Oxford’s Saïd Business School to Feature New Pre-MBA Internship Program

Summer internships between the first and second years of two-year MBA programs are de rigueur at most top business schools – an important component that provides students with valuable hands on experience and can even lead to a post-graduation job. New this year, the Saïd Business School at Oxford University has announced that it is getting in on the internship action. But since the U.K. school features a one-year MBA, its internship program will be one that students complete before they start their studies.

The pre-MBA internship program, announced last month, was launched by Saïd’s Careers Service to give students an opportunity to experience their chosen career sector before undertaking a full-time degree at Oxford.

“Many students undertake an MBA to make a career change either by sector, role or geographical region, but in today’s economic climate making that shift is difficult and MBAs need to stand out from the crowd,” Derek Walker, Saïd director of careers, said in a statement. “Our new pre-MBA internship program will help students to be better equipped to respond to the challenging job market and to find post-MBA work in new industries.”

The pre-MBA internship program will be 8 to 12 weeks long, concluding before the start of the MBA program in October. It will begin with the class entering in fall 2012. Once accepted into Saïd’s MBA program, candidates with a clear sense of their post-MBA goals can apply for one of 10 initial internships as part of the new program. Participants must commit to working for the selected industry upon completion of their degree. Saïd’s Careers Service will work with members of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) to source internship opportunities for the selected students.

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