in the world. Although English is the official language of the capital of Great Britain, more than 300 languages are spoken there. The city’s multicultural diversity is also reflected in the culinary landscape and numerous festivals such as the Notting Hill Carnival.
The districts above and below the Thames are so diverse that there is something for every taste: the museum district in Kensington, the most important political and cultural buildings in Westminster, the largest financial and economic center in the world in the City of London or the shopping paradise in the Oxford Street. Cozy pubs and beautiful parks and lakes in and around the city center invite you to relax.
An internship abroad in London is the perfect opportunity to experience the pulsating metropolis up close and immerse yourself in the British work culture.
In 5 steps to an internship abroad in London
For more than 30 years, our American partner organization Academic Internship Council (AIC) has been providing international students with project-related internships abroad in the world’s most exciting cities.
AIC has built up many collaborations with various companies and organizations in London in recent years. These enable you to complete high-quality internships in a wide variety of industries.
If you would like to do an internship in London with AIC, just follow our 5 steps to apply:
Step 1: Get information and advice
Please inform yourself first about the prerequisites for participation, the program fees as well as the dates and deadlines for the internship program in London. If you also want to complete your dream internship in an industry that is particularly suitable for London , nothing stands in the way of an application.
Now contact our advisory team – we will inform you about the documents that you have to submit for the application. You can contact us by phone, email or personally in our office in Frankfurt. We are also happy to advise you on all your questions about internships abroad in London.
Step 2: Submit your application
In the next step, please send us your application documents in English (cover letter, résumé, performance overview) by email. After a thorough review, we will give you feedback by email or phone. As soon as your documents are complete and in order, we will forward them to the AIC team.
Step 3: Discuss interests and wishes with the AIC
Shortly afterwards you will be contacted by your personal contacts at the AIC in London by email. You fill out a detailed online questionnaire and upload further documents to the AIC database so that your contacts can get an initial idea of your skills, interests and internship requirements.
As part of a comprehensive Skype conversation, you will then specify your ideas together with your contact persons at the AIC and discuss which type of internship is suitable for you. Your contacts will then start looking for a suitable internship abroad in London.
Step 4: Complete application training
AIC employees support you with professional online application training during the application phase and prepare you in the best possible way for the upcoming interview.
Here you can find out how a “typical” job interview with a British employer works and what is particularly important for successful applications. With practical tips and tricks, you can be sure to make the best possible impression on your potential internship company.
Step 5: Complete an interview and get an internship
As soon as the Academic Internship Council has found a suitable internship for you, the next step is to arrange an appointment for the interview, which also takes place via Skype.
In the event that the interview goes well and you receive an internship offer, you now have to decide whether you want to accept it. Otherwise, your contact persons at the AIC will look for another internship position for you.
Just like your contact persons at the AIC, we are available to answer any questions you may have in advance of the application and during the application process.
Participation requirements
In order to apply for the internship program of the Academic Internship Council, you must meet the following requirements:
- Good knowledge of English:They will find out who your Academic Internship Council contacts are in a personal conversation A formal proof of language proficiency through a recognized language test is therefore not required.
- Completion of the first year of study at a university or university of applied sciences:Since the Academic Internship Council arranges high-quality internships that require initial academic knowledge, high school graduates without academic experience can unfortunately not take part in the demanding internship program.
If you have already completed your bachelor’s or master’s degree and want to gain valuable practical experience in London before starting your professional life, you can apply for the internship program. However, your degree should not be more than a year ago when you started your internship.
Particularly suitable industries
In London you have the opportunity to complete internships in international companies, NGOs or innovative start-ups in various specialist areas: everything is possible from the financial and economic sector to journalism and law to the education and technology sector. In addition, the Academic Internship Council also offers you specialist internships in many other areas.
Based on its previous experience of former international interns, the Academic Internship Council recommends the cosmopolitan city of London in particular for internships in the following industries and types of companies:
- Education, social institutions
- Finance
- Banking
- Healthcare
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Non-profit organizations and NGOs
- Computer science & engineering
- Journalism, marketing, PR, advertising
- Art and culture
- Fashion
- human Resource
- Law, Government and NGOs
- Technology sector
- Tourism and hospitality
- economy
Of course, internships in other industries and departments are also possible in London.
You can also propose companies to the Academic Internship Council in which you would like to do an internship.
As part of the detailed preliminary talk, your contact at the Academic Internship Council will tell you about your chances for an internship in London. The first conversation forms the basis of the internship placement, as the further steps build on it.
Dates and application deadlines
You can choose between internship periods of different lengths in spring and autumn or an eight-week summer internship in London.
| Period | Arrivals | Program start | Duration |
| Summer 2018 | July 01, 2018 | 07/02/2018 | 8 weeks |
| Fall 2018 | September 01, 2018 | 02.09.2018 | 3-5 months |
| Spring 2019 | March 01, 2019 | 02.03.2019 | 3-5 months |
In order for the Academic Internship Council to have enough time to find an internship, you should submit your application to us at least four months before the desired start of the program.
Program fees
The fees differ depending on whether you want to book accommodation in London through the Academic Internship Council or find your own accommodation.
| Internship program | fees |
| Fixed price (regardless of the duration) | US $ 2,597 |
| Internship program + accommodation | fees |
| 8-week summer internship | US $ 6,187 |
| 3 months | US $ 7,982 |
| 4 months | US $ 9,778 |
| 5 months | US $ 11,373 |
The bookable rooms of the Academic Internship Council are usually located in student apartments or student dormitories, are furnished, contain kitchen utensils, washing facilities and internet access. The accommodations are in a central location in London and close to public transport.
The program fees include the following:
- The Academic Internship Council arranges a suitable internship in your desired area
- Active support during the entire planning and application phase
- Review of the written application
- Professional application training via webinars
- Orientation program, workshops & leisure program in London
- Assistance with all concerns on site
- Certificate from the internship supervisor
Financing options
If your internship is a compulsory internship, you are entitled to apply for BAföG abroad. Eligible students receive grants for health insurance and for living and travel expenses.
Further financing options are various scholarship programs especially for internships abroad.
Please note that internships in the UK are usually unpaid if they are done as part of a degree. In individual cases and for longer internships, you may be paid smaller (travel cost) subsidies. This is usually not the case.
