Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Sociology

Committee Chair

Junmin Wang

Committee Member

Gretchen Peterson

Committee Member

Sunah Laybourn

Abstract

Internships serve as a key pathway for international students in the United States to prepare them for the job market. However, the process of searching for internships is full of uncertainty, and emotionally demanding. This qualitative study, guided by the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, examines international graduate students at the University of Memphis, focusing on their emotional responses during their internship search and their coping strategies. The study conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 international graduate students at the University of Memphis. The findings reveal that students started their search hopeful, but repeated rejections, lack of feedback, and structural barriers like immigration policies, work authorization restrictions, and employer hesitation increased stress, anxiety, and doubt. Overall, students managed these challenges by adjusting their application strategies, seeking support from mentors, family, and friends, and reframing rejection as part of the learning process, showing both emotional resilience and persistence.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access.

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