Undergraduate engineering students can gain significant technical experience in industry before graduation through both internships and the Cooperative Engineering Education Program, or co-op, an experiential learning program. Co-op and intern positions allow employers to evaluate potential permanent hires over an extended period of time, provide a continual pipeline of bright engineers and a cost-effective method for completing tasks within the organization.
An internship is an opportunity for a student of any major or year to gain valuable, paid work experience. Interns work full-time during the summer, and commit to work with an employer for one summer only. Students may attempt to work with a different employer each summer to expand their horizons even more.
Co-op students complete at least one summer and one long semester of full-time work with the same employer, receive one or two hours of letter-grade credit per work term and earn a competitive salary.
Co-op employers expectations:
- Provide the student with at least two co-op work terms
- Educate students by having them perform technical engineering work relevant to their academic discipline
- Provide direct supervision by an engineer
- Review the student’s work and complete a performance evaluation for each work term
- Maintain communication with the Cockrell School's co-op office regarding recruitment and student performance
Ways employers can enhance the co-op experience:
- Assign challenging tasks with increased responsibility. Spending multiple semesters with one employer gives co-op students the opportunity to work on complex projects and gain more responsibility as their work terms progress.
- Provide a mentor. Whether a direct supervisor or an experienced employee, a mentor can help the student navigate the organizational culture, learn about industry and explore career options.
- Encourage open dialogue on performance. Receiving positive feedback and constructive criticism from supervisors and mentors is crucial to the co-op student’s development as an engineer.
- Coordinate networking opportunities. By including students in employer events or arranging activities especially for co-ops, the employer can give students a better understanding of the working culture and help them feel more connected with the organization.
For more information, contact our
Co-op FAQ | Why You Should Hire a Co-op Student
