A STUDY ON IMPACT OF INTERNSHIP ON REGULAR STUDIES OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

An internship during college studies can help to enhance quality of higher education and to improve skills & competencies amongst students. It helps to fill the gap between the theoretical learning at class room and practical application at work place. It is also seen that the student undergoing internships while their 3 years degree course are not able to perform better in their regular exams because of time constraints. On the other hand, Internships also help them to achieve higher professional competencies and excellence in their field of interest and so that they can perform better in their future job with full potential knowledge. In this study we analyze the positive as well as negative aspects of internships on regular studies of undergraduate students of self-financing courses (BMS, BBI, BAF, etc.) with the help of data collected from 319 students by random selection of sample size.

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International Journal of Advance and Innovative Research
Volume 7, Issue 1 (X): January - March, 2020 Part - 2
92
ISSN 2394 - 7780
A STUDY ON IMPACT OF INTERNSHIP ON REGULAR STUDIES OF UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS
Goplani Mala1, Gupta Akash2 and Sabhani Jewel3
Assistant Professor1, Department of Banking & Insurance, RJ College (Autonomous), Ghatkpar, Mumbai
Assistant Professor2, Department of Management Studies, RJ College (Autonomous), Ghatkpar, Mumbai
Assistant Professor3, Department of Vocational Courses, RJ College (Autonomous), Ghatkpar, Mumbai
ABSTRACT
An internship during college studies can help to enhance quality of higher education and to improve skills &
competencies amongst students. It helps to fill the gap between the theoretical learning at class room and
practical application at work place. It is also seen that the student undergoing internships while their 3 years
degree course are not able to perform better in their regular exams because of time constraints. On the other
hand, Internships also help them to achieve higher professional competencies and excellence in their field of
interest and so that they can perform better in their future job with full potential knowledge. In this study we
analyze the positive as well as negative aspects of internships on regular studies of undergraduate students of
self-financing courses (BMS, BBI, BAF, etc.) with the help of data collected from 319 students by random
selection of sample size.
Keywords: Undergraduate students, Internship program, Higher Education.
1. INTRODUCTION
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. The
Internship is typically undertaken by students and graduates looking to gain relevant skills and experience in a
particular field. Employers benefit from these placements because they often recruit employees from their best
interns, who have known capabilities, thus saving time and money in the long run.
The benefit of bringing an intern into full-time employment is that they are already familiar with the company,
their position, and they typically need little or no training. Internships provide current college students the
ability to participate in a field of their choice to receive hands on learning about a particular future career,
preparing them for full-time work following graduation.
Definition: An internship is an opportunity to integrate career related experience into an undergraduate
education by participating in planned, supervised work.
BENEFITS TO STUDENTS:
• Opportunity to work in career related or professional environment
• Provide career awareness for the students
• Give the students the chance to evaluate, reflect upon and try a career field
• Provide valuable experience that helps secure future employment
• Can earn money or credit
• Provide professional networking contacts
• Make classroom learning more interesting
• Help the student develop job search skills
• Develop self-confidence as they identify skills, abilities and talents
BENEFITS TO THE EMPLOYER
• Can evaluate the student for potential full time employment
• Give the employer access to quality candidates
• Students contribute new energy and ideas to the work place
BENEFITS TO THE DEPARTMENT/COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
• Strengthen ties to alumni and the community
• Make the transfer out process easier for students
• Curriculum can benefit through feedback from employers

