The impact of fashion merchandising internships on careers

This research describes the exploration, expansion, and enhancement of fashion merchandising internships from 1998-2010 in a small fashion merchandising program of 100 students in a mid-sized southern state university. This study examines the relationship of the college internship and the graduate’s current job. Academic departments continuously review curriculum and consider the inclusion, continuation, enhancement, or deletion of a college internship in their programs. Often questions arise, such as, Should the fashion merchandising program curriculum require an internship for credit; what is the value of the internship; is an internship experience measureable? Internship records were kept for 13 years at a United States public university. Number, internship placement sites, and current employment of college graduates was analyzed. The purposes of this study were to examine the components of fashion merchandising internships and assess the impact of factors such as university regulations and small town internship employers on students’ careers after graduation. This research study revealed that internships at non-local fashion businesses were positively related to successful current fashion employment. Continuation of an internship program is determined by internship placement sites, graduates’ current jobs and locations, local and non-local fashion businesses, and faculty recommendations.