Cooperative Education Program
With the mutual mission of faculty and Career Services being the success of students, we strive to keep faculty informed about beneficial experiential education opportunities for our students. On this page you will find some general information pertaining to the Co-op Education Program. For more information about the program or to have any questions answered, please contact Career Services.
Cooperative Education Program
The Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program is a supervised educational program for students that integrates periods of academic study with periods of paid, professional work. The work assignments are closely related to the student's academic program and provide an opportunity for students to enhance their classroom learning by integrating academic theory and real-world work experiences. The co-op experience prepares students for professional work in business, industry, and government agencies upon graduation.
Main Components of the Co-op Education Program
Aside from providing students with a valuable experiential education experience, the Co-op Education Program allows participating students to:
- Remain at full-time student status for academic purposes while away at work
- Have their Financial Aid (including TOPS) and/or Scholarships deferred until returning to campus
- Register for a non-credit Cooperative Education Program Course, which appears on their academic transcript
- Enroll in a maximum of three (3) credit hours while away at work
Student Qualifications
To participate in the Co-op Education Program, students:
- Must have completed thirty (30) hours of credit applicable toward their degree
- Must have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA
- Must complete the appropriate approval process as stated by the Office of Career Services
Applying for the Program
Once a student has located, applied, interviewed, and has been offered a co-op position, they must make an appointment to meet with Career Services to begin the application process. At that time, students will be provided with the policies and procedures necessary for enrollment into the program.