Student Expectations of Collegiate Internship Programs in Business: A 10-Year Update

Abstract The findings of this research indicate that students have adopted a significantly more pragmatic orientation to college internship programs in business. Students are increasingly seeing the internship less as a vehicle for augmenting their education, and more as a means of gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace for new jobs. Business schools should accordingly ensure that the strategic focus of their internship programs reflects the reality of today's employment market and what students expect from such programs. They should strongly consider allocating additional resources to internship programs, improving program flexibility, and further encouraging student participation.