Location
  • England
    • London
Length
12 weeks
Industry
Accounting Advertising Art History Arts Business Communications Education Fashion Design Finance History International Business Journalism Marketing Media Relations Music Performing Arts Public Policy Social Work Startups Technology +10
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Compensation
Unpaid
Timeframe
Fall Spring Summer
Housing
Apartment
Language
English
Weekly Hours
36

Pricing

What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Some Meals Travel Insurance Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Visa
Nov 27, 2023
Aug 22, 2024
14 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

With a guaranteed internship in London, you have the chance to experience a multitude of career opportunities in the city’s business, marketing, education, media and communication sectors—and just to name a few! This internship program will give you the tools you need to become a global leader, and help you gain insight into how London has become a major driver of the global economy.

Take the Tube to work or a double decker bus. Grab some fish and chips for lunch. Experience all this global center of business, culture, architecture, and learning has to offer.

An IES internship develops your professional skills, your ability to communicate across cultures, and provides substantive work experience to jump-start your career in today’s competitive job market.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

Today, and every day, we celebrate who you are and who you will become. We take pride in simply getting to know you, and look forward to adventuring through this incredible world with you.

Studying abroad as part of the LGBTQIA+ community can present unique opportunities and challenges in exploring a new culture, so we have compiled resources on sexual orientation, gender identity, and allyship to help prepare you and support you along the way.
Going abroad, whether this is your first time or your umpteenth, can be a trip both literally and figuratively. Seeing something new or being someplace unfamiliar has its own challenges, especially when it comes to mental health and physical accessibility. With IES Abroad, you won't handle these concerns on your own.

We have not only compiled resources on mental health, physical health, and self-care to help prepare you and support you along the way, but we also have a dedicated Student Affairs staff that are available for you to contact from the United States and once in your host country.
Going abroad, whether this is your first time or your umpteenth, can be a trip both literally and figuratively. Seeing something new or being someplace unfamiliar has its own challenges, especially when it comes to mental health and physical accessibility. With IES Abroad, you won't handle these concerns on your own.

We have not only compiled resources on mental health, physical health, and self-care to help prepare you and support you along the way, but we also have a dedicated Student Affairs staff that are available for you to contact from the United States and once in your host country.

Impact

As part of IES Abroad's Global Good Commitment, IES Abroad employs sustainability measures in the following ways:
-Moving toward more sustainable Headquarters and Centers abroad
-Producing printed materials mindfully
-Hosting events and conferences in LEED-certified buildings
-Purchasing carbon offsets for staff air travel
-The formation of the IES Abroad Sustainability Team - a dedicated group of volunteers responsible for implementing sustainable practices across our organization. The team comprises of members across our Centers, departments, teams. It is truly a global effort, and we are better for it.

Program Highlights

  • Before you go, we work with you to fine-tune your rsum, perfect your cover letter, and hone your communication and interview skills as we prepare you for working in a new cultural environment.
  • You'll be guaranteed a placement at a local business or organization where you will work up to 40 hours a week.
  • Develop your professional skills and gain substantive work experience to jump-start your career in today's competitive job market.
  • Share a room with an en-suite bathroom and have access to a common kitchen with other students on your floor in the Nido Kings Cross Residence Hall.
  • Get to know London through extracurricular activities and cultural events.

Popular Programs

student sitting in front of a computer in an office building in London

The London Summer Internship Program focuses on practical experience in the workplace, complemented by a classroom seminar, and the cultivation of global leadership skills. You will enroll in a required 3- or 6-credit academic internship seminar with other IES interns where you will learn about a variety of local business settings and opportunities.

inside of an art museum with high ceilings

As a major driver of the global economy with internship placements in Finance, Politics, the Arts, and so much more, London is an ideal place for earning invaluable professional experience in a field. With IES Internships, participants are guaranteed an unpaid, for-credit internship placement of 32 hours to 40 hours per week in a business or organization that suits your career goals.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 9 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.45
  • Support 4.55
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 4.7
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 9 reviews
Default avatar
Matthew
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Time of My Life

