Presented By: Karen Bennett-Wimbush, The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
Co-Authors: Mike Amstutz, The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
Jessica Suagee-Bedore, Virginia Tech

Internships provide valuable learning and career opportunities to undergraduate students. Selection of an industry internship is influenced by many factors including compensation, perceived value and location. Our objectives were to evaluate the influence academic major, internship location (travel distance from home address to internship site = DIST), and COVID-19 pandemic had on internship selection by undergraduate agriculture students. Data from 2016-2013 were collected from internship agreement forms (n = 400) and recorded in Excel. Data included: period (categorized by PreP = 2016-2019, P = 2020-2021 and PostP = 2022-2023), major, degree (Associate of Applied Science vs. Associate of Science), type of internship, student’s hometown, and internship location. Shortest driving distance in miles and time from students’ home addresses to their internship was determined using Google Maps. Differences in DIST between main effects (major, period) and interactions were evaluated with Tukey-Kramer test (ANOVA, SAS). Differences in frequency of out-of-state (OSI) comparing PreP vs. PostP was evaluated by generalized linear model (GenMod). DIST was different between majors (P < 0.0001) but not between periods or degree. Turfgrass and equine majors participated in internships further from their homes (P < 0.05) compared to Greenhouse, Crop, Business, Power Equipment and Landscape majors. LS mean differences in DIST for PreP, P and PostP were 34.1, 39.4 and 34.5 miles respectively. OSI were different between majors (P < 0.001) and ranged from 7.5% (Business) to 34.0% (Equine). Overall there were no differences in the frequency of OSI (PreP = 15.1% vs. PostP = 21.3%), however, when evaluated by major, frequency of OSI was higher (P < 0.01) PostP compared to PreP for beef (12.2 vs. 50%) and equine (31.4 vs. 36.4%) majors. Students’ majors appeared to have the greatest influence over internship locations while lifting pandemic restrictions may have increased adventure seeking in some students.