DEI Career-Related Research

National Survey of College Internships (NSCI) 2021 Report

During Fall 2021, USC was one of seventeen universities participating in the National Survey of College Internships (NSCI) to research internship participation among undergraduate students. The Internship Scorecard, implemented by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research’s Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, developed a tool for studying and evaluating internships across three areas: purpose and format, quality, and equitable access. Based on their findings, more than 70% of USC juniors and seniors expressed an interest in internships, to gain experience in a specific career field. In addition, the study emphasized the importance of these high-impact practices becoming critical learning experiences for all college students.

Study on Collegiate Financial Wellness for USC

The Study on Collegiate Financial Wellness (SCFW) is a multi-institutional survey of college students that examines the financial attitudes, practices, and knowledge of students from two and four-year higher education institutions across the United States via an online survey administered by the Center for the Study of Student Life and College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University. The survey was administered online during Spring 2020 to random samples of undergraduate students from 85 campuses representing 60 institutions.

Network Trends Report: Gender, Equity, and Gen Z

The newest Handshake Network Trends report, “Gender, Equity, and Gen Z,” analyzes survey results from more than 1,000 college student job seekers ages 18 to 25—the graduating students and early talent that employers need to attract to remain competitive—to gauge the factors that most compel them to apply for certain jobs and find out how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) play into their career decision-making. View the infographics for Bridging the Gender Gap.

Understanding Employment Pathways for College Students

Students face different barriers when they enter college. Research has shown that first-generation, minoritized, and low-income students, in particular, are less likely to have the networks and experience important for navigating the post-secondary environment, which could have material consequences for students’ career search processes. This research, a USC Career Center partnership with Boston University, Brown University, and RAND Corporation, will correlate student characteristics with disparities in career resource usage and employment outcomes, improving our understanding of how demographic factors influence post-college metrics of success.