 They provide hands-on learning outside of the classroom as well as an opportunity for the student to discover if her current choice of engineering discipline is appropriate based on her level of enjoyment of her internship role.Additionally, research and internship experiences have been shown to have a positive effect on engineering task self-efficacy (ETSE), a measure of a students' perception of her ability to perform engineering functions and related tasks.It is also considered advantageous to have internship or co-op experience before completion of undergraduate studies, as students who have practical engineering experience are considered to be more attractive to engineering employers.