Exploring the Participation of CS Undergraduate Students in Industry Internships

Industry internships offer CS students an opportunity to gain authentic disciplinary experiences, evaluate self-interests, and secure future employment. However, little is empirically known about CS students’ participation in industry internships and the preparation process used to successfully securing an internship. This paper presents findings from our multi-institutional study aimed at understanding the participation of CS students in industry internships as well as analyzing the differences between students who intern and those who do not. We surveyed 536 CS undergraduate students across three universities in the United States and analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. We used thematic analysis on the open-ended survey responses. Overall, we found that 40% of students participate in at least one internship. Demographically, equal proportions of males and females interned. However, we observed that students who have higher socioeconomic status were more likely to intern. Academically, there were no significant differences between students who intern and those who do not. However, through thematic analysis, we found differences regarding students’ preparation process. Interns explicitly prepared to secure internship positions by practicing interview questions and dedicating time to career preparation. Students who do not intern were less involved in the application process or relied on coursework for securing internships. Quantitative results from the survey corroborated our qualitative findings that factors outside of coursework are influencing students’ ability to secure industry internships.