Careers & Internships
Although optional, the Internship Programme is an important element of our undergraduate and Master’s degrees, because it integrates theory with practice.
Students will be challenged to relate theoretical learning to real workplace situations, develop contacts which may prove valuable in creating future employment opportunities, and to gain confidence in their capabilities and their employability.
Internships are designed to be both demanding and rewarding; providing students with an opportunity to learn from professionals in the workplace and to be guided by faculty as they produce assessed records of their experiences that will count towards their undergraduate degree.
In an increasingly competitive career market, internships are an invaluable means to supplementing classroom learning with hands-on experience, thus creating a direct link to careers and further opportunities.
The Careers & Internships office
The Careers & Internships office aims to facilitate a wide range of activities and resources in an efficient and effective manner, utilizing both personable face-to-face support as well as on online platforms. In addition, the Office shall build on the accessible, proactive and innovative reputation of the wider Student Affairs department.
Students are welcomed and encouraged to search for internships on their own however, they can contact the Career & Internship office for assistance on their internship/job search, CV/ cover letter reviewing and help, 1-to-1 interview preparation sessions, support and advice.
Our for-credit internship programme enables students to gain academic credit whilst gaining a practical insight into employment. The Careers & Internships Office supports students in securing placements both at home and abroad. The Office works with international partners to offer structured programmes in Argentina, China, South Africa, Italy, Spain and Ireland. In addition, students can secure placements on their own but the internship placement must be approved by the Internship Office in advance in order to gain academic credit.
Career portal login for current students and staff
Please use this link.
Contact us:
For further information on graduate internships please feel free to contact us.
Internships and Careers Office:internships@richmond.ac.uk
Office open hours are Monday to Friday • 9am – 5pm GMT.
Enhance your employability
Our students have gone on to a range of successful careers in finance, business, media and not-for-profit organisations thanks to the unique teaching experience at Richmond. We spoke to those alumni as well as faculty members and employers about career prospects for future students graduating with a dually accredited liberal arts degree.
The Internship Programme
An internship provides students with exposure to the demands of specific jobs in specific sectors and allows students to learn from professionals in their chosen field. These are academically-accredited work placements carried out over a 6-12 week period, and worth academic credits.
The practical skills and experience that students gain by carrying out an internship not only provide a taste of what it would be like to work in a given sector, but it also greatly increases a student’s employability in an ever-competitive job market.
As a student on Richmond’s Internship Programme, you will have the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in the workplace, make contacts which may prove valuable to your future employment prospects, and gain confidence in your capabilities, creativity and communication skills – all while gaining academic credits that will count towards your Degree.
Undergraduate internships
The 6 credits Internship Programme is open in the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters to Junior (year 3) and Senior (year 4) degree students of any discipline who meet the following requirements:
- 60 completed credit hours at the time of application
- GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Exceptions: for Psychology majors a GPA of 3.2 is always required; GPA of 3.0 for Finance and Policy majors
- 2 strong academic references
Final acceptance onto the programme is at the discretion of the Head of the Internship Programme. The internships last between 6 and 12 weeks.
Applying for Undergraduate Internships in UK and abroad
Undergraduates apply for the programme upon eligibility through the Careers & Internship Office.
The Application deadlines are:
- Fall: June 1st
- Spring: October 1st
- Summer: March 1st
Upon being accepted, students send in all of their supporting documents:
- Completed Application form
- Two reference letters
- Updated CV
After documents have been received, students are expected to search for internships on their own but the Career & Internships team can provide advice on their internship/job search, and support with CV/ cover letter reviewing, 1-to-1 interview preparation sessions, support and advice.
Once an internship has been agreed in principle, the Internship Office will liaise with the student and their employer to ensure that all requirements are met (number of hours worked, job description fits the students major etc).
We don’t recommend that undergraduate students simultaneously do their senior project and accredited internship in the same semester.
Graduate internships
Internship and academic coursework integration
Every Postgraduate Student has the opportunity to complete an internship as part of their course during the last semester of their programme.
Richmond internships are supervised, career-related work experiences, combined with reflective academic study that help students apply theoretical knowledge in the workplace.
They are full-time, academically-accredited work placements carried out over a 6-12 week period, and worth 4 academic credits.
- Students can be part-time or full-time, spread between 6-12 weeks for a minimum total of 200h
- The internship is taken during the last semester of students’ degree programme (the timing will depend when each programme starts)
A postgraduate internship is optional but highly encouraged. During their summer semester, students can opt to do an internship and their dissertation/research project (10,000 words) or opt to complete an extended dissertation/research project (15,000 words). However, this may vary by course.
Students are expected to search for internships on their own however, students can contact the Career & Internship office for assistance on their internship/job search, CV/ cover letter reviewing and help, 1-to-1 interview preparation sessions, support and advice.
International Internship Providers
Richmond students looking for dedicated help finding an internship outside of London can safely rely on the following organisations which have worked with the university for years and are trusted International Internship providers.
- Absolute Intern – Europe, China, Singapore, Japan
- Connect123 – Australia, S. Africa, Argentina, China, Spain, Ireland
- CRCC Asia – Japan, S. Korea, China, Vietnam
- Global Career Center – USA
- The Intern Group – Worldwide options
Each of these organisations charge an additional fee to the regular Richmond University programme fees. This fee usually covers: individual training, the application process, visa costs and the placement procedure.
For more information contact our Head of Careers and Internships Cecile Loyen.
Richmond’s partner companies
Richmond students have been successfully taking part in internships, some for credit within their chosen Major, for many years.
Some of those companies have told us how happy they are with the internship programme and the type of students that have previously been involved.
Are you an employer looking to get involved?
If you own a small business or are involved with personnel in a large company, you can find out what previous employers have said about our students on our dedicated Employers Guide to Internships webpage.
Popular Job/Internship Search Portals and Career Resources
We recommend you first visit the following portals popular in the UK to search for an Internship and find out about various career paths that might interest you. You can also approach us if you need support with your application, CV, cover letter or general advice.
Current students are also encouraged to take advantage of our university resources by heading to our Careers Portal via the link below.
Graduate destinations
The employment rate of Richmond undergraduates is 93% and on average, students go on to find permanent employment within six months of graduating. We have graduates at EY, KPMG, PwC, Bloomberg, Black Rock, UBS, Google, IBM, House of Commons, US Homeland Security, Vice Media, NBC News, Al Jazeera, Buzzfeed and many more.
Our Alumni network has a far reach in all corners of the world. Students can work with our Careers & Internships Office in conjunction with our Alumni Office to make connections in the industry that they want to get into.
Visit our Alumni webpage for more information.
Recent graduate placements
- Fulham Palace
- Chiswick Auction House
- Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara
- National Trust at Mordern Hall Park
- Red Cross: Museum and Archives collection store
- Safe to Net
- Human to Human
- Perretti Communications
- Women in Travel CIC
- CCD PR
- Quiller Consultants
- Lazard Asset Management
- Fate v. Future
- Nataxis
- IHS Markit
- Jenny Packham
- Chapter 79
- Keisei Magazine
- Marici
- Epicurean life magazine
- KK Communications
- Urbaniser
- Emma Beckett PR
- Ekstasy
- Entice Communications
- Labour Party – London
- CARR (Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right
- US Commercial service
- Professors Without Borders
- Club of three