In one of my classes they asked us to think of some of the best choices that we have made in our life, and what immediately came up for me was going on this program. I was nervous coming in because I knew nobody else but my concerns there were quickly put to rest as IES did a good job of hosting social events and tours that allowed us to naturally meet the others. In the end I ended up traveling with them to multiple places and believe I made some lifelong friends Along with the social aspect of things, IES did a good job at pairing people with the type of internship in the fields that they wanted. With regards to prepping for the program, IES did a great job of hosting info sessions and walking us through the VISA process. Overall a 10/10 experience.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
The biggest piece of advice, no matter how basic it might sound, is to say 'yes' to any opportunity that comes your way. Whether it was going out with people in the program/coworkers, traveling, going to historical sites, etc. I would always say yes to go. I was of the mindset that I wont ever have the opportunity to be 20 in London with a bunch of people my age ever again so I better make the most of it.
Pros
  • Living in the same place as the rest of the people in the program which allowed for us to meet easier.
  • IES did a good job of giving us events/field trips that would showcase more parts of London and the United Kingdom. I enjoyed the field trips over the typical class and feel they enhanced my academic experience.
  • While our living location may not have been in the center of the city, it was directly on the Victoria line which was easy to access and get to anywhere.
Cons
  • Dirty and rusty kitchen appliances
  • Having to take the class on Friday
16 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Morgan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My summer in LONDON!

Choosing to intern in London and actually getting the opportunity to do it was one of the best things that has happened to me thus far. I was able to grow professionally and personally. I was able to expand my cultural knowledge and learn how to adapt to a culture different from my own for the first time in my life.

IES provided me an internship placement that allowed me to explore a side of psychology and health care that I had never pictured myself in before. My placement was with a mental health and wellness facility and on most days I was essentially a support worker. Through my internship I was able to establish professional relationships with each of my co-workers, as well as all of the clients that used the centre. These relationships allowed me to experience British culture firsthand through people who have lived there their whole lives. It also provided a lot of interesting conversations about the differences and similarities between British and American cultures that almost always ended in me learning something new.

Being in London for two months I still found new things to do and see every single day. London itself is so rich in diverse cultural and history that even being there for two months I didn't get to see nearly everything that the city has to offer. It was great that the program also offered us a few opportunities to travel outside of the city to see other parts of England, as well as local excursions to get us settled into the culture. It was great of the program to set these things up for us to encourage us to go out and see as much as we possibly could in our time there.

What would you improve about this program?
The program staff was not as helpful and organized as I expected them to be once I got there. Several of my interactions with the staff left me with unanswered questions and the staff I interacted with usually had an attitude and did not seem very willing to help.
166 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Courtney
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Best Decision!

Interning in London this past summer was easily one of the best decisions and experiences of my life. I was able to develop professionally, expand my cultural knowledge, explore a diverse and historically rich city and discover myself in a new light.

IES provided me with the perfect internship placement that offered me insight into the marketing, operations, administration and producing departments of an acting company. I was able to work with each of these fields within the company and learn about the logistics of running a successful business. My internship placement also allowed me to interact with co-workers native to London and the surrounding England areas. I was able to develop personal relationships with each one of my co-workers and experience the London culture first-hand through them. Furthermore, in the class offered by IES, I was able to reflect deeper about what it means to be culturally intelligent. The IES staff members were all very knowledgeable and passionate about cross-cultural education, which enhanced our learning in class and our overall experience. Besides working, the program provided us with the perfect amount of time to explore the city and various parts of England as well. They provided field trips for students and organized local excursions to ensure we made the most of our experience. One field trip they planned was to Wimbledon, which was definitely a highlight of my trip!

Overall, this internship pushed me to be more confident, culturally aware and adaptable to new situations. I met incredible people, ate exquisite food, explored breathtaking cities and monuments and sparked a desire live a global life. I would definitely say interning with IES is a must do!

What would you improve about this program?
N/A
178 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Maria
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Internship in London

I could not have asked for a better summer. There is an insurmountable amount of activities and things that you can explore in London. Even after two months of being in London, I still found new things to do every day. London is such a diverse environment- walking along the streets you can hear up to 10 different languages being spoken. Even in my work place we had people from multiple countries. It was incredible to see how everyone interacted with each other given their different backgrounds. Overall, the people at my internship were absolutely incredible and I still keep in touch with many of them today. It was amazing to be able to learn about how they do business and also sharing with them the different methods of business that we use in the United States.

In addition, being able to tell people that I have had work experience abroad has been extremely helpful during the recruiting process back at my university. Not only am I able to say that I have gained a new global business perspective but I also got hands-on exposure and was able to study the British and EU culture.

