2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Women remain underrepresented in U.S. engineering, accounting for only 23% of engineering degrees awarded in 2020 and 14% of the engineering workforce in 2019 (Meiksins & Layne, 2022). Successful engineering internships are vital for retaining women and fostering their long-term career development. However, existing research has notable gaps: 1) it often lacks an in-depth analysis of the gendered nature of experiences, and 2) it does not address whether women interns receive adequate support or are able to identify the specific support they need to navigate challenges. Additionally, previous studies have largely overlooked male perspectives in gender dynamics.

This study aims to 1) explore the gendered experiences of female engineering students during internships, 2) examine factors influencing these experiences, and 3) identify support mechanisms to help them thrive in their internships and careers. In the current study, we will recruit 20 undergraduate engineering students (15 women, 5 men) with at least one internship experience from a 4-year public university in the U.S. Semi-structured interviews, lasting 45-60 minutes, will be conducted to understand students’ internship experiences. For women, the focus is on describing and interpreting their gendered experiences, while men reflect on their roles in workplace dynamics, particularly in interacting with their female counterparts.

Interview data will be transcribed and collaboratively coded using inductive thematic analysis to identify emerging themes, supported by representative cases from participants. The findings from this exploratory study will inform the development, implementation, and evaluation of future professional development programs designed to enhance female engineering students' internship experiences with the ultimate goal of improving gender representation in the workforce.