Co-Ops, Internships & Student Jobs

If you're considering a co-op, make sure to plan early. Making arrangements during your first semester on campus will ensure you have time to finalize all the necessary details.

Steps to Begin:

• Schedule an appointment with the Office of Career Design & Development to discuss your goals, learn more about the co-op process, and figure out whether the program is right for you.
• Attend a Co-Op Orientation Session offered one year before your co-op experience.
• Complete the Pre-Co-Op Professional Development Program—a summer-long professional development series that teaches everything from industry-level Excel to perfecting important oral and written communication skills.
• Prepare for the co-op search process. You'll participate in resume review and a mock interview with employer or alumni volunteers, and benefit from unlimited access to your co-op advisor during the search.

You must meet the following academic requirements to be considered for a co-op placement:

• Enrollment Status: Full-time, undergraduate day student
• Majors: Engineering, business, and computer science are eligible to participate 
• GPA: Minimum of 2.50 GPA or above by the spring semester immediately preceding the chosen co-op term
• Class Level/Academic Credits: within 9 credits
  • Fall Co-Op: 
    • Engineering Students -52 credits
    • Business & Computer Science Students - 44 credits
  • Spring Co-Op:
    • Engineering Students - 104 credits
    • Business & Computer Science Students - 89 credits
• Program Requirements:
  • Before Co-Op Begins:
    • Attend a Co-Op Orientation, unless you are a returning co-op student
    • Sign Co-Op Student Agreement and FERPA release (should this link somewhere?)
    • Complete the commitment survey by the designated deadline (should this link somewhere?)
    • Complete a mock interview during the designated timeframe 
    • Work with co-op advisor for final resume approval
    • Attend all summer pre-co-op professional development workshops and corresponding course assignments, unless a returning co-op student
    • Review on-campus responsibilities in advance, including leadership and RA requirements and responsibilities, and plan accordingly (should we add the specific requirements here)
    • Meet with the residence life team early on to discuss living arrangements
  • After Co-Op Has Ended:
    • Submit co-op reflection paper and attend reflection session (should this link somewhere?)
    • Complete the Co-Op Final Evaluation Form (should this link somewhere?)

You have the flexibility to create your own co-op schedule.

• Engineering and business majors can choose a 4-month or 8-month co-op, or pusue a combination of both to gain up to 12 months of work experience. 
• Computer science majors can select either a 4-month or 8-month co-op. 

Here is a suggested schedule, depending on the academic year you choose to work:

View the co-op schedule planning guide

Know what you're looking for but not where to start? Check in with Career Design & Development team and your academic department(s). They are connected with a vast range of industry networks. You can also check student job boards like Handshake. 

Before you reach out to employers for potential co-op placement, review helpful resources to polish your professional branding and build a network, perform job searches and submit applications, and sharpen your resume and cover letter.

More Information About the Co-Op Search Process

Consider us your partners in search! But, we can only help you if you work closely with us in the process. 

• Resume Approval: Your resume must be reviewed and approved prior to interviewing for positions. Start this process early as it may take several revisions before it is approved. Resumes are reviewed on a rolling basis, and if your resume is not approved in time you may miss out on being able to participate in the co-op program. We recommend attending a resume clinic.
• Resume Distribution: Once approved, we'll share your resume with interested employers, unless you already have a position arranged through your personal network.
• Additional Co-Op Leads: In addition to resume distribution, you are expected to proactively search for a placement in partnership with Career Design & Development, including contacting your network, searching job boards, and connecting with professors and other resources within your field.

Co-Op Interviews

Below are the steps you'll typically find in a co-op interview process, which may vary slightly between employers. It is incredibly important to keep your lines of communication open—check your email and voicemail regularly and respond promptly to employers and the Career Design & Development team. 

• You may receive an invitation to interview directly by the employer or through Career Design & Development.
• Interview scheduling may be coordinated directly with the employer or through Career Design & Development. If scheduled with the employer, let Career Design & Develop know ASAP (within 24 hours) so we can record the official date and time.
• Interviews may take place on-campus or at the employer's site.
• Arriving late for or missing an interview is not acceptable and could lead to dismissal from the co-op program. If a true emergency should occur that hinders your ability to be on time or participate in the interview, is is mandatory that you call both the interviewer and your career counselor before the scheduled interview.

Job Offers

Living On Campus During Your Co-Op: 

• Communicate your status as a co-op to the residence life office. They will work with you for your housing needs.
• Request approval from the residence life office to be housed during school breaks, if needed
• You may opt out of a full meal plan and choose a smaller meal plan

Living Off-Campus During Your Co-Op: 

• Complete the Resident to Off-Campus Housing Agreement Release Request with the residence life office
• You will then need to reapply for housing while living at home. It is your responsibility to know the deadline to reapply. Unsure? Reach out to residence life for more info.

Leaving Campus - Spring Semester: When students leave for the spring, the Residence Life office needs to be notified and can remove you from your current housing assignment. If you intend to live on campus in the summer, you must complete the summer housing application by the university deadline. This application is available in late spring. 

Leaving Campus - Fall Semester: When students leave for the fall, the Residence Life office needs to be notified and can remove you from your current housing assignment. Between Thanksgiving and Winter break, you will be able to apply for housing for the spring. We guarantee housing for our students who meet university deadlines. However, we CANNOT guarantee the same housing assignment you selected for the fall. We do our best to accommodate requests on a space available basis. 

Congratulations, you did it! When you return to campus after your co-op, you'll engage in reflection alongside peers and faculty, as you begin the important process of translating all you've learned in the workplace back to the classroom.

To close-out your co-op experience, please do the following:

• Complete the Co-Op Final Evaluation Form (can this be linked?)
• Submit a co-op reflection paper and attend reflection session (any guidance or requirements to share?)
• If interested, work with Career Design & Development to explore possibilities to transition your co-op into a full-time job