BSc Economics and Finance

A range of participating employers and relevant job descriptions will be made available to students in January of their penultimate year of study. Students who successfully apply to take the programme will be advised of this by April and will normally commence their internship the following September (start dates may vary depending on the company). Placement on the internship is competitive and only the highest performing students are accepted.

We have partnered with a range of companies from multinational professional services firms to local enterprises, to offer internships across a range of business disciplines. Our partners have recognised the high calibre of students coming from the School and increasingly consider internship opportunities as a fundamental part of their graduate recruitment strategy.

• Enhances your CV
• Supports career decision-making
• Develops new skills
• Enables you to build your network
• Enhances employment prospects
• Develops an awareness of workplace culture

The internship is an optional programme which is open to penultimate year students on the Bachelor of Commerce and BSc Economics and Finance degree programmes. Successful candidates remain registered to their programme during the internship and by choosing this opportunity, increase the duration of their degree to four years. The internship is credit based and is therefore assessed by UCD.

Recognizing the importance of broadening the range of opportunities available to students and the benefit of engaging with our community, the Quinn School recently launched two internship scholarship opportunities.

The Business and Society Internship Scholarship financially supports a student to complete their internship in the voluntary sector while the Quinn Enterprise Internship Scholarship supports an entrepreneurial student interested in completing their internship in the start-up sector.

During my 12-month internship at Microsoft as an Operations Programme Manager Intern, I was immersed in a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence that truly set the stage for an exceptional experience. The unwavering support I received from my team and senior directors was truly remarkable, everyone was genuinely invested in my growth and success. The level of mentorship and guidance I received was unparalleled, providing me with invaluable lessons and insights.

This internship has been a transformative experience, both personally and professionally. I had the opportunity to work on challenging projects that tested my skills and pushed me to expand my boundaries. The real-world experience I gained during my time at Microsoft has undoubtedly prepared me for my future career.

I wholeheartedly recommend this internship to others who are seeking an opportunity to grow, learn, and make a meaningful impact

Outside the classroom, I have been given the opportunity to put my learnings into practice through a year-ling internship with a leading corporate finance firm. 

This experience has helped immensely in my personal and professional development, serving as a fantastic launch as I prepare to begin my career. 

The UCD Quinn Internship Programme gave me the opportunity to work for Activate Capital, a specialist real estate lender. The internship was highly enjoyable throughout and it gave me a great platform to gain deeper insights into the financial services industry.

As Activate Capital has a relatively small number of employees, I benefited from acquiring hands-on experience and I was always assigned meaningful tasks which were beneficial to the wider team. I was given the chance to work on both the transaction origination team and the portfolio management team, which allowed me to gain great exposure to many experienced individuals in the company.

I developed and improved many different skills, including teamwork, time-management and leadership skills. My financial literacy improved greatly also, and I learned a lot about myself during my internship. I improved my knowledge of the industry and acquired a broader understanding of where I want to work after I leave UCD. The internship year has motivated me to excel during my final year, after getting a taste of the working world. I would definitely recommend all second-year students to capitalise on this great opportunity.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Business in Society Internship Scholarship placement, funded by the UCD Lochlann Quinn School of Business, in conjunction with Concern Worldwide. I can confidently say that accepting the Business in Society Internship Scholarship has been a game-changer for me, both personally and professionally. To future employers, it shows ambition, initiative and the ability to make difficult decisions. Personally, it taught me the value of standing out from the crowd and increased my confidence to explore unconventional avenues and grasp opportunities when they arise. I believe it has made me a more well-rounded person overall. The funding opportunity provided by UCD is unique and unrivalled elsewhere within the charity sector for university placements. The salary is competitive with that of the corporate world. I revelled in the chance to work as part of such a large organisation and interact with several different disciplines. Concern’s way of work is to make the best use of all available resources, no matter how little, and this projects itself into efficient ways of work throughout all service lines.

In developing the scholarship opportunity, what I was attracted to most was the level of autonomy in the creation of the job description; it was agreed that the bulk of my work would be with the finance department and 20% of my work would be left open to other opportunities that may arise throughout the year. I believe this benefitted both my own learning & development and the work of the firm, as I remained focused and motivated throughout the placement due to the vested interest I had in the work that came my way. Ultimately, this facet of the Business in Society Internship separated the scholarship opportunity above all other corporate offers. I was lucky enough to form parts of both the home and international finance teams as well as the logistics team throughout my time with Concern Worldwide, working both in their Dublin headquarters, as well as on an overseas mission to Monrovia, Liberia.