This talk was prepared for the National Science Foundation to discuss research and practitioner insights on college internships. The slides feature data from the College Internship Study at UW-Madison, findings from the literature, and recommendations for how to design, evaluate and promote internships for students (especially graduate students) in the future.

1. T h e c h a l l e n g e a n d p r o m i s e o f
p o s t s e c o n d a r y i n t e r n s h i p s
I n s i g h t s f r o m r e s e a r c h o n r e c r u i t m e n t ,
p r o g r a m d e s i g n , e v a l u a t i o n a n d a c c e s s i b i l i t y
D r. M a t t h e w T. H o r a , P h
D
A s s o c i a t e P r o f e s s o r o f A d u l t & H i g h e r E d u c a t i o
n
D e p a r t m e n t s o f E d u c a t i o n P o l i c y S t u d i e s & L i b e r a l A r t s & A p p l i e d S t u d i e
s
D i r e c t o r, C e n t e r f o r R e s e a r c h o n C o l l e g e - W o r k f o r c e T r a n s i t i o n
s
U n i v e r s i t y o f W i s c o n s i n - M a d i s o
n
h o r a @ w i s c . e d u @ m a t t _ h o r
a

2. Personal
Introduction
A B O U T
# DRL-081472
4
# DGE 156168
6
# DGE 134864
8
# DGE 192056
0
1

3. How to design learning spaces - in
classrooms or in the workplace-
that maximize learning and
introduction to disciplinary
cultures for all students, all with
attention to broader contexts
.
Key Idea Motivating the
(Applied) Research
2

4. I n c e n t i v i z i n g
e m p l o y e r s
1.
Topics Covered in Today’s Talk
2.
3.
A c c e s s
4.
C r i t i c a l
d e s i g n
f e a t u r e s
G r a d u a t e
s t u d e n t s
The field needs
more internship
positions
Equitable access to
internships does not exist
Successful
internships have
consistent design
elements
Research on graduate
student internships is
limited, and are likely a
different proposition
3

5. I n t r o d u c t i o n t o
t h e r e s e a r c h
T I M E
L I N E
Longitudinal mixed-methods study
focused on 3 key questions
:
RQ1: Which students are (and are not)
taking internships?
RQ2: What are the design features of
internship programs
?
RQ3: How, if at all, are internships
associated with psychosocial and labor
market outcomes?
201
8
Spring
4

6. F o c u s o n i n t e r n s h i p s
a t H B C U s
201
9
Summer
T I M E
L I N E
Longitudinal mixed-methods study with
six HBCUs over three year
s
Wave 1 (Fall 2019/Spring 2020):
Student survey (n=962, 20.5% response
rate), student focus groups (n=84), faculty/
employer interviews (n=30
)
Wave 2 (Fall 2020/Spring 2021
)
Wave 3 (Fall 2021/Spring 2022
)
# DGE 192056
0
5

7. T I M E
L I N E
202
0
Fall
E x p a n s i o n t o o n l i n e
i n t e r n s h i p s a n d a
n a t i o n a l s u r v e y s t u d y
Launched survey-only study in Fall 2020 due to
growing interest. 17-campus pilot recently completed
.
RAPID study drew on national survey (n=9,964), two
online internship vendors and employer case stud
y
Next steps: (1) Launch of NSCI in Fall 2021 to 120
institutions (subscription based), (2) Developing ideas for
applied research/T&TA on online internships, (3)
Developing ideas for studying skills/social network growth
via internships
# DGE 203212
2
RAPID: Investigating online
internships during COVID-1
9
6

8. B A C K G R O U N D
W o r k s p o n s o r e d b y t h e B i l l &
M e l i n d a G a t e s F o u n d a t i o n
The Internship
Scorecard
Prior focus of measurement
Participation alone, little attention to comprehensive
measures of quality, no attention to equity/acces
s
How we use the Scorecard
Organizing principle for our survey instrument and data
reporting (reports, data dashboards, etc).
Prevalence (how many, why
)
Program quality (mentoring, development, skills, networks)
Equitable access (obstacles, discrimination)
7

9. Q u e s t i o n s a b o u t
i n t e r n s h i p s f o r
g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s
Very little empirical work in this area
Chapel, W. B. (1998). Advising graduate students for successful
international internships. Business Communication Quarterly, 61(4),
92-102
.
Chatterjee, D., Ford, J. K., Rojewski, J., & Watts, S. W. (2019).
Exploring the impact of formal internships on biomedical graduate and
postgraduate careers: An interview study. CBE—Life Sciences
Education, 18(2), ar20
.
Kelly, R. F. (1986). Teaching graduate applied sociology through
internships; Program development, management, and problems.
Teaching Sociology 14(4), 234-242
.
Potential sources of variation
Less interest in career exploration, more on
recruitmen
t
More family obligations, issue of time and pa
y
Desire for more high-skill tasks
8

10. Findings from 17-campus NSCI Pilot
I n s i g h t s a b o u t r e c r u i t m e n t , p r o g r a m d e s i g n , e v a l u a t i o n a n d a c c e s s i b i l i t y
B a s e d o n o u r d a t a , t h e r e s e a r c h l i t e r a t u r e , a n d p r a c t i t i o n e r i n s i g h t s
9

