There is broad consensus on the range of benefits accruing to the undergraduate from work placement, but to date there has been little published on its impact on academic achievement. This article describes changes that were introduced into the architecture of a placement programme for business undergraduates. A statistical investigation examines the academic performance of students under the different architectures. Prior to the reconfiguration of the placement, there was no significant difference in academic performance between students who had undertaken placement and their non-placement peers. Undergraduates who took placement under the new architecture performed significantly better than their non-placement peers. Under both architectures there were indications of self-selection. The results are discussed in the context of learning transfer, and policy implications are considered. (Contains 6 tables and 2 notes.)