The Summer Internship Programme: employer information

It is expected that all our summer internships will involve the following common elements:

• An internship for one or more students which will be exclusively offered to Oxford students and only advertised through the Oxford University Summer Internship Programme.
• Full-time work for 2-12 weeks, generally undertaken during the summer vacation (end of June-end of September). Undergraduates (or postgraduates on a course that exceeds one year) should not do an internship exceeding 8 weeks in duration unless they are finishing (final-year) students.
• Internships can take place remotely or in-person at the host employer's premises. These arrangements are considered carefully according to the circumstances surrounding each placement.
• A defined project, which creates real value for the host organisation and a valuable learning experience for the student
• Interaction with an assigned supervisor or mentor within the host organisation.
• A stipend if you are a for-profit organisation, or some assistance with travel or accommodation if you are a not-for-profit organisation. Internships in the UK must comply with the National Living Wage legislation.

For further guidance on the elements of a successful internship, please see our Internship Best Practice webpage.

If you need inspiration when writing your internship project, please see our summer internship project example.

Many of our internships are offered by alumni or current recruiters who find it rewarding to maintain a relationship with the University. We have also welcomed large multinationals and world-leading organisations and charities to the programme, due to the recruitment opportunities it facilitates, as well as smaller organisations in the UK and abroad. 

Whatever your organisation’s area of work, if you can offer a specific project that will give a student an insight into your company, doing real work that is of benefit to the organisation, we would love to hear from you.

Opportunities come from many different fields and sectors including: Arts and Heritage, Academia, Education, Charities and Think Tanks, Sustainability and the Environment, Scientific Research, Government and Public Services, Law, Finance, Consultancy, Publishing, Marketing and Communications, Tech, IT, Machine Learning, and more.

We are looking for summer internships in small, medium and large organisations and from as many diverse areas and regions, as possible. In 2025, we worked with 108 hosts based in 32 countries, including Brazil, Chile, Australia, Uganda, Singapore, India and Japan, as well as within the EU and the UK. 

We do not accept internship placements in countries or regions classified as ‘red’ or ‘amber’ by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which indicates that the FCDO advises against all travel or all but essential travel. Additionally, we do not arrange in-person internships in countries or territories where UK consular support is limited or unavailable. This policy is in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our interns.

Students and student-led organisations are not eligible to offer internships.

The host organisation on the Summer Internship Programme will:

• Provide an accurate and reasonably detailed description of the summer internship project(s) offered, including an overview of the duties and skills required by the ideal candidate(s).
• Advertise the internships only to Oxford students who apply through the programme. You may advertise similar internships elsewhere, but those entered into the programme should be set aside with the intention of taking students from Oxford.
• Offer a full-time internship. The Internship Office considers a full-time working week to be between 35 and 37.5 hours per week. Any adjustments to weekly hours outside this range must be agreed in advance of the internship being advertised, with prior agreement from the programme manager.
• Protect personal data transferred to you by the Internship Office or the students directly and use it solely for the purpose of the summer internship. At the end of the internship all personal data should be destroyed.*
• Select intern(s) from the pool of applicants who apply through the programme within the timeline provided. If you do not shortlist by the date provided without good reason, the applications will be withdrawn, and students will be advised to make applications to other internships.
• Interview shortlisted interns prior to making selections if you wish; interviews may be conducted by telephone, online, or in person. Provide reasonable travel expenses for in-person interviews.
• Deliver the summer internship project as described (or an appropriate alternative project subject to prior discussion with the Internship Office and the student(s).
• Provide intern(s) with an appropriate workspace and equipment necessary to carry out the internship project work.
• Designate a point of contact within the organisation, who will discuss practical arrangements with the intern(s) before their arrival, supervise the intern(s), and act as the primary contact for communications with the University of Oxford. If the summer intern completes the placement remotely, ensure a similar level of supervision is provided (i.e. regular telephone catch-up, etc).
• Provide the intern(s) with a stipend and/or other assistance (for example, accommodation), as agreed with the Internship Office prior to the start of the internship.
• Ensure that any accommodation you provide or arrange for the student(s) during the internship, ensure that the accommodation is suitable. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the accommodation is secure, complies with any applicable health and safety requirements, and is in a safe area.
• Provide assurance that your organisation’s insurance will cover potential liability that may arise from the internship(s) including liability arising from accident and/or injury to the intern and third parties.
• Where necessary, sponsor the student for a visa covering the duration of the placement.
• Provide feedback to the University of Oxford by evaluating the intern(s) at the end of the placement.
• Make any necessary and reasonable adjustments to accommodate interns in case of disability or additional needs, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and the University of Oxford Equality Policy.
• Maintain effective procedures and arrangements to ensure that the internship takes place in a safe environment, including appropriate procedures for interns to raise concerns and complaints, including in relation to bullying and harassment.
• Comply with local health and safety obligations in relation to the internship(s).
• For UK and European internships, ensure equal and equitable access and opportunities to interns from all backgrounds, including when selecting interns, and ensure that interns are not disadvantaged for reasons including one or more of the following factors: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic disadvantage.
• For international internships, ensure equal and equitable access and opportunities to interns from all backgrounds, including when selecting interns, and ensure that interns are not disadvantaged for reasons related to their personal characteristics.
• Acknowledge that the Summer Internship Programme is open to all matriculated students, including those who have suspended their studies for the time being. More information can be found on the University dedicated webpage on suspension of status.

