2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Careers in the construction industry are in high demand. More specifically, the demand for construction managers is expected faster than the average in the next decade. To meet this demand, many construction programs have increased in size since 2008. Furthermore, most programs require some sort of practicum by students, often in the form of an internship of cooperative education (co-op). To support the connection between supply and demand of construction professionals, several higher-education institutions provide students with career services. These services may include career fairs, resume reviews, meet and greet with companies, jobsite visits and guest speaking opportunities for industry professionals. Through the use of these services and as a consequence of the heated market, many construction-related programs achieve a placement rate well above 90%, to the benefit of students, higher education institutions and companies. Yet, there is a lack of understanding of what career services are available in the different construction programs. This is important because career services today have evolved to provide more than a connection for an entry level position, but rather help students with career education and coaching, seeking to strengthen the ties with graduates and foster a connected community of alumni. To achieve this goal, the present research used a survey approach to review resources available at US-based construction undergraduate construction programs. Results are presented using descriptive statistics and identify the breadth of career services offered by construction programs and their institutions. Findings show that most programs host two dedicated career fairs per year, faculty and instructors usually support students by providing career counseling. Moreover, services such as dedicated job boards, resume review and career counseling are present in about half of the programs. Furthermore, many construction programs rely on career services provide by their institution. Our findings provide a baseline to construction programs in the United States in terms of what career services can be offered to their students and how these services are balanced between institution and programs.