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The WASC subcommittee that evaluated research and internships
opportunities at UC Santa Cruz, observed that there is now an
extensive literature demonstrating the positive impact of academic
internships and research opportunities for undergraduates. Students
who participate in these activities have higher retention and
graduation rates than those who do not. Internships and research
opportunities help students make informed choices about graduate
school, professional school, and careers as well as better preparing
them to succeed in all of these areas of endeavor. Additionally,
studies indicate that undergraduate research and internships
increase self-confidence and self-esteem for students who
participate in such activities and these students have a higher
level of satisfaction with their undergraduate experience as a
whole.
In addition, undergraduate students who participate in academic
internships and research bring “real world” experience into the
classroom, which improves the level of their participation in
seminar discussions, their commitment to the learning environment
and leads to improved grades. More subjective reports from faculty
in several studies indicate that students who have undertaken
focused research or internships bring their experience into
classroom in a way that makes discussions more interesting to the
other students and the faculty members themselves.
Research and Internship
Opportunities at UCSC
[pdf]
As part
of this educational effectiveness analysis of field research and
internship opportunities for undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz,
the subcommittee compiled an inventory by discipline.
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