2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Aligning work and school is a reality for many commuter students, who are often underserved in higher education. Literature highlights that undergraduate students frequently encounter multiple challenges when trying to balance school and employment, as this typically involves navigating a complex set of issues, including economic and family needs, time constraints, and transportation problems. These challenges are often intensified among engineering commuters who must manage part-time or full-time work – often in non-engineering roles – while simultaneously engaging in career-oriented courses. These intersections require planned support.

Additionally, while the existing literature has documented the benefits of engineering-related work experiences, such as internships and co-ops, it often overlooks that many commuter students hold non-engineering jobs. While these roles are outside their field, they can also provide valuable skills, including communication, , leadership, and time management. The contribution of this study is to examine how skills developed in non-engineering roles can be applied meaningfully in engineering contexts, and how these work experiences can be leveraged to strengthen students’ academic and professional outcomes. In doing so, this study broadens prevailing understandings of engineering students’ professional skills and enhances their personal and professional development.

We designed an exploratory study to investigate and potentially expand the positive and negative associations between work experience and their engineering coursework and beyond. We collected professional practice reflections from undergraduate engineering students (years 2022 and 2024) and conducted focus groups with undergraduate engineering students, faculty, and staff at a Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Southwest that is primarily commuter-based. This qualitative study employed a thematic analysis supported by Copilot and enhanced with manual coding to identify the skills that undergraduate commuter engineering students acquire in non-engineering settings.

The purpose is to acknowledge the multifaceted nature of these students and explore not only how these non-engineering work experiences can nurture their educational pathways, but also how to support them This perspective can be a powerful way to rethink traditional learning while seeking more holistic pedagogical approaches that consider the full spectrum of engineering students’ competencies. Moreover, this study provides valuable insights into workforce readiness and student persistence by highlighting how non-engineering employment can impact students' current academic success and future professional growth. By recognizing these contributions, faculty and institutions can support students in acknowledging their full range of experiences while fostering more inclusive environments.