* https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/ 

Feedback from partners suggests that hiring an intern from the University of Oxford significantly benefits our internship providers. Oxford interns are enthusiastic, highly motivated, and work hard to contribute to projects within their host organisations.

Private sector

We encourage all partner organisations to pay the going rate for their particular sector and country. While not everyone will be able to pay above living wage level, the more generous the remuneration the more interest it will generate amongst the brightest and best.

In the UK, we expect private sector employers to abide by wage legislation, and we expect that internship providers cover at least UK National Living Wage for interns, or the London Living Wage if based in London. The UK Government webpages have a useful guide to an intern's legal status when it comes to pay.

As the University of Oxford is a Living Wage Employer, colleges and departments offering internships must pay Oxford Living Wage or above.

Please note that all remote-working internships must be paid at the rate of national living wage, as we expect that many interns working remotely will be based in the UK. If your organisation is based in London, you should provide London Living Wage for a remote internship.

From an international point of view, whilst legislative expectations differ between countries, partner organisations should provide remuneration similar to equivalent entry level roles within the industry.

Not-for-profit organisations

We also work with public bodies and charities with minimal budget to reimburse interns. The Internship Office has access to scholarship funds to strengthen internship offers, which means students are effectively paid for their work, and their costs are covered. Funds are allocated on a first-come first-served basis at the discretion of the Internship Office from October/November each year. Contact the Internship Office at [email protected] if you would like to benefit from our funding opportunities. In all cases we ask non-profit organisations for a contribution towards their internship, for example, accommodation, meals, local transport costs, or a bicycle to get to work!

Can I offer unpaid internships through the Summer Internship Programme?

No. We do not offer unpaid internships, be it in-person or remote.

For-profit organisations in the UK are expected to pay their interns UK National Living wage or above (or London Living Wage or above if based in London). International for-profit partner organisations should provide remuneration similar to equivalent entry-level roles within their industry and country.

Not-for-profit organisations are expected to provide something towards the costs of the internships, such as free accommodation, meals and/or transport. The Internship Office can sometimes support not-for-profit organisations with scholarship funding to strengthen placement offers. However, funds are very limited and are allocated on a first-come first-served basis at the discretion of the Internship Office. Please discuss funding opportunities directly with the Summer Internship Office team at [email protected].

I am unsure if my intended project is suitable for the Summer Internship Programme. What should I do?  

For guidance on the elements of a successful internship, please see our Internship Best Practice webpage. If you need inspiration when writing your internship project, please also see our summer internship project example. If you have questions about an internship project idea, please email us at [email protected] and a member of the Internship Office will be more than happy to discuss the idea with you.

Can I submit more than one internship proposal?

Yes. Organisations are welcome to submit more than one summer internship project, providing that adequate projects and supervision are arranged.

How many summer interns can I host?

In line with our Internship Best Practice, we ask that one supervisor oversees the work of a maximum of three students. If you need advice, the Internship Office can make recommendations based on your project, and for new hosts, we advise starting with a lower number to assess capacity. Employers can specify the number of places offered on the summer internship advert, but this number can remain flexible and dependent on the applications received.

I am an existing employer and already have an Oxford student in mind. Can I take part in the Summer Internship Programme? 

No. If you already have an intern in mind, it would not be fair on other applicants. Internship opportunities advertised through the programme must be wide open to all Oxford students. In this case, we would suggest you offer a placement directly to the student without going through the programme.

Can I offer internships of 4-6 months duration through the programme?

No. Internships offered as part of the Summer Internship Programme can be of a maximum duration of 12 weeks. Therefore, if you would like to offer internships longer than 3 months, your opportunity might be better suited as a ‘general opportunity’ rather than specifically within our programme. Instructions on how to post a general vacancy can be found on the following dedicated page on advertising vacancies. For further support, please contact our Employer Engagement team at [email protected].

We are a third-party organisation who would like to offer your internships to some specific companies. Can we take part in the programme?

No. The role of the Internship Office is to create working relationships with the organisations who directly host interns, so that we can communicate effectively and easily solve any potential issues. For this reason, we are not working with third-party organisations.

Are there any contract or paperwork to be signed to participate in the Summer Internship Programme?

No. There is no paperwork to sign although to participate in the programme you have to agree to the Roles and Responsibilities when you submit the internship details. If you wish to put in place a contract between your organisation and the students which sets out the expectations of both parties during the internship, you are more than welcome to produce your own version of this according to your organisation's policies.

Can I offer internships to students from other Universities as well?

It depends. As part of the Summer Internship Programme, your internship will be advertised exclusively to Oxford students through the programme, meaning that the same project should not be advertised elsewhere. For example, you cannot advertise a place through the Summer Internship Programme and then offer that place to another intern outside the programme. You are welcome to advertise similar internships through alternative channels, but those entered into the programme should be set aside with the intention of taking Oxford students only.

What is the equivalent of Health and Safety induction for remote internships?

The University’s health and safety regulations require that employers must confirm that they will give interns an induction for health and safety procedures at the place of work, in line with your usual induction processes for new staff. The equivalent of a health and safety briefing for remote internships is to check your intern has everything they need, equipment, a suitable workstation and space to work.