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The Creative Business Internships give you the opportunity to get valuable, hands-on work experience with a business started by a UAL graduate.

Creative Business Internships offer short paid internships to graduating and recently graduated students, placing them with small creative businesses.

These internships are a great way to gain professional experience to include on your CV, explore career options and build your network.

All internships are with businesses set up by UAL graduates and will provide insights into what is involved in working for yourself and running a creative enterprise.

In 2024 there will be 2 internship periods which will run 3 June – 12 July and 2 September – 31 October.

Applications for the Autumn 2024 programme will open end May/ early June 2024.

Who can apply

Creative Business Internships are designed to support recent graduates who would be unable to take unpaid opportunities and gain work experience. The internships are aimed at final-year students and recent graduates from an undergraduate bachelor programme only. Those starting, completing or who have graduated from MA or other higher courses are not eligible.

Creative Business Internships are open to students/graduates with a right to work in the UK who are:

  • UAL students currently in the final year of their undergraduate, bachelors, programme (due to graduate in summer 2024).
  • UAL alumni who graduated from an undergraduate bachelors programme in 2023. Those who graduated before 2023 are not eligible.

You cannot apply if you:

  • have had an internship in 2023 as part of the Enterprise Experience Programme or the 2024 Creative Business Internship programme (June/July round)
  • are enrolling onto, completing or graduated from an MA or other higher courses other than a bachelor programme
  • are not studying on a UAL bachelor programme (e.g. Diploma or Foundation level)
  • graduated before 2023
  • do not have the right to work in the UK or your visa does not allow you to work the total number of hours (150 hours) required for the internship.

Why take part

  • Gain real-life work experience and employability skills which you can include on your CV and cover letters and in interviews for future job opportunities.
  • Develop professional skills like communication, time management and problem-solving.
  • Explore career options in the creative sector.
  • Network with professionals and increase your industry contacts.  
  • Gain insights into what is involved in working for yourself or running your own business.
  • See how UAL graduates have launched and run their own creative enterprise.
  • Add your internship employer as a reference for future job applications.
  • Internships are flexible and can fit around other commitments like work, study or care responsibilities.

What you will get

  • Over 6 to 8 weeks, you will have the opportunity to work up to 150 hours. Some employers will be able to offer flexible hours.
  • You will be paid an hourly rate of £14.69.
  • Your internship includes 2 sessions, run by UAL’s Careers and Employability team – you must take part in these sessions:
    • 1 before the internship starts which will support you in how to prepare for the internship and get the most from the opportunity.
    • 1 at the end of the internship will help you take forward your experience and what you have learned.
  • You will have a named contact in UAL’s Careers and Employability team who is available to provide support to you throughout the programme.
  • Each internship is unique, but you can expect to experience what it is like to work in a professional environment, apply your existing skills to real-life work scenarios, learn new skills and gain an understanding of some of the things involved in running a creative business.
  • The internships offered are a mix of working from home, some are based at the employer’s premises and others will be both working from home and on-site with the employer.

How to apply

Roles for autumn internships will be advertised on Creative Opportunities from late May/ early June 2024.

You can apply for up to 3 different internships. However, the maximum internships you can do is 1.

You can read our applicant guide (Word 323KB) for more information on the program and tips on applying.

Upcoming deadlines

Keep updated about all deadlines by signing up for the Careers and Employability newsletter and checking this webpage regularly.

Join our application information session on Monday 3 June 2024, online.

Look out for more details about the application period for autumn internships which will take place from 2 September – 31 October 2024.

Supporting you

We will run an online session providing support with the application process and more details about the internships.

Contact enterprise@arts.ac.uk to start the discussion and see how you can be supported.

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