Job Opportunity

The Co-Operative Education enables the undergraduate student to balance classroom theory with practical experience prior to graduation. The student's participation in co-operative education is a degree requirement for those majoring in Design Arts, Engineering, Information Science and Technology, Computer Science as well as those students electing the five or four year co-op option in Arts, Sciences and Business Administration.

Co-operative education emphasizes career management through experiential learning as an integral part of the educational process. The co-op is based on paid employment in practical, major-related positions consistent with the interests, abilities, and aptitude of the students. A small percentage of students accept non-paid co-ops. Non-paid co-op jobs are dependent on the major and industry.

The co-op program requires that the student works full-time during co-op employment periods. Therefore the co-op experience is not to be confused with a "part-time" job.

An academic year in the United States is based on four terms that are three months long, a format under which co-operative education operates most favorably. Normally, students are on co-op for a six-month period (two-terms) of employment, alternating with two terms of classroom study.

Co-op students are unique because they:
 

All universities in the United States provide placement services to assist students in preparing for a career and finding quality internships and permanent positions.

The university department called the Career Center provides high-quality resources and services to students, alumni, and employers. It is the central site for students and alumni to research careers, seek cooperative education internships and for employers to fill cooperative education internship positions. The Career Development Services' functions enable students to discover potential careers and then get first-hand experience in those areas.

The Career Center categorizes placement options based on students major. For instance, MBA Career Service provides professional development opportunities for MBA students and assistance in securing internship and full-time employment.

Engineering Career Service offers employers a full range of opportunities to post position announcements and to review engineering candidates for full-time employment and internships.

On-campus interviews, credential services, and employment listings are among the services to employers offered by the educational placement services set by the majority of the universities in the United States.

This is an opportunity for you to gain employment experience in your profession for a maximum of one year. The work may be full time or part time and may occur anywhere in the U.S.A. To be eligible, you must have been a full-time student for at least nine months.