Bridging Academia and Construction Industry: Insights from Sequential Multi-Internship Experiences

The industry-sponsored internship is a learner-centered pedagogy rooted in the experiential learning model. While existing literature extensively highlights the importance of experiential learning and internships, a significant gap remains regarding the effectiveness of sequential multi-internship programs. This study investigates students' overall experiences within a sequential multi-internship program, leveraging survey data that captures their reflections across three internships. The analysis postulated that generally, students demonstrated increased positive experience from their first internship to their third. Additionally, the study examined how the diversity and number of companies—whether students interned with one, two, or three—impacts their overall experience. These findings inform the development of future internship programs and refine advising strategies, particularly regarding the diversity and sequence of internships, to better align experiential learning with students’ career readiness and professional development goals.