Undertaking meaningful work experience is an excellent way to focus your career ideas, apply the knowledge gained from your studies or interests and develop your professional network.

What is meaningful work experience?

'Work experience' can relate to any type of work you do and is not directly related to your specific career goals, such as working part-time at a cafe.

'Meaningful work experience', unlike standard work experience, is much more focused on opportunities related to the area you want to work in after graduation. 

There are many ways you can gain meaningful work experience, such as undertaking an internship, engaging in a virtual work simulation or taking part in one of the many extracurricular activities offered through King's Edge.

Our opportunities

We offer King's students a range of programmes in the UK, online and internationally. We often provide bespoke opportunities within or alongside your programme.

Industry placements

A placement is a year of study where you undertake full-time employment as part of your degree programme, typically between your penultimate and final year of study.

Year in industry programmes

Year in industry programmes are offered across over 20 undergraduate programmes at King's, spanning business to mathematics, chemistry to accounting.

They allow you to gain real-world experience in a global context by spending your third year in industry working at an organisation in the UK or overseas.

We centrally oversee the placement lifecycle support for both King's Business School (KBS) and Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (NMES) so you'll benefit from the same core learning, support and networking opportunities which is delivered in partnership with each faculty.

If you have a placement year and you are not in one of these two faculties, your faculty will oversee this locally.

To understand fee levels for industry placement programmes see the Student Fees webpages.

Internships

An internship is a fixed-term work experience which could be part-time or full-time. It is typically designed to offer relevant experience for your future career.

King's Parliamentary Research Internships

The King's Parliamentary Research Internships directly support the work of Parliamentarians in the House of Lords and are designed to give participants a direct insight into working in policy. It allows students and researchers to be at the heart of national and international policy making.

The programme is a collaboration between the Policy Institute and King's Careers & Employability and is overseen by Baroness Bull.

Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers are eligible. The internships take place between October and July each year and take place in-person/hybrid.

Accredited internship modules

Students on some programmes at King's have the option to take an accredited internship module, offered by your department where you can gain academic credit by sourcing and completing typically 120 hours of experience and then being assessed on your reflective learning.

These modules can only be taken if your academic department offers it, and you'll be allocated a dedicated Academic Convenor to support your engagement.

You can also find support to help you source and identify your own credit-bearing internship, case studies of successful students and what's required in order to participate.

Internships across King's departments

Each year, there are several departments who offer a range of internships, available exclusively to King's students.

Most of these take place during the summer period, while others offer part-time work throughout the year.

They are part-time, and a fantastic way to build your employability skills before completing your studies - all within King's.

Undergraduate and postgraduate students are eligible.

The internships take place mostly between June and September each year, although some are year-round. Internships can be in-person and hybrid.

Some of the departments we have supported with their internships include:

• King's Entrepreneurship Institute
• King's Sanctuary Programme
• King's Student Knowledge & Information team
• King's Student Transitions & Outcomes team.

All of these opportunities are advertised on King's CareerConnect, so make sure to review this site regularly for internships and job opportunities.

Other opportunities

Other meaningful work experience programmes allow you to gain knowledge and experiences, including visiting employers, virtual experiences and interdisciplinary team work.

Insights programme

If you are unsure about your career options and would like to discover different sectors and roles, we encourage you to join our Insights Programme.

The Insights Programme will give you the opportunity to gain meaningful work experience, broaden your career horizons and boost your confidence. You will also make connections with reputable employers and alumni while developing your employability skills as you explore different sectors and roles.

Final year undergraduates and PhD students are eligible. The programme takes place between October and June annually. The format of the programme is hybrid (in-person and virtual).

Self-paced opportunities

We have partnered with The Forage, Dig Data and Bright Network to offer students access to innovative, digital, work-related learning opportunities that can be accessed by all students at any time during their degree.

These opportunities are usually between one to four weeks long. They give you an understanding of the types of work you might be undertaking across a range of sectors and geographies and an opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and attributes.

All students and postdoctoral researchers are eligible. Opportunities take place online, year-round.

Sustainable Global Experience programme

Our Sustainable Global Experience is an opportunity to explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in theory and practice.

You will complete one week of Carbon Literacy Training and either one week on a five-day field trip in Brussels or Belgium, or one week of virtual experience.

The programme is open to undergraduate first-year students from underrepresented groups. It takes place between March and June annually and can be virtual or in-person.