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.

Importantly, employers have signficantly diversified the range of experiences available to students beyond just internships, which are no longer the singular - or premium route - to successful graduate careers in many sectors.

Indeed, employers have invested heavily in broadening opportunities away from structured internships, noting they cannot support the number of students singularly through this route and so our programming reflects this change also.

Our opportunities and support

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.

Alongside this central programming, we run regular drop-in sessions throughout the year focusing on supporting students discover different methods of work experience.

Our 'How to find Meaningful Work Experience' pathway on King's CareerConnect will navigate you through various activities to help you explore options and help you reflect on the skills you are gaining, alongside workshops and access to self-paced digital experiences which are also available to support you building experience.

Year in industry programmes (via Global Placements)

• Eligibility: Students in NMES and KBS enrolled on specific industry placement programmes.
• Length: 9-11 months in your third year of study.
• Format: In-person.

A year in industry 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.

These are offered across over 20 undergraduate programmes at King's, spanning business to mathematics, and 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). This means 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, including in Psychology, Nursing, a Medical Elective or Clinical Placement, your faculty will oversee this locally.

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

See some of our previous placement students celebrating their success in our annual celebration event and awards evening below:

Accredited internship modules

• Eligibility: Students enrolled on UG or PGT programmes where the department offers the accredited internships module.
• Length: 120 hours of self-sourced internship.
• Format: In-person.

Students on some programmes at King's have the option to take an accredited internship module, offered by your department. Here, 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.

King's Parliamentary Research Internships

• Eligibility: Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers across all King's faculties.
• Length: 9 months part-time (7-10 hours per week).
• Format: In-person.

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 The Baroness Bull CBE.

Hear more about the Programme from previous interns and their Peers:

Internships at King's

• Eligibility: Undergraduate and postgraduate taught students (based on individual internship)
• Length: c. 3-6 weeks (summer) / sometimes year-round.
• Format: In-person/hybrid.

Each year, several departments offer a range of internships exclusively for 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.

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.

Insights programme

• Undergraduate Eligibility: Finalists - invited based on careers registration data provided by individuals at enrolment OR Chinese nationals.
• Postgraduate Eligibility: Current Chinese nationals OR Chinese offer holders.
• Doctoral Researcher Eligibility: Invited based on careers registration data provided by individuals at enrolment.
• Length: Year-long, various opportunities.
• Format: Hybrid.

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 has different streams for specific cohorts, but each 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.

A new stream dedicated to supporting Chinese nationals gain meaningful work experience and comprehension of the Chinese labour market, working on a Chinese-based employer project, was launched in 2025.

Sustainable Global Experiences

• Eligibility: First and second year undergraduates from under-represented groups.
• Length: 4 weeks.
• Format: Hybrid (digital skills element + physical week trip).

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 Amsterdam, or one week of virtual experience.

Self-paced, digital opportunities

• Eligibility: All students, doctoral researchers and alumni.
• Length: Varied, usually 1-2 weeks in commitment.
• Format: Virtual.

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.