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• Help with retention and graduation
• Strengthen the students’ ties to the university when the experience if facilitated by the department/college
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
(1) Michael Hergert, San Diego State University, USA (2009)
Internships are an important part of the business school curriculum. They play a crucial role in helping students
to make the connections between their traditional coursework and the workplace. The study found that students
place a great value on the internship experience. This is particularly true when the internship has a direct
connection to their ultimate career goals. It is clear that students appreciate the benefits of internship programs,
particularly when designed to meet their needs.
(2) Chen, Chin-Tzu & Hu, Jin-Li & Wang, Cheng-Cai & Chen, Chun-Fu. (2011).
The main purpose of their study was to explore the positive and negative effects of the internship experience on
the behavioral intentions of college students in Taiwan. The results of their study shows the different effects on
satisfaction, willingness to return to the original internship organization, willingness to work, willingness to
recommend the internship organization to other students, ability to move between departments during the
internship, etc.
(3) Thilakerathne, P.M.C. & Madurapperuma, Wasanthi. (2013)
Increasingly, internship has become an essential component of the undergraduate degree programs. It provides
students with a smooth transition from on-campus environment to the working environment. Employers benefit
from internships because interns are sources of future employees. The relationship between Internship and
academic performance on accounting degree is significantly under-researched. This paper examines the effect
of accounting student internships on subsequent academic performance in one of the national universities in Sri
Lanka. For this purpose post-internship course unit performance of students with accounting internship
experience were considered.
(4) Ivana, Diana. (2019).
The study analyzes the internships of students within an international study program (German line of study) in
order to determine what factors account for the most valuable internship experience. Based on the elements of
the experiential education approach, the results reveal some characteristics that contribute to a higher level of
perceived internship effectiveness in accordance with the employment status and gender.
(5) Mr. Gautam (2017)
His study concludes that majority of the students are satisfied from the intern opportunity and hence they wish
to join hotel industry. The study has observed low but positive and significant relationship with satisfaction and
intention of changing attitude. The study has also explored the fact that there no gender influence in satisfaction
level of the intern students but male students are more prone to change on behavioral intention. Students are
positive regarding their career choice but are found of developing negative attitude towards college
management as well as in-college activities.
3. OBJECTIVES
1. To analyze and compare among undergraduate students who undergo Internship and who do not opt for
Internship.
2. To examine the reasons for which students opt for Internship during their three year degree course.
3. To understand the Impact of Internships on Regular studies.
4. To analyze the views of Undergraduate students towards internship with respect to whether it helps them in
their regular studies.
5. To suggest and recommend the effective ways of studies while taking up Internship program.
4. HYPOTHESES:
HO: Internships are not helpful for students to understand regular college syllabus
H1: Internships are helpful for students to understand regular college syllabus
HO: The students who undergo for internship program are not able to perform better in exams
H1: The students who undergo for internship program are able to perform better in exams
HO: Internship does not help students to get the Jobs easily after completion of degree course.

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H1: Internship helps students to get the Jobs easily after completion of degree course.
HO: Internships does not help students to learn practical application of knowledge at their workplace.
H1: Internships helps students to learn practical application of knowledge at their workplace.
5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Data Collection
Primary Data- To get the data from the students, survey method will be carried out. Data has been collected
from 319 respondents by using Random sampling technique with the help of structured questionnaire.
Secondary Data- This data has been collected from, research article, journal, writ-up, theses and dissertation
etc.
Research Design
The present study is Analytical and Descriptive in nature. It will highlight the Impact of Internship on Regular
studies of undergraduate students of Self-Financing Course.
Sample Design
Students currently undergoing three year self-financing degree course are taken into consideration only.
Sample Size and Technique
For this study, Random convenient sampling is used as only the Undergraduate students of Self-Financing
Course will be studied and results will be assumed to be applicable to other students. Sample size depends upon
the number of students enrolled in the colleges situated in Central Mumbai.
Data analysis
Data relating to Performance of students while engaged in Internship program are collected from Undergraduate
students of Self-Financing Course from different colleges in Mumbai.
Limitations of the study
1. The study is restricted to the college situated in Central Mumbai.
2. The study is restricted to students currently undergoing three year self-financing degree course only.
6. DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION:
1) Have you ever taken any internship program?
The study reflects that out of 319 respondents, 51 students (only 16%) have taken internship during their three
years degree course and rest 268 students (84%) did not opt for the internship.
2) Gender-wise distribution of students who have opted for internship:

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Out of those 51 students who opted for internship, about 47% which comes around 24 students are females and
rest 27 students (53%) are males.
3) Department in which internship was done:
It is observed that most of the companies offer the students to take active part in their Marketing (Sales)
department which is about 49% and the least is found in HR department which is only 5%.
4) Is internship helpful in their regular studies?
80% i.e. 41 students responded that internship is very helpful in their regular studies.
5) What they feel about impact of internsip on their regular studies?
Most of the students (i.e. 78%) have positively responded about the internship as they feel it is very helpful to
enhance their practical knowledge and around 41% students believe that internship is valuable to achieve
professional competencies. Whereas, it is also found that around 37%, 29% and 15% students’ responded
internship helps to understand curriculum better, due to internship they could not attend the lectures and they
find it very difficult during their exam days due to time constraints respectively.

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6) The contribution of Internship program towards development of Personal skills of students
Response Out of 51 students:
7) The contribution of Internship program towards development of Professional skills of students
Skills
Positive response towards
development of skills
Internship program helped
students to a certain extent
Negative
response
Communication
19
29
3
Ethics
22
23
6
Initiative Taking
18
27
6
Interpersonal
22
26
3
Respect for others
22
27
4

