OxfordCrim MSc Student Internship Opportunities 2025-26

The Centre for Criminology is pleased to support a number of opportunities for Oxford MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice students through which they can gain experience of policy and practice while also engaging with local and national organisations and institutions. Offered in partnership with outside groups, these opportunities allow students to develop a range of transferable skills. The Centre for Criminology will cover reasonable travel costs and additional costs associated with completing these internships. Please contact us if you have an idea that could be included in this list.

Border Criminologies Communications research internships

Based at the Centre for Criminology, Border Criminologies is an international research network focusing on the intersections between criminal justice and immigration control. In 2025-26 we are looking for one or two student volunteers, to assist with developing and managing our communications and dissemination efforts. The role would involve working with Dr Andriani Fili and Prof Mary Bosworth, and liaising with the wider Border Criminologies team to plan and develop content. Work could include helping to manage the social media channels and ensuring BC visibility (Bluesky, LinkedIn YouTube), or developing new content e.g. via podcasting, or through data visualization. There may be work available to assist with report writing or on the Detention Landscapes Project as well. 

If you would like to apply, please email gsa.crim@ox.ac.uk by the end of MT week 2 and explain what relevant skills or experience you can bring to the role and, if possible, which aspect of Border Criminologies you’d particularly like to help with. One of our core group members is particularly interested in working with someone with podcasting skills. This is a paid internship. You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered.

Collaborative Immigration Law Clinic at HMP Huntercombe

The Centre for Criminology, the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights and Turpin & Miller established a collaborative immigration law clinic at HMP Huntercombe in 2018. The clinic occurs every fortnight in the prison. Students are overseen by solicitor Tom Giles, and supported by Prof Mary Bosworth. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about legal practice and about asylum and immigration law. It is a year-long commitment. Information about this opportunity is circulated in week 0 of Michaelmas term each year by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights. This is a voluntary internship.

Death Penalty Project-Oxford Criminology Research Internships

We have available an opportunity for one or two Oxford Criminology MSc students to engage in research for the Death Penalty Project (DPP) and Oxford Criminology’s Death Penalty Research Unit (DPRU). The internship will take place during the Michaelmas and Hilary terms. The intern(s) would assist in ongoing research carried out by the DPP and DPRU, under the supervision of Daniel Cullen of the DPRU. 

If you would like to apply, please email gsa@crim.ox.ac.uk by the end of MT week 2 with a copy of your C.V. and a brief statement of up to 400 words explaining what relevant skills or experience you can bring to the role. This is a paid internship. You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered.

Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID)

AVID is a network of visitor groups standing in solidarity with people in immigration detention. They are recruiting a student to support their work. This programme includes events, workshops and resources on detention and its relationships with wider border violence and criminalisation, as well as the role of visitors and visitor groups in the movement to end detention and for migrant justice. Examples of previous talks can be seen on their website. This role It would suit someone with an interest in border control and in producing public and activist-facing events and resources. There is significant freedom for the student recruited to this role to shape this internship to reflect their skills and interests, and exact outputs can be discussed but AVID is looking for a commitment of around 0.5 - 1 day per week during term time for a period of six months although hours and length of commitment can be worked flexibly. The role is predominantly remote with some options to travel to London. You will be supervised by Senior Network Development Co-ordinator at AVID, Fiona Ranford, and have the opportunity to work with the AVID team. A small bursary will be provided to the successful applicant.

If you would like to apply, please email gsa@crim.ox.ac.uk by the end of MT week 2 and explain what relevant skills or experience you can bring to the role.

Pilot Internship with Thames Valley Police Operational Effectiveness Unit 

Thames Valley Police (TVP), the main police force in Oxford, is running a pilot internship for MSc Criminology students, looking for two students to work with TVP Operational Effectiveness Unit on the below research topics:

• Drug related law enforcement activity: The associated criminality and threat, harm and risk linked to drug supply will not cease whilst the drugs market continues to be in the hands of organised criminal groups who have a vested financial interest in supplying drugs. Sentencing guidelines for Class B drugs are short and individuals can be released within a year to pick up their drugs business again when a lot of operational policing, time and money has been invested into the charge and short imprisonment. How can policing direct resources to be the most efficient and targeted in respect of drug related activity, meanwhile considering threat, harm and risk? In comparison, are early intervention methods and a greater focus on public heath more beneficial and cost effective?
• Operational deployment to crime and incidents: There are crucial operational deployment conversations between police staff in the call handling department who deploy police officers to crime and incidents. The way in which these conversations are conducted and the language within, could have an effect on our operational efficiency and police response times to incidents. Is there a difference between ‘asking’ and ‘tasking’ officers? Is there a challenge around ‘command and control’ behaviours? What communication styles and language have the greatest impact on the effectiveness of both control room police staff and deployable officer departments?

If you would like to apply, please email gsa.crim@ox.ac.uk by the end of MT week 2 and explain what research topic you would be interested in and why, and include what relevant skills or experience you can bring to the role. This is a paid internship. You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered.