England London Internship
Spring 2025

Following your acceptance to the London program, you will be granted access to the London Personal Page – a secure database hosted by the BU London office. You will receive an email from BU London granting your access and providing you with a unique username and password; please do not use your BU or home institution log-in.

The Personal Page will be used for:

• • Additional Visa/Immigration Information
  • Housing Information
  • Course Information
  • Flight Arrival and Departure Information
  • Applying for Student Discount Oyster Card
  • Purchasing Events From The Social Programme

All Students – Please upload a clear, color photocopy of your passport identification page to the “Passports & Visas” Tab of the Personal Page. Your passport must be signed

BU Students Only – Your BU university photo will be used in your London Personal Page profile.

Visiting Students Only – You must submit a passport-style photo via email to studentlife@bu-london.co.uk to complete your profile. Please submit your passport-style photograph via email.

To help you prepare to apply for your Student Visa, we will be holding three visa workshops: 

• September 26, 2024: In-Person UK Student Visa Workshop @4:30PM
• October 4, 2024: Zoom UK Student Visa Workshop @12:00PM
• October 16, 2024: In-Person UK Student Visa Workshop @4:00PM
• Recorded Workshop

This workshop will walk you through the application process, define key terms, discuss the application timeline, and answer any questions you may have. There will also be a special overview for international students. We HIGHLY recommend that you attend in person as we will cover a lot of good information. The workshops are not recorded but information will be provided to all students. Students are also HIGHLY encouraged to review our Student Visa Frequently Asked Questions document (you can also find this in your visa guidelines Google Drive once access is granted).

Please email your program manager for specific locations and zoom links. These workshops are for students only. Parents will be asked to leave.

**INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY – SCHENGEN VISA INFORMATION**

Some citizenships require a Schengen Visa for travel on the European continent. If you are unsure if you need one, please reference this list, and check with the consulate of the country in which you plan on spending the majority of your time, or are entering first within the Schengen Zone. You should only apply for a Schengen visa after you receive your UK visa. Every country in the Schengen Zone processes visas slightly differently, and processing times will vary. Please follow the instructions carefully when applying. You will likely be asked to provide a full travel itinerary for the application, so please plan your continental travels accordingly. You may not miss class or any other academic obligation for travel. Your UK visa will allow you unlimited travel within the UK during your stay.

*Note that it is not recommended to apply for your Schengen visa after arrival to the UK. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for their Schengen visa either within the US or in their home country after receiving their UK visa.

BEFORE YOU APPLY:

You will need to have your actual, signed passport in hand. Make sure it is valid for at least 6 months after the program end date.

All students must obtain a UK Student Visa to participate in the London Internship Program. You may not apply before receiving instructions emailed from your Program Manager. The visa process is broken down into sequential steps – one cannot come before the other. Please review the guidance below and follow it exactly as presented.

• All students require a passport that is valid for at least 6 months past the end of your program to enter and stay in the UK. A valid passport is necessary to begin the visa application.
• If you are a citizen of a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Swiss citizen: You are now required to apply for a student visa to intern in the UK, as per new Brexit rules.
• If you are a Citizen of a Country Outside of the EEA, U.S., or Canada: You should apply within the U.S. for your UK Student Visa. We strongly do not recommend students apply outside the United States, unless it is your only option as you are studying in your home country. Please follow the process below through the UK Consulate in New York. Students who may be applying in countries outside the United States are responsible for adhering to their local UK Consulate’s requirements and may use the BU Study Abroad recommendations as guidelines only. Requirements may differ from consulate to consulate, and BU Study Abroad cannot fully advise on international consulate regulations.

Visa applications must be received by the UKVI Scanning Hub no later than November 15, 2024 in order to be processed on time. If you are applying after this date you MUST expedite your application and contact your Program Manager. The typical processing time is between 15 – 21 business days, but UKVI is severely slowed down. Students should expect to go without their passport for as long as 6 weeks.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Before you start application, please review all of the information in this Google Drive Folder . This folder contains:

• Visa FAQ (please read before applying)
• Visa Workshop (please watch before applying)
• Student Visa Flow Chart (please read before applying)
• Guidelines for applying for your visa WITHIN the United States
• Guidelines for applying for your visa OUTSIDE the United States
• Checklist for mailing your visa application

It also contains additional information, so please be sure to read through it carefully. Do NOT leave your visa application until last minute.

