LSE sets new rule second year students must get summer internship or face expulsion

The London School of Economics (LSE) has announced that all second-year students must secure an internship in order to continue on their course.

The new rule will come into place this academic year and will affect all undergraduate students, regardless of their degree programme.

A leaked email revealed internships must be selected from an approved list of companies which includes finance and law giants such as BlackRock, Morgan Stanley and Barclays, as well as the Civil Service and major corporations such as L’Oreal and Coca Cola.

The email, which was sent to departmental staff to warn them of potential backlash from students, goes on to claim the move is intended to “provide students with a competitive graduate profile to maintain our institution’s reputation as a top pathway into lucrative graduate employment.” It does not provide any clarification on whether students will be given extra assistance with their applications, or what exactly will happen if a student does not secure an internship.

The new rule comes amid increasing concern over the lack of graduate jobs available in the UK. With more and more graduates complaining that their degrees hold little meaning in the current job market, internships and unpaid work experience are more valuable than ever.

Nevertheless, it has been heavily criticised by students and staff alike. First-year LSE student Nichole told The London Tab: “I know we have this huge finance-bro grind culture at LSE, but I’m here to study history. I don’t want to work in corporate, I want to be a teacher. This isn’t what I signed up for.”

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Second-year finance student Montgomery had different concerns: “I’ve already got a placement at PwC so it doesn’t really bother me, but some of my mates were planning to go backpacking in South East Asia this summer, so it’s really muddled up their plans.

“I understand why LSE is doing it, because a lot of people my age are lazy and don’t realise how much you need to grind to succeed nowadays, but some people already have jobs lined up at family companies- why should they spend the summer working at L’Oreal instead of enjoying their youth?

“Plus, loads of internships these days are only for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, so the new rule is really hard on private school kids. I don’t think LSE thought it through.”

A professor from the university’s Department of Anthropology, who wished to remain anonymous, shared their concern over the rule’s implications: “We have a lot of talented students who have the potential to do really well in life, regardless of whether or not they get an internship or graduate scheme.

“There’s already more pressure than ever on students and graduates to have years of experience when applying for entry level roles- why are we contributing to that?”

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Featured image via Unsplash and LSE logo