Cooperative Education Information

Cooperative Education (Co-Op) is a for-credit academic course that allows students to gain paid, hands-on work experience directly related to their major while applying classroom learning in a real professional setting. Students complete required assignments, reflections, and evaluations as part of the course, and experiences typically last one or more semesters to support long-term skill development and professional growth. While both internships and Co-Op provide valuable career experience, internships may be for credit or non-credit and do not always require enrollment in a course, whereas Co-Op is always tied to a course, requires faculty approval, and includes graded academic components that support structured learning outcomes.