FAQs

Co-op is a 6-month, full-time, paid educational experience (4 months part-time or full-time for SAET students). Students alternate between periods of academic study at the university and periods of full-time co-op employment in industry. The employment assignments (usually six months in duration) are related to the student’s academic and career interests. The combination of academic and industrial experiences provides better understanding of the engineering workplace and helps with career development.

Both co-ops and internships are excellent professional learning experiences. Internships are usually part-time experiences which take place around your academic schedule, although they may be full-time over the summer. A co-op is a full-time experience for six months. Internships tend to focus on short-term projects, whereas co-ops are essentially on-the-job training. Internships do not typically offer credit, and do not typically require faculty approval, whereas the NCE undergraduate co-op program could offer educational credit and requires faculty approval.

The co-op program comprises of up to two full-time, 4-6-month work experiences, which could add one additional semester/year to your academic experience. Six months is the optimum amount of time a student can spend at a company while getting the best learning experience, and participating in two co-op experiences significantly increases the average graduate starting salary, and career confidence. Moreover, many students will receