
Ask HN: Is it age discrimination when a company recruits undergrads exclusively? - hotpotjunkie
I suggested recruiting at some master&#x27;s programs for our internship program, but was promptly rejected because they only consider undergrads. I don&#x27;t understand their motives for this. Could it be consider a form of age discrimination?<p>(This is at a medium-sized tech company in SV).
======
qubex
It clearly would be _discriminatory_ (in the broadest sense) because it
creates a distinctive criterion that _a priori_ defines who can, and who
cannot, apply. However, ‘discrimination’ is just a synonym that has taken on
all the negative connotations of _distinguishing_ (a word with whom it shares
a common root) and therefore one should sometimes wonder whether or not all
‘discriminatory’ acts are _prima facie_ ill-advised. If you can rephrase the
criterion in terms of _distinguishing_ between different groups you’re
(probably) on an ethically defensible high-ground.

------
cimmanom
Have you asked for a _reason_ for this limitation? For instance, it could be
something as simple as undergrad programs providing academic credit for
internships, but masters programs not: which affects the employer’s obligation
to pay the intern.

------
anonlastname
In theory, anybody can be an undergrad

~~~
hotpotjunkie
In theory, anyone can be named "Chen", "Nguyen", or "Mwangi" but try
instituting a policy banning those people from an internship program.

