Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internship Program
Overview
- Paid Co-ops and internships foster equitable access to opportunities and career success; although not all are paid, we advocate for paid opportunities [pdf]
- When done well, Co-ops and internships are High Impact Practices (HIPs)
- Qualifies as Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for International Students
- Offers transcript recognition for qualifying major-related experience (zero-credit, no tuition or fees)
- Provides students opportunities to enhance career-readiness competencies
- Gives students the opportunity to gain supervised, professional, real-world, experience in their field of study, while working toward a degree
- Applies classroom theory to a realistic work setting
- Provides a mutually beneficial relationship among an organization, SIUE, and a student
- Provides numerous benefits [pdf] to both students and employers
- Students have an opportunity to explore their career path prior to graduation
- Employers can preview talented students who are studying the most recent technology
- Scheduling, coordination of major-related work, and pay should be determined by the student and employer
Earn TRANSCRIPT Recognition
First you need to report the experience by following the instructions below:
- Login to Cougar Jobline using your E-ID and password
- Click on "Experiential Learning" on the left side of your page
- Click on "+New Experience" and enter the required information
- "Submit for Approval"
- The Career Development Center will then email you with more information
See Forms, Orientation, Deadlines, and How to Participate for more information
Features of a High Impact Internship, Co-op, or Experience
Students - Take every opportunity to make the most of your major-related experiences.
Experiences that meet 8 key features of rigor are considered High Impact, and those are the experiences students perceive to provide the most benefits (Kuh et al., 2017).
Employers - If you have questions about how to make your experience High Impact, please contact Dr. Tammy Taylor at tammtay@siue.edu for more information.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) - International students
International students eligible to work off campus are required to participate in CPT to obtaining work authorization, and completing paperwork with the Career Development Center is one of the required steps.
- Contact International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to discuss eligibility and enrollment requirements.
- Contact the Career Develoment Center to discuss the internship or Co-op work experience and to complete required paperwork pertaining to the major-related position. You will be asked to login to your Cougar Jobline account and report the "New Experience." Once your experience has been reported, you will be provided more information.
- Students will not be authorized to work until paperwork has been completed and processed by ISSS and the Career Development Center.
- Deadlines dates posted on the Co-op/Internships Deadlines page are firm.
Video: ISSS and CDC Overview of CPT Process
If you will be receiving credit hours for the internship through your academic department, you must complete paperwork for ISSS, the Career Development Center, and your academic department. Contact Dr. Taylor at tammtay@siue.edu for more information.
Types of Experiences and Major Differences
Type |
Compensation
|
Duration
|
Commitment |
Duties |
Co-op |
Always Paid | 2 or more terms | Full or Part-time |
|
Internship |
Paid or Unpaid | 1 or more terms | Usually Part-time |
|
Micro-internship
|
Usually Paid | 2 or more weeks | At Least 40 Hours |
|
The Career Development Center advocates for paid internships.
Guidelines for Participation
Student Guidelines
|
Transcript recognition only: Co-op and internship courses are for zero credit hours |
Major related: Positions must be major-related and enhance the academic pursuit of the individual student |
Minimum GPA requirements: 2.0 for undergraduate students and 3.0 for graduate students |
Coursework: Must have remaining credit-bearing coursework to take |
Required paperwork: Each academic term paperwork is required and is subject to change |
Fine print: Students should carefully read all documents presented by the employer |
Co-op courses provide full-time enrollment status at the University for the purposes of health insurance, housing, or loan repayment. Internship courses do not provide full-time enrollment status. |
Employer and Position Guidelines |
Approval: Employers and positions must be approved by the CDC for transcript recognition Approval is at the sole discretion of the Career Development Center |
Compensation: Co-op positions are always paid Internships may be paid or unpaid The Career Development Center advocates for paid opportunities |
Duration: Employers are encouraged to employ students for at least 2 academic terms for Co-op Internships may last one term or more Micro-internships are project-based and may be for shorter durations |
Non-compete agreements: Employers may not ask students to sign non-compete agreements |
Fees: Employers should not ask students to pay fees of any type to participate in a Co-op or internship |
Location: Employers should have traditional commercial locations |
Email: Employers should have company-based email addresses such as name@company.com |
Explore our Co-op resources to learn more or contact us for more assistance.
The Career Development Center coordinates internships for students in a variety of academic programs. Students should contact the CDC formore information.