Evaluating the Design and Benefits of Internship Programs

Abstract Scholarship on the role of professional development opportunities for undergraduate students has highlighted the growing importance of internship programs. Different designs of internship programs have emerged as their numbers proliferate. Internship programs vary on key dimensions including integration of academic content, development of internship offerings (publicly available vs. specially designed internships), and placement (self-select vs. guided). This paper compares three models of internship programs in a research university: a “traditional” model involving an array of political science–related internships; a research-focused internship program in political science; and an environmental internship program focused on environmental science, policy, and education internships. The paper evaluates and compares these programs by examining organizational and process variables, the impact of internships on participants, and participant satisfaction. We use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including a specially designed opinion survey of participants in the three programs. The results demonstrate that different models of internship programs with varying resources can all provide high impact and high satisfaction levels when certain elements are integrated into the programs. Students who were given more challenging tasks and opportunities to take initiatives were especially likely to gain a variety of personal, professional, and civic benefits. Overall, the highest levels of satisfaction were expressed by participants who felt their internship gave them new knowledge and skills, improved their employment prospects, enriched the college experience, and contributed to an important cause.