Cooperative Education Program

Cooperative Education Program

Overview

Cooperative Education (Co-op) is a formal program integrating multiple terms of work and academics. Students work in professional assignments directly related to their major. Co-op is designed to supplement classroom experience and to promote academic and professional development.

Benefits

▼   Transcript Notation

Registering your co-op with our office is an official way to note your experience on your transcript upon satisfactory completion. Students can register if their employer requires recognition by the University or credit is not available through your academic department.

▼   Scholarships
 

Students that register their co-op or internship experience may be eligible to apply for the following Scholarship:

Program Requirements

▼   General Requirements
  • Students must be in good academic standing with the University
  • Classified as a full-time student upon participation in the program
  • Completed at least 24 credit hours
  • Institutional GPA of 2.3 or higher and this GPA must be maintained for the duration of participation in the program
Program requirements may vary based upon the student’s academic college. While the program is open to all academic majors, there are some majors/academic departments in which the curriculum may not support a particular work-schedule option. 
▼   Engineering Alternating Co-op Requirements
  • Students on the alternating plan rotate semesters of full-time work with semesters of full-time school.
  • Students must be in good academic standing with the University, classified as a full-time student upon participation in the program, completed 24 credit hours, and an overall institutional GPA of 2.3 or higher. This GPA must be maintained for the duration of participation in the program.
  • Successfully completed Calculus I (MA 125) and Calculus II (MA 126).
  • No student may initiate participation after the start of the senior year.
  • A completed resume must be uploaded to Handshake and approved before employment interviews may begin.
  • Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum of 12 credit hours each semester when in class.
  • All students must register for the appropriate Cooperative Education (COE) course each work term. Course listings are found in the USA Bulletin under Co-op.

General Information

▼   Registration
  • All students must register for the appropriate Cooperative Education (COE) course each work term. Course listings are found in the USA Bulletin under Co-op.
  • A $25 course fee will be added to your student student account when you register for the course.
▼   Supervisor Evaluations and Feedback
Co-op and Internships are educational in scope; we communicate and monitor students’ progress throughout the term. Students submit evaluative assignments throughout the semester that reflect upon and summarize their work experiences and progress. Students also receive informal and formal feedback through the supervisory evaluation process.
▼   Academic Recognition

Students receive academic recognition through a transcript notation for participating in the Cooperative Education or Internship Program, though they do not earn academic credit hours. Employers and students appreciate this official recognition because it reflects a student’s desire to obtain practical work experience while pursuing the degree.

  • Although no credit hours are assigned to Cooperative Education courses, a grade of Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) is assigned at the end of each work term and will appear on the official University transcript.

If you have questions, contact Natalie Weston, Career Development Advisor, at nweston@southalabama.edu