Internships

Considering a career in research?

A career in research may seem daunting, and you may be unsure if it’s the right path for you. Doing a research internship is a fantastic opportunity to:

• Gain valuable research and work experience.
• Apply knowledge from your undergraduate studies to real-world research.
• Get a feel for what a career in academia has to offer.
• Enhance your employability.
• Learn new skills.

Your internship 

As an Undergraduate Research Intern (UGRA), you will assist a faculty member in the Department with an ongoing research project. Further information on the research projects available for 2024-25 is below.

For further information on the duration of the internship and rate of pay please read the Internship Guidance.

Am I eligible?

The Undergraduate Research Internship is open to all 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students in the International Relations Department, including students undertaking a joint degree. It is also open to International Relations General Course students taking 200- and 300-level courses in the department. Selection will be based on student academic performance and the fit between faculty research needs and student skill-sets. Students must be resident in the UK (holidays are permitted, but your primary residence should be in the UK) and have a UK bank account for the full duration of this programme to participate.

You are responsible for checking your own visa regulations (if applicable) and confirming you are permitted to work on the project.

How to apply

The application deadline of 12.00pm on Thursday 31 October 2024 has now passed.

Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email by the end of Thursday 14 November. If you have any queries or problems please contact ir.comms@lse.ac.uk

Research Projects 2024/25

• European foreign policy in the digital era with Federica Bicchi
• Passing the Colonial Baton in Palestine: Racial Militarism from the British Mandate to the Zionist Movement with Jasmine Gani
• Towards a Truth-Telling Commission on British Imperialism with Asha Herten-Crabb
• The Crisis of Empire and the Formation of the US Foreign Policy Establishment with David Kenneth Johnson
• Growth Models in the Global South with Nikhil Kalyanpur
• Gender Equality, Cybersecurity, and the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda: Perils and Promises with Katharine Millar
• The Silk Road Renegotiated: Contesting History and Shaping Power in Global Re-Ordering with Giulia Sciorati
• Explaining Foreign Policy Change: The Case of Feminist Foreign Policy with Karen E Smith

Are you considering doing a summer internship with a UK Charity, public sector organisation, or small to medium-sized company? 

Applications for LSE International Relations Internship Fund Scheme open on Monday 20 January and the application deadline is Sunday 16 February 2025. Details will be sent via email to all eligible students.

The Internship Fund Scheme is open to 1st and 2nd year undergraduates including Joint Honours students. The scheme invites eligible students who are interested in undertaking an internship, that would otherwise be unpaid, to apply for funding. 

What is the Internship Fund Scheme?

The International Relations Internship Fund Scheme provides funding for a limited number of internships within a charity, public sector organisation or small to medium sized enterprise* (SME) each year. This enables a number of students to receive funding for an internship that would be otherwise be unpaid and therefore might not be possible to do. 

Am I eligible? 

• Open to 1st and 2nd year International Relations undergraduate students, including Joint Honours students
  
  You are not eligible to apply if you have already received funding via the Internship Fund Scheme in a previous year or are in receipt of support from another LSE Careers work-based learning/internship programme, or the International Relations research internship programme. 
• You don’t need to have an internship secured to apply

What does the scheme offer? 

• A grant of £1939 (equivalent to London living wage salary)
• Internships must be for 140 hours and take place between 23 June and 12 September 2025
• Funding is for internships with a registered UK Charity, public sector organisation or SME based in the UK, that would otherwise be unpaid

How can I apply?  

Applications for LSE International Relations Internship Fund Scheme have now closed and the deadline was 16 February 2025.

Application forms will be assessed by LSE Careers and the department. We aim to notify all successful applicants by 4 March 2025.

You do not need to have an internship secured in order to apply for funding. If your initial application for funding is approved, you will then have several weeks to source an internship.

What happens if I am shortlisted to receive this grant?  

• We aim to notify all successful applicants by 4 March 2025
• You’ll have until 11 May 2025 to source and secure an internship and notify LSE Careers. Students are required to self-source an internship. This gives you the flexibility to pursue opportunities that best suit your interests, skillsets and career goals. LSE Careers will offer extensive support to help you find an internship that suits you.
  
  LSE will not provide a guaranteed internship as part of this scheme but you will be invited to attend a compulsory careers seminar, designed to provide more guidance on how to find an internship. You will also be invited to attend a careers appointment with an LSE Careers Consultant.

If you have any questions about the scheme please contact careers@lse.ac.uk and use the subject heading ‘Internship Fund Scheme’.

* EU definition of SME: The organisation has less than 250 employees and annual turnover does not exceed €50 million or annual balance sheet total does not exceed €43 million