John Edward Beck
Nanyang Technological University
Kristin Eu-Lin Tan
Nanyang Technological University
Kate Pin Yi Ho
Nanyang Technological University
Kelly Pin Li Ho
Nanyang Technological University
Abstract: The focus of this research is on the effect of internships on accounting students: what interns had learned; the processes by which they had learned; the effect of what had been learned on studentsÂ’ expectations of the accountancy profession; and their choice of future career. The methodology involved qualitative data, but with quantitative analysis and testing of hypotheses. The sample was 250 undergraduate accountancy students studying in Singapore. The hypotheses were supported. Interns reported a number of significant learning outcomes; the most significant were personal and interpersonal skills, of lesser importance were technical skills. Learning by reflection was key to supporting these outcomes. The students believed that what they had learned would support their future professional development, and that the internship had prepared them for their first job, and helped them choose their career. The framework of GolemanÂ’s (1995) theory of Emotional Intelligence was used to explain the results.
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