Embedding Work-Integrated Learning into First-Year Engineering Coursework

In Spring 2026, the University of Central Florida (UCF) successfully piloted its first phase of embedding work-integrated learning directly into students' coursework. The pilot focused on first-year students within the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), which allowed nearly 2,000 students to be exposed to what careers in their major actually look like. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were used to measure student awareness, and results showed improvements across all 5 measures, with the highest in students' understanding of where to find work-integrated learning opportunities at their university. UCF plans to refine the pilot, expand it into upper-level CECS courses, and scale it to other colleges.