Micro Internships are short-term, project-based work experiences, typically lasting up to 35 hours. These opportunities enable students to develop valuable skills and apply their academic knowledge in real-world scenarios while providing employers with fresh insights and solutions. These opportunities are short-term (up to 35 hours), free to employers and have minimal student onboarding.
Key features
- Fully funded: Students are employed and paid by the university and seconded to the host employer
- Flexible commitment: Just 35 hours of work, completed over a week or spread across a longer timeframe to suit your needs
- Project-focused: Designed to deliver tangible outcomes or tackle specific challenges
- Mutually beneficial: Students gain real-world experience, and you gain high-quality support for your business while building a graduate pipeline
How are Micro Internships different?
Micro Internships differ from traditional work experience or graduate recruitment in several ways:
- Short-term focus: Unlike longer internships or placements, Micro Internships require minimal time commitment, perfect for addressing short-term needs or specific projects
- Accessible for all employers: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, including SMEs, startups, and larger organisations
- Talent exploration: A low-risk opportunity to work with potential future employees
- No lengthy recruitment process: We advertise the role and handle the operational process, all you need to do is choose your successful candidate
Micro Internships are separate from any placements or programmes students do as part of their degree. For this reason, they are run during the holidays at the end of each semester. Our aim is to ensure they are accessible to as diverse a range of students as possible.
“Both students were motivated and interested in the challenges... I was impressed with their skills and ability to work independently.” fflow – Micro Internships employer, Winter 2024-25
Benefits for employers
Micro Internships offer multiple advantages for your organisation:
- Quick results: Gain focused, high-impact contributions from talented students
- Diverse skill sets: Access the latest academic knowledge and innovative thinking
- Enhanced brand visibility: Strengthen your reputation as an employer of choice among future graduates
- Community engagement: Support student development by building your relationship with the university
- Low risk, high reward: Explore fresh talent without a long-term commitment
“We wanted to give students an opportunity to experience the workplace (in our case an agency environment) as well as an opportunity for us to meet talented people who may be keen in the future to apply for our Future Talent programme. The team enjoyed meeting the students we hosted, who were engaged, positive and impressed the people they worked with.” Varn – Micro Internship employer Winter 2024-25
Making an impact in 35 hours
You can see real impact from a Micro Internship. If you have a project that a student could support, then you can offer a Micro Internship; any topic or area of focus would work, if you feel a student could have an impact on it in 35 hours.
Previous Micro Internships have included:
- Research papers created in the fields of AI and Healthcare
- Programming and software development within Security & AI sectors
- Surveys into environmental policies of European sports stadiums
- Social media content creation & marketing strategies
- Fundraising and awareness campaigns
How to get involved
We’ve made it easy for employers to participate in our Micro Internship programme.
- Identify a project: Think about your own tasks or projects that could be completed in 35 hours or less
- Write a job description: For a Micro Internship to be eligible for advertisement, a short job description needs to be written, which includes specific project details or areas where assistance or research might be required
- Contact our team: Reach out to us at internships@bath.ac.uk
We handle the rest. Our team will work with you to ensure that your job description matches your needs with the right students
“We wanted someone to come in and do a project for us. She exceeded our expectations and definitely delivered on it.” RWK Goodman - Micro Internship employer Winter 2024-25
Timeline and key dates
The Micro Internship programme runs three times each academic year, coinciding with the vacation period at the end of each University of Bath term (December, April and June).
Winter 2024/25
This cycle has now closed.
Spring 2025
Timings and dates for this cycle are currently being finalised. Applications are likely to be open end February 2025, with the Micro Internships themselves running during mid-April 2025.
Summer 2025
We're hoping to open a further round of internships throughout the summer of 2025. More details and dates will be published when they are finalised.
If you are not quite ready to host an Micro Internship yet, but would be interested in doing so in future, we’d love to hear from you. We understand that decision-making happens at different speeds in different organisations, and are happy to take part in conversations at your pace. If you’d like to open a dialogue, but are not able to commit just yet, that’s fine; just email us at internships@bath.ac.uk to get the ball rolling.
Ready to get started?
Partner with the University of Bath to tap into exceptional student talent and drive your business forward. If you have any questions about the Micro Internship programme, or would like to express an interest in participation, please contact us at internships@bath.ac.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of projects are suitable for Micro Internships?
Micro Internships work best for short-term projects that can be clearly defined and deliver specific outcomes, such as market research, marketing campaigns, or data analysis.
Do I need to pay the students?
Our Micro Internships are currently fully funded by the university. You won’t need to pay anything to the students or the university.
What is the time commitment for employers?
Your main responsibility is providing a clear project brief and offering guidance to the student. The total supervision time is typically minimal, and these are great opportunities for employer teams to practice and test their line management skills.
What support is provided by the university?
We assist with matching students to your project, provide guidance on best practices, and handle any logistical concerns.
Can small businesses participate?
Absolutely! Micro Internships are designed to be accessible and beneficial for businesses of all sizes.
How do students apply?
Once your advertisement is placed on the University of Bath jobs portal, students have approximately three weeks to apply. Applications are sent direct to the host employer and the employer decides who they are going to offer a Micro Internship to, using any process / criteria they choose. Once successful candidates are selected, the employer communicates their preferred choice of intern(s) to the Micro Internship Team.
What happens after selection?
We get in touch with the successful candidate, make the relevant checks, and ensure signing of all relevant documentation. We ask you to organise a short introductory virtual meeting with the student prior to the internship week to arrange logistics, provide details of the project and discuss working patterns.
Can I offer my intern(s) additional placements outside of the Micro Internship programme?
Micro Internships are strictly limited to 35 hours per internship, and host employers cannot extend this. However, if you wish to employ the student outside of the programme or beyond the term of the initial internship, you are welcome to do so. Note that should you do this, it is the responsibility of the host employer to ensure that the employment offered complies with any employment law or other legal obligations including payment of National Minimum Wage (where applicable).