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Response Out of 51 students:
8) How you develop Communication, Interpersonal and other related skills without taking Internship
program?
Out of 268 students (who did not opt for Internship program) 137 and 167 students developed their different
skills through participating in Intra-collegiate and Inter-collegiate events respectively.
9) What is the reason behind not choosing to go for Internship Program?
Response of 268 students regarding the Reasons for not taking Internship Program:
10) How did you manage studies and Internship both in balanced manner?
It is found that, Most of students took their Internship program during their summer vacation and other students
had done part time internship to gain Practical knowledge. Many students also responded that they somehow
managed their time to go for the job during their regular studies by scheduling proper time for their learning part
every day.
HYPOTHESES TESTING
Data is tested by employing Averages from the responses received in the course of the survey.
Skills
Positive response towards
development of skills
Internship program helped
students to a certain extent
Negative
response
Computer
22
25
4
Decision making
18
26
7
Management
25
22
4
Problem solving
21
25
5
Skills of working with People
21
23
7

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1. HO: Internships are not helpful for students to understand regular college syllabus
H1: Internships are helpful for students to understand regular college syllabus
It is proved; only 37% students (Q.5) responded that Internship is helpful to them to understand the curriculum
better. Majority of students felt that Internships are not helpful to understand the college syllabus. Therefore, we
accept our Null hypotheses.
2. HO: The students who undergo for internship program are not able to perform better in exams
H1: The students who undergo for internship program are able to perform better in exams
Only 15% students (Q.5) find Internship difficult during their exam days. Whereas, Majority of students are
able to cope up better even during their exams. Therefore, we reject our Null hypotheses and accept the
alternate hypotheses.
3. HO: Internship does not help students to get the Jobs easily after completion of degree course.
H1: Internship helps students to get the Jobs easily after completion of degree course.
Since, it is proved (Q.6 & Q.7) Internship helps students enhance their Personal and Professional skills, which
makes them capable enough to get Jobs opportunities easily in their career. Therefore, we reject our Null
hypotheses and accept the alternate hypotheses.
4. HO: Internships does not help students to learn practical application of knowledge at their workplace.
H1: Internships helps students to learn practical application of knowledge at their workplace
It is proved (Q.7) students enhance their Professional skills through Internship, which helps them apply practical
knowledge at their workplace. Therefore, we reject our Null hypotheses and accept the alternate hypotheses.
CONCLUSIONS
It is noted that, very less number of students (i.e. 51 out of 319) had opted for Internship program. And those
who have taken Internship are mostly active in marketing (Sales) department which helps them improve their
communication, Interpersonal, Computer, and Decision making etc skills. Also it is helpful to enhance their
practical knowledge and apply it at their workplace.
Whereas, those who have not opted for internship responded that they find it difficult to do internship during
their regular studies as they cannot manage both together. So, how do they develop their skills? When asked,
they responded they enhance their different skills through participating in Intra- collegiate and Inter-collegiate
events.
SUGGESTIONS
1. Students must go for Internship program because it helps enhance Practical knowledge.
2. It helps students to apply their practical knowledge at their workplace.
3. Every Educational Institution must make Internship as a part of their curriculum activity which will help
improve students their Personal and Professional skills during their three year degree course.
4. It is better for Companies also who offer internships to students, as it will help them place a right person
for the right job easily because they are already aware about the skills of their Interns.
5. Proper Time management is required for taking Internship program during regular studies i.e. they need to
find and give scheduled time every day for their regular studies after attending the Internship session so
that students can keep a balance between the Internship and studies which help them perform better in
exams also.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost we would like to express our gratitude to Prof. Dr. Vilasini Patkar for her support during
research paper. We express our sincere thanks to our family, faculties, students and others for their support.
REFERENCES
Journals
1) Hergert, Michael. (2011). Student Perceptions Of The Value Of Internships In Business Education.
American Journal of Business Education. 2. 10.19030/ajbe.v2i8.4594.
2) Chen, Chin-Tzu & Hu, Jin-Li & Wang, Cheng-Cai & Chen, Chun-Fu. (2011). A Study on the Effects of
Internship Experiences on the Behavioral Intentions of College Students Majoring in Leisure Management
in Taiwan. The Journal of Hospitality Leisure Sport and Tourism. 10. 61-73. 10.3794/johlste.102.294.

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ISSN 2394 - 7780
3) Thilakerathne, P.M.C. & Madurapperuma, Wasanthi. (2013). An examination of Accounting Internship on
Subsequent Academic Performance. International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management
Sciences. 2. 8-15. 10.11648/j.ijefm.20140201.12.
4) Ivana, Diana. (2019). Determinants of the Perceived Internship Effectiveness: Exploring Students’
Experiences. Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Oeconomica. 64. 45-58. 10.2478/subboec-2019-0004.
5) Gautam, Prakash. (2017). Satisfaction and Behavioural Intention from Internship Program : A Perceptual
Survey From Hotel Management Students.
Websites
1) https://polisci.osu.edu/sites/polisci.osu.edu/files/What%20is%20an%20Internship.pdf
2) https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1052655.pdf
ABBREVIATIONS
BMS: Bachelor of Management Studies
BBI: Bachelor of Banking & Insurance
BAF: Bachelor of Accounting & Finance