11. Findings from 17-campus NSCI Pilot
I n s i g h t s a b o u t r e c r u i t m e n t , p r o g r a m d e s i g n , e v a l u a t i o n a n d a c c e s s i b i l i t y
8
B a s e d o n o u r d a t a , t h e r e s e a r c h l i t e r a t u r e , a n d p r a c t i t i o n e r i n s i g h t s
What is an internship?
An internship is a position held within an established company
or organization while also completing a college degree,
certi
fi
cate, or diploma program.
It involves working at in a position clearly designated as an
“internship” by the host organization, and performing tasks
similar in nature and skill-level to tasks done by entry-level
employees in the organization.
10

12. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I : P r e v a l e n c e
H o w m a n y s t u d e n t s h a v e
t a k e n a n i n t e r n s h i p ?
National Association of Colleges & Employers (2020 Student Survey, n=10,579 from 139 institutions): 48.7% yes internshi
p
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE 2020 Report, n=390,576 from 584 institutions): 50% yes internships (seniors
)
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions, app. 9% response rate
Yes No
Total 2,609 (21.5%) 9,521 (78.5%)
First-gen (yes) 498 (15.8%) 2,651 (84.2%)
First gen (no) 2,101 (23.5%) 6,860 (76.6%)
Major (Arts & Humanities) 218 (18.9%) 935 (81.1%)
Major (Biological Sciences,
Agriculture)
292 (17.4%) 1,382 (82.6%)
Major (Physical Sciences, Math, Comp
Sci)
167 (20.6%) 645 (79.4%)
Major (Engineering) 459 (29.3%) 1,110 (70.8%)
Enrolled FT 2,419 (22.5%) 8,314 (77.5%)
Enrolled PT 189 (13.5%) 1,207 (86.5%)
11

13. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I : P r e v a l e n c e
W h y a r e y o u p u r s u i n g a n
i n t e r n s h i p ?
Internships do not affect students’ perception that their first job was a good “fit” with their career interests (Callanan & Benzing, 2004
)
Students most often associate internships with the idea of “getting experience” to put on their CV (Hora et al., 2020
)
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions
12

14. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I : P r e v a l e n c e
W h e r e d i d y o u r i n t e r n s h i p
t a k e p l a c e ?
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions
13

15. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I I : P r o g r a m Q u a l i t y
H o w s a t i s f i e d w e r e y o u
w i t h y o u r i n t e r n s h i p ?
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions
14

16. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I I : P r o g r a m Q u a l i t y
S u p e r v i s o r m e n t o r i n g
( 5 - i t e m s c a l e )
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions
15
Higher levels of supervisor support are positively and significantly related to intern satisfaction and developmental value. Also, supervisor
mentoring is higher in paid internships than unpaid positions. (McHugh, 2017)

17. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I I : P r o g r a m Q u a l i t y
W h a t k i n d s o f t a s k s d i d y o u
p e r f o r m a t t h e i n t e r n s h i p ?
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions 16

18. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I I I : E q u i t a b l e A c c e s s
W h a t o b s t a c l e s p r e v e n t e d
y o u f r o m p u r s u i n g a n
i n t e r n s h i p ?
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions
17

19. I n t e r n s h i p S c o r e c a r d
C a t e g o r y I I I : E q u i t a b l e A c c e s s
W e r e y o u p a i d ?
n=12,130 from 17 postsecondary institutions 18
Yes
W a s t h e r e a n
a n t i -
d i s c r i m i n a t i o n
p o l i c y s h a r e d
w i t h y o u ?

20. Why promote
internships?
19
14% higher call-
backs for interviews
(Nunley et al., 2016)
15% lower
unemployment
(Silva et al., 2017)
6% higher wages
(Saniter & Siedler, 2014)
3.4% higher grade
s
(Binder et al., 2015)
Transfer, Exploration &
Development

21. How to
incentivize
participation
1.
20
Distinguish between
recruitment and
exploration - then
emphasize one
For employers:
emphasize prospect
of new talent and
fresh ideas
For students:
emphasize “try
before you buy” and
network development
Be ready to do the
hard work of
partnership building
and maintenance

22. How to
improve
access
2.
21
Acknowledge that
there is a major
problem
Remove the pay
barrier - subsidize
internships and/or
ban unpaid
positions
Democratize access
to information -
create (and
maintain) job boards
Explore the potential
of online internships

23. What are
critical design
features?
3.
22
Instructional
design: learning
goals, authentic
problem,
assessment
Trained and
dedicated
mentorship
Scaffolded (and
quality) tasks and
increased autonomy
Feedback,
reflection, and
assessment

24. What about
graduate
students?
4.
23
Positions may need
to be higher-level
with respect to tasks
and autonomy
Which is more
desirable:
exploration or a
potential FT hire?
Are employers ready
and willing to
provide quality
mentorship?
Pay and flexibility
may be especially
important

25. How to provide campus
leadership, faculty, IR staff and
career services units with high-
quality data and recommendations
for how to translate this research
into actionable knowledge
.
Key Problem Being
Addressed in 2021
24

26. N e x t s t e p s
T H E
E N D
T h a n k y o u !
25
Developing
portfolio of training
and technical
assistance
service
s
hora@wisc.edu
@matt_hor
a
ccwt.wceruw.or
g