AFTER COMPLETING & SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION:

• Update your London Personal Page with your visa progress: Your biometrics date, the date your visa was mailed to the UKVI Scanning Hub, and the date you receive your passport back from the consulate.
• Watch your email! The UKVI will likely email you when your application has been opened, and when your visa has been issued. They may also email you if they find a problem with your application, as well as time sensitive instructions for resolving the problem. Follow any instructions they send exactly to ensure your visa is issued.
• Check that all the information is correct when you receive your visa. Issued visas will be mailed back to you, and will appear as a sticker in one of the back pages of your passport.  If something is wrong, alert your Program Manager right away.

SCHENGEN VISA INFORMATION:

Note that it is not recommended to apply for a Schengen Visa after arrival to the UK. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for their Schengen Visa either within the US or in their home country after receiving their UK Visa.

Some citizenships require a Schengen Visa for travel on the European continent. If you are unsure if you need one, reference this list, and check with the consulate of the country in which you plan on spending the majority of your time, or are entering first within the Schengen zone. You should only apply for a Schengen Visa after you receive your UK visa. Every country in the Schengen zone processes visas slightly differently, and processing times will vary. Please follow the instructions carefully when applying. You will likely be asked to provide a full travel itinerary for the application, so please plan your continental travels accordingly. You may not miss class or any other academic obligation for travel. Your UK visa will allow you unlimited travel within the UK during your stay.

The above information has been prepared by Boston University Study Abroad based on the most recent information provided by the relevant immigration agency (E.G. consulate, embassy, etc.). It is each student’s responsibility to compile and apply for their visa based on their specific citizenship. Visas are granted by foreign governments only, Boston University does not play a role in visa issuance, nor can we influence immigration policy. While we do our best to keep instructions as up-to-date as possible, visa requirements are subject to change without our knowledge. Ultimately obtaining a visa in a timely manner, and related costs incurred, are a student’s responsibility. Failure to acquire a visa will preclude participation in the program.

All students are guaranteed an internship within their track. The internship placement process is handled by our partner, EUSA, in London. Before reviewing the placement process, please make sure that you look through the London industry examples.  This document is designed to give some background information on internships that may available in your field of study.  If you have questions after reviewing it, make note of them and bring your questions to your pre-placement meeting with an EUSA representative.

EUSA London Industry Examples

Below is an overview of the placement process:

1. Student Gateway Access:
All students will be asked to register on the EUSA Student Gateway. You will receive an invitation via email to access the database and answer some initial questions about your placement preferences, goals, and expectations. You will also upload a copy of your UK formatted CV. From this Gateway you will schedule a pre-placement meeting with a member of the EUSA London team.

Instructions for Formatting Your UK CV

2. Internship Consultation Meeting and Presentation:
Members of EUSA London will arrange an in person (or zoom for non-local students) meeting and conduct a required Internship Consultation Preparation Presentation for students.

Following the presentation, EUSA will hold individual 30-minute meetings with each student to discuss their specific internship preferences. Within this individual meeting you will discuss the academic component of your placement, your career objectives, interests, and skills. Placement Managers will engage students in an honest discussion about placement opportunities, assess relevant skills, suggest changes to your CV, and begin to set your expectations and understanding of the culture in which you will be working.

3. Provisional Placement:
You will receive a provisional placement containing a placement description, sponsor website and previous students’ evaluations (when available), to prepare you for your on-site interview.

Provisional placements will most often be delivered once you arrive on site in London, but some will be delivered prior to departure from the US, if available. The timing of the matching process depends on the individual profile and preferences you articulated – this is an individual process with individualized results. Your placement timeline may vary from other students’ in your program.

Upon arrival in London, an on-site interview will be conducted with your direct supervisor at the placement site. The provisional placement is always contingent upon the success of the onsite interview with the sponsor.

4. On Site – Midterm Reviews and Supervisor Evaluations:
EUSA will monitor the placement experience and provide ongoing support and advice. Halfway through the placement, each student will complete a mid-term review to assess progress achieved at the workplace.

Upon completion of the placement, each supervisor will complete a supervisor evaluation to assess individual student performance. The EUSA internship team will collect these and provide copies to the BU London academics team to be considered as part of your internship course.

Although you already submitted an Advisor Support of Participation form as part of your application, you may need to adjust your course enrollment plans as you learn more about your program. Be sure to do so in consultation with your academic advisor (or your home institution’s study abroad office, if you are a visiting student), especially if your courses were pre-approved. You should determine, preferably prior to the start of the program, the precise degree requirements these courses will fulfill. It is your responsibility to research how the courses taken abroad apply towards your overall academic requirements and progress toward your degree. Visiting students should be certain you understand how courses you take with BU Study Abroad will transfer to your home institution.

You will be automatically enrolled for the ‘Core Course’ and ‘Internship Course’ associated with the track you were admitted to. No changes are permitted for these courses. You will see these courses listed on your London Personal Page. For information on which courses are associated with your track, please refer back to your programs webpage to review.

Students select their ‘Elective A’ and ‘Elective B’ courses on a first-come, first-serve basis via the London Personal Page. Please go to the “Course Choice” tab, where you will be able to navigate to select Elective A and Elective B. Once selected, the course will appear in the list of courses on the bottom-right side of the screen.

If a class you want/need is full, please join the waitlist. You can also email the BU London Academic Team to notify them of your waitlist status. There are no guarantees that you will be able to come off the waitlist. There is an add/drop period once you arrive in London – more information will be given about this during orientation on site. All course selections must be completed by the deadline set by BU London.

Please note that your selected courses will not appear on your BU transcript until after the program has ended and grades are reported.

Students live in residence-hall style buildings in Boston University’s London programs.  They vary in size, configuration, and style of decoration, but most consist of shared bedrooms (two to four students per bedroom) with an ensuite bath/shower room. Shared bedrooms of three to four students are most common. Communal living/dining rooms with cooking facilities are shared among residents on the floor. Telephone and Internet access are provided in each of the buildings. Bed linens (sheets, pillow, comforter) are provided but towels are not. The kitchen has essential cookware as well as dishes and cutlery.

Housing is allocated by the BU London Student Life staff. Students will be allocated to a bed space in an open room in one of the three buildings. Most rooms are multiple occupancy – doubles, triples and quads. Students are required to indicate their room and roommate preferences on the “Residence Life” tab of the London Personal Page. Please note that not all roommate requests may be honored due to room availability and capacity.

Students must complete their Housing preferences on the London Personal Page by 17 November 2024. After the deadline, housing will be assigned by the BU London Student Life staff. Students will receive their housing allocations 4 December 2024.

For more information on our buildings in London, please review the “Residence Life” section of the In-Country Guide.

Any housing questions should be directed to studentlife@bu-london.co.uk.

A limited number of single rooms are available throughout the buildings for an additional fee, amount to be confirmed (charged to your BU Student Account). If you would like a single room out of personal preference, add your request to the “Room Preferences” tab (within the Housing section) of the London Personal Page and check the button to indicate that you would like a single room. Your single application will be reviewed by request date and honored if possible. All charges for single rooms are made after requests have been approved. *Cost subject to change

For students needing to request a single room for medical reasons: Please refer to the Request for Accommodations process detailed in Phase 2 of the Pre-Departure Page.

If you have a mental health, emotional, learning, or physical disability that would require reasonable accommodations in order to complete the requirements of the program, you must obtain approval from the BU Disability and Access Services office (DAS), even if you've worked with their office previously. To initiate the approval request process, contact DAS at access@bu.edu or by phone at 617-353-3658. Please note that certain accommodations that you receive on your home campus may not be available at your program site, so the earlier that you are in contact with their office for advising, the better. The process for arranging accommodations may take several weeks. Please note that we are unable to accommodate emotional support animals in our international programs.

If you are currently consulting with a mental health professional, you must seek their counsel about the advisability of your participation in a study abroad program, especially as related to your adjustment to new cultural, academic, and housing environments and the availability of therapeutic or medical support while you are away from your home campus. If you have questions about the support available at your program destination, please contact your Program Manager.

Have you completed everything in Phases 1 and 2? Here is a self-check to make sure you’re on the right track. Make sure you’re keeping track of any upcoming deadlines and budgeting enough time to complete them on-time. If you missed a deadline, be sure to check in with you Program Manager and complete that task right away.

You should have completed:

(From Phase 1)

• Confirmed your participation via your BU Study Abroad Application and filled out the accompanying online forms.
• Renewed Passport (if necessary) – ASAP
• Talked with your academic advisor about courses
• Talked with financial aid about how your aid can be applied to your study abroad program

(From Phase 2)

• Attended the UK Student Visa Workshop
• Completed and submitted your UK Visa Application
• Attended the Internship Preparation Presentation and held your consultation with EUSA
• Selected your Elective A and Elective B courses on the Personal Page
• Completed your housing preferences
• Submitted Independent Flight Form and/or booked a suggested group flight (if applicable)
• Made any necessary doctors appointments and located your nearest travel clinic for immunizations.
• Made a plan for any medications, prescriptions or healthcare needs abroad
• Contacted BU Disability Services to plan for academic accommodations and other support services (if necessary)