Business internships for bachelor’s degrees at blended learning universities: A pilot study to assess the transition from hybrid studies to the workplace

Enhancing the employability of new graduates is a growing demand for universities. The subject “Curricular Practices” (a business internship) in the undergraduate qualifications of management, economics, and business offers students the chance to experience on-site learning in the labour environment, which does not fit in a priori with blended and online teaching but, in contrast, can offer them a structured transition from the virtual classroom to a personal presence, as required in the workplace. The main objective of this research is to assess the interest in the professional boundary-crossing of university students of hybrid studies.
This pilot study with students from bachelor’s degrees in management (business administration) and economics at one of the largest blended universities in Europe shows that students take on an active role in the learning process and professionally socialise through internships. Student become more involved. They acquire reflexive learning and increase their participation in different activities. Furthermore, internships give them a richer, more diversified (online and offline) and efficient education. This type of subject offers more opportunities than an exclusively virtual learning environment, generating positive synergies that improve the regulated transition process from a hybrid academic university environment to the workplace.

The dataset contains the responses of 27 students enrolled on the subject Curricular Practices for the academic year 2021/22.