173 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jenae'
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Unforgettable Experience

Going abroad with IES Abroad is one of the best decisions that I have ever made. I always wanted to study and get work experience in another country and this program was the perfect opportunity to do so. They supplied me with an internship, a place to stay, and a valuable cultural experience that I will never forget.

The internship placement are catered to your skills, knowledge, and interests. This allows you to get experience in your field(s), as well as develop useful connections that can be helpful in the future. My placement was incredible. I loved what I did and the people who I worked with.

The seminar was helpful as well. It gave me the chance to learn more about my professional self and helped me learn how to adapt to different cultural differences in the workplace. Also, my teacher was helpful in every way possible. She never let us down when it came to lending a helping hand.

The life in London is amazing. I stayed in a student living building, but it was very accommodating to my needs. IES even paired me with a roommate that was similar to me (My roommate and I still talk ever chance we can). It was fairly easy to travel around the city and there was always something to explore. There was never a dull moment.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in London and I most definitely recommend this trip to anyone thinking of interning and studying in the UK.

What would you improve about this program?
The one thing that I would change about my program would be the fact that we did not have air conditioning in our student living building.
172 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nicolas
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Summer in London

This summer, I had the opportunity to intern in London. It was such a great mix of professional and personal development. I was able to learn how to work in a real business as well as adapting to a new culture.

London is one of those cities that really pushes you to walk and explore. There is just so much art to London. Sometimes, I would catch myself just staring at its buildings and architecture. An amazing experience was taking a walking tour of Arsenal's Fly Emirates Stadium. I have been passionate about soccer for a long time, and being on the pitch was one of the best feelings of my summer. Queen Elizabeth Park was a fantastic park that I highly recommend for anyone. I went on a Sunday and was able to witness how people spend their family time. There was cultural food and live performances. The energy of the people really excited me for the rest of the week.

London had great weather for most of my stay. One of my favorite days during my time abroad was Friday. After getting out of class around 1, I would have the rest of the day to myself. I would walk with some friends from the IES Center to Piccadilly Circus to Green Park. Green Park was located right in the heart of London's busiest streets. You could see business people coming outside and hanging out. Buckingham Palace is another beautiful sight to sit down and get inspired.

What would you improve about this program?
If I had to change something, I would make the rooms cooler. I know that air conditioning is uncommon in the UK, but it always felt hot in my room. Maybe bigger windows could be a solution.
187 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Megan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Time In London

This was absolutely the best time of my life without a doubt. I had an internship where I was able to learn a lot about my major but also about doing business abroad. I gained so much self awareness that only studying in a different wouldn't have provided. I received a lot of great insights about the city from my co-workers and constantly explored the city. The actual seminar part of the program was great, it was twice a week and really made you think about not only your internship and experiences but other people in different industries experiences and internships. The IES staff was great, when I got sick they took me to the doctors and helped with all of the insurance which really made the whole process easy. London is a great city to be in and I would choose the city and IES ten times out of ten.

What would you improve about this program?
I wish I would have known that chip and pin credit cards are way more popular and widely accepted than swipe credit cards.
173 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
ChristineM
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

INTERNSHIP IN LONDON!

My study abroad program was slightly different than most. Instead of taking classes at university I worked four days a week with a 2 hour class at the IES Centre on Fridays.

I loved my internship placement because I got to experience hands on what I want to be doing after graduation but I also loved the people I worked with and the location. I worked at the Royal Academy of Arts in their marketing department.

I fell head over heels in love with the city from the food to the nightlife to the history. There was nothing about the city I did not like. I even ended up meeting a few celebrities during my time in London which I know would never happen back home. I also felt safer walking around the city than in the U.S. Even at night when I was with friends I felt a lot safer. There is always something to do in London. I was never bored and I never slept in because this city is just too great not to explore!

I lived in Nido Spitalfields which is such an ideal location. It was close to the tube, grocery stores and many food places. The view from the gym on the 32nd floor as absolutely breath taking.

Overall, my experience in London through this program has helped me to realize not only what I want to do in life but has helped me realize that I want to go back and live there again for quite sometime.

What would you improve about this program?
The classes on Fridays were a bit of a downer because I wanted to travel and see other part of Europe while I was there. I did go to Scotland and France but I wish that I had had more time to go other places or extend my trips to both of those places.
166 people found this review helpful.
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