Understanding students' perceptions and attitude toward learning about internships in a business school

Abstract

PurposeInternships are an integral part of a college curriculum, yet students are sometimes unaware of how to secure this opportunity. This research aims to determine efficient methods to provide information to students within the given majors, identify barriers on what is stopping students from seeking out internships earlier and identify the appropriate time for students to receive internship information.Design/methodology/approachThis study undertook descriptive research in a preliminary investigation of the undergraduate business students' attitude toward learning about the internship program offered by a business school of a state funded university in Michigan, USA. The data-collection instrument consisted of structured closed-ended questions relevant to undergraduate business students' perceptions and attitude toward learning about the internship program.FindingsThe results of this survey of 631 undergraduate students revealed a relationship between gender and the willingness to gain information about internships. Additional findings revealed that students who received information at the beginning of their schooling were more likely to plan for the internship in advance. Finally, students who preferred to receive information about internships multiple times were most likely to contact their academic advisor or internship director for more resources.Originality/valueTogether, the results of these findings can be used for current institution and other business schools with similar setting to reduce the barriers students face and allow undergraduate business students greater accessibility to internship positions.

Is student internship still beneficial today? The views of multi-parties in Ghana

“…It is a four-credit-hour course that is needed or must be taken. It is an important part of the curriculum (Mburayi and Wall, 2018), and it is directly related to the student's job goals and major programme (Ho and Squires, 2021). The emphasis placed on practical training by TIs advances the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to make sure everyone gets a good education and that everyone has the chance to learn throughout their lives.…”