Cooperative Education (Co-op) & Internship Program
Overview of Cooperative Education (Co-op) & Internship Program
- 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
- Offers transcript recognition for the major-related experience (zero-credit, no tuition or fees)
- Qualifies as Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for International Students
Guidelines for Participation
- Employers and positions must be approved by the CDC for transcript recognition
- Students will always be encouraged to pursue required and/or optional credit-bearing internships within their department first
- Co-op positions are always paid and are generally for 2 or more academic terms. Internships are generally for one term and may be unpaid
- Positions considered for transcript recognized Co-ops and internships must be major related and be determined to enhance the academic and career pursuits of the individual student
- Co-op and internship courses are for zero academic credit hours and for transcript recognition only. These courses bear no academic credit
- Minimum GPA requirements for the Co-op and Internship program are a 2.0 required for undergraduates and a 3.0 required for graduate students. These are the minimum GPA standards for the Co-op and Internship program, however, some schools or programs may have an alternative minimum GPA requirement
- 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
- Required paperwork each term - Paperwork requirements are subject to change
- Students should carefully read all documents presented by the employer
- Employers may not ask students to sign non-compete agreements
- Employers may not ask students to pay fees to participate in the experience
Types of Co-op
The CDC offers several types of co-op:
- Alternating Co-op ‑ Students may work full-time every other semester (or no more than two semesters back-to-back), alternating between full-time work assignments and full-time enrollment in school
- Parallel Co-op ‑ Students may work part-time year-around while attending school full or part time
- Curricular Practical Training (CPT) ‑ Co-op qualifies for “Curricular Practical Training” for international students
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. These internship placements do not include clinicals, practica, or internships handled by individual academic departments for credit. Students should contact the CDC for internship information regarding their academic major.
