Micro-internship programme
Gain valuable experience and boost your employability skills as a master's student on this 3-week internship with the Business School.
About the programme
Why take part in the programme?
Eligibility criteria
Application process
Frequently asked questions
Applications for the 2025 programme will open in January 2025, keep an eye on your inbox for more details.
About the programme:
Every year, the University of Bristol Business School offers 200 master's students the chance to take part in a 3-week authentic industry project designed to prepare you for the workplace through real business challenges. The programme is run twice a year with two different groups of students.
During the programme, you will work as a virtual Student Consultant team. Your team will receive a project brief and collaborate to understand your industry client’s context. Your findings and recommendations will then be presented in a professional report and final presentation. You will be supported by a mentor, who will provide advice and feedback on all your key deliverables.
The industry client and your mentor:
Your industry client will be a UK or international organisation. They will have submitted a brief connected to themes such as:
- Sustainable Impact
- Growth Strategy
- Funding Sources
- or International Business.
Your mentor will coach your team throughout the programme. They will be a volunteer from either industry, academia or professional services at the University.
Why take part in the programme?
- Develop professional skills
- Work for a real client on a real challenge, and gain exposure to working as a virtual project team
- A valuable professional experience
- Make business & social connections
- Gain practical experience you can talk about in future interviews, assessment centres and further opportunities
- The opportunity to positively impact the direction and development of a real organisation.
Working for Clementine provided invaluable experience, especially for a soon-to-be graduate.
Eligibility criteria:
- The programme is open to Business School students studying for a Master's degree. Please note that priority will be given to students who are not completing an in-curriculum employer project.
- You will need the ability to work in a team.
- You will be willing to commit 50 hours to the 3-week programme.
- Availability to attend the compulsory programme launch in person.
Application process:
Any eligible students will receive an email with application details, once received the following process is followed:
- Complete the online application form by the deadline. The form will include:
- Short-answer questions about your motivations and skills.
- An opportunity for you to express your preference for project themes and UK v.s. international employers (however we cannot guarantee a perfect fit).
- The team will then shortlist applications and you will receive confirmation of the success of your application.
- Once your place is confirmed, you will attend a compulsory orientation and briefing session.
- Meet your team, mentor & industry client in a compulsory briefing session.
- Your team will receive a project brief and the programme will begin.
Frequently asked questions:
What support will I receive?
All students will have access to:
- project learning instructions, content, and collaboration functionality through the Practera platform.
- a mentor who will meet with your student team weekly to support your research and report writing.
- and Programme Managers who can support with any other queries.
Do I have to be in the country?
Some parts of the programme are compulsory to attend in person including the orientation and briefing sessions.
The rest of the programme is suitable for remote working conditions with fully virtual industry engagement. However, you do need to be available for meetings and collaborative work with your team, either online or in person, so we’d prefer you to be in the country.
What if I have a part-time job?
It is fine if you have a part-time job, but you must be able to commit a minimum of 50 hours of work on the project over the three weeks of the programme.
You will need to coordinate with your team to ensure that you can attend meetings and contribute equally to all deliverables.
Do I get to choose the project and team I work with?
No, all teams and projects will be assigned to you. We ensure clients provide projects that are engaging and achievable within the programme timeframe.
Will I be paid to work on this project?
No, you will not be paid to work on this project. This is first and foremost a learning experience.
Do I get a certificate?
As long as you meet all the programme requirements (time commitment and active participation), you will receive a certificate upon completion of the micro-internship.
Will the project be related to my degree?
It could be, but if it isn’t, that’s fine too. The projects are structured so you don't need specific technical knowledge. The main goal is to develop your employability skills through a professional project experience.
My micro-internship experience: A journey of learning and growth
Find out how Gunjan found their micro-internship programme in this blog.
What our participants have to say:
88% felt more confident in their employability skills.
90% would use the experience as evidence for future employment.
92% recommend the programme.
From classroom to boardroom: Nivetha's story
"The micro-internship allowed me to experience firsthand the transition from academic theory to practical application." Read more in her blog.
Contact us
For information on Business School specific career support contact our team at business-school-careers@bristol.ac.uk.