Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Abstract

Internships help prepare college students to be work-ready upon graduation while affecting primary stakeholders in the internship experience to include not only the college student but also the higher education institution (HEI) and employer. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between college internship participation and post-graduation employment. If a relationship existed, then does that conclude that internships should be mandatory at HEIs? This study utilized a historical dataset of the May 2018 graduating class from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. SPSS software was used to analyze two categorical variables of college internship participation and post-graduation employment. Analyses included frequency of occurrence, Chi-Square test for independence, and logistical regression. The results of the statistical analyses indicated that the frequency of students not participating in a college internship was 55% while students that participated were 44%. Chi-Square test did not support a relationship between college internship participation, and the logistical regression did not support internship participation as a good predictor of post-graduation employment nor were the two categorical variables related. Limitations of the study were the usage of one historical dataset from a single HEI and the lack of information on the diversity of student makeup. Implications from the study were the unknown impact of the low unemployment rate in the area during May 2018 and students that were already employed and unable to participate in an internship. The study did not conclude that internships should be mandatory.

Keywords: internship, stakeholder, post-graduation employment, Kolb Experiential Learning Theory

Year manuscript completed

2019

Year degree awarded

2019

Author's Keywords

internship, stakeholder, post-graduation employment, Kolb Experiential Learning Theory

Dissertation Committee Chair

Brian Bourke

Committee Member

Randal Wilson

Committee Member

Lynn Patterson

Document Type

Dissertation

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