Case Study of Work-based Learning Involving BIM for Infrastructure in Support of Graduate Construction Research

Internships are a critical and valuable element in construction education. They provide work-based learning through real-world project experience. Yet, the United States lags behind Europe and other countries in the exploration of research opportunities during work-based learning experiences. Within construction education in the United States, goals and focus of graduate and undergraduate internships differ, and little research exists documenting best practices for graduate internships. This article presents a case study of a successful three-way partnership between industry, faculty, and students that highlights the benefits and opportunities of Masters level graduate internships to generate valuable, applied research. While undergraduate construction internships focus primarily on professional training, graduate construction internships present a unique multi-faceted opportunity to deliver meaningful industry-supported research, increasing the value of the graduate-level educational experience for multiple stakeholders. Industry benefits from cost effective, high quality and objective analysis and feedback. Faculty benefit from timely research questions, access to data, and financial partnering. Finally, graduate students benefit from greater professional exposure and mentorship, unique work-based research, and higher confidence that their research will be relevant and applicable. The documented case study generates a framework where graduate-internships enhance master level construction education in the United States and beyond.