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As a globally recognised leader in the development of advanced research and teaching in social data we provide some of the most extensive training in social data methods to undergraduates in the UK.
Our unique internship programme gives students the opportunity to use their hands on training in organisations including the Financial Times, The Economist, charities and policy organisations and think-tanks such as the Climate Policy Initiative.
This ‘real-world’ experience sees students doing valuable work across sectors and topics analysing data sets to visualise and present data information in support of media articles, research papers and reports.
2024 Internship Applications:
Applications for the 2024 are now open. Please visit our Application Page to view the current list of opportunities and to apply. Please note you will need to log in with your UCL username and password to access the page.
Internship FAQ's for Students:
- What is a Social Data Institute internship?
The scheme is an opportunity for SHS and SRI undergraduates in their second year (or third year if on a four-year programme) to apply their skills in a real-world setting. The internships focus on data-related projects that are exclusive to our students.
- How long do the internships last?
Internships typically last 6 weeks, with some being extended up to 8-10 weeks.
- Which organisations host the internships?
We work with a number of partners and organisations such as the Financial Times, Bank of England and BBC as well as a number of smaller more bespoke consultancies and charities.
- Are the internships paid?
Yes! All internships are paid. Students who are successful in their application to their internship will be paid the London Living Wage, which is currently £13.15 per hour (2024). Some organisations also pay for travel and lunch expenses.
- Do the internships take place in person or remotely?
All internships are different and will take place in a different setting depending on the policy outlined by the host organisation. Many organisations are doing a hybrid style of working where interns would spend 2 – 3 days in the office and the other days working from home.
- I'm a student, how can I apply for an internship?
The Social Data Institute will advertise the internships available on their application page at the end of March and students will be able to apply soon after. Once applications have closed a short-listing process will occur. Should you be successful and make it to the short list you will then be invited to interview at the host organisation. Once all shortlisted students have been interviewed the host organisation will let you know if you have been successful in securing the internship.
Please note that at the moment these internships are only open to SHS and SRI in their second year (or third year if on a four-year programme).
Student Testimonies:
Zara Hamzah Sendut is a second year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student who spent six weeks with The Economist:
“My whole internship was fantastic. I was excited when I was invited to draft a piece about fuel poverty then be interviewed by The Economist’s Head of Data Journalism and Data Editor for a position. Getting to spend time working with the data team on pieces of data-driven journalism was an enriching experience.
“During my full-time placement I was able to work across three main areas and had a number of articles published. The first saw me pitching and producing data-led articles for their Graphic Detail section. I wrote three in total, covering topics on: wildfires across the European Union; how the war in Ukraine has affected worldwide economic growth particularly in the G20 countries; and the Economist Intelligence Unit’s livability index of the most livable cities in North America.
“The second was coding in R to analyse data and uncover trends or a story. I gathered data to investigate if political assassinations had changed the course of history and spent a lot of time processing data from the European Space Agency on heat stress. The data set spanned a 42-year period of those suffering from severe heat stress in every country globally and involved hundreds of csv files so it was initially challenging. I plotted the data by continent and country income group to identity patterns of high temperatures. The third area was around data visualisation and I was able to practice ways of presenting data using visual tools and design, a skill I really enjoy.
“It was amazing how applicable my academic studies were to the work and it was great to experience larger volumes of data for analysis. The team were so knowledgeable and happy to share their advice and practical expertise with me. It was such a valuable experience and has increased my interest in big data and how we can understand complex data to benefit society.
Max Skoczylas, a second year Politics and International Relations undergraduate spent an extended 15-week internship with the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) :
“It’s no exaggeration to say that my internship changed my life. Getting into research and policy organisations is typically really hard so this internship has been invaluable. Since spending time with the CPI I have a much clearer idea about my future career direction and I’ve decided I would now love to use my data science skills in a policy setting.
“The whole experience was wonderful and I was surprised by how I was able to get involved in two new projects looking at big topics straight away. The first was a novel project using policy and literature data within cities to understand how the building sector can reach net zero. The second looked at investment in relation to climate resilient infrastructure.
Through key word searches and statistical data I was able to approximate global levels of money flowing into climate resilience infrastructure. For example, as Japan showed, we can’t invest in nuclear energy if infrastructure resilience isn’t there to handle flooding.
“Supporting the wider team and working alongside them was really rewarding and I was able to contribute a lot, putting my theory and working knowledge to the test. I was even able to write two sections of a report being published in November, increasing my knowledge of different writing styles and how to reach different audiences. Things I thought I could do I was able to try, cementing my practical understanding of processes and techniques. I learnt new skills such as Python programming and got quicker at using existing skills. I had to juggle many competing demands on my time so I’m much better now at prioritising and time management.
“This internship really demonstrated to me the importance of data and its use in society. As I learn in my degree, politics and money hold the power in the world. Data is fact and can be used to support or argue against this power. If we don’t have clear data then we can’t properly evaluate our impact on topics such as climate change. If we can collect data to measure progress we can understand what does and doesn’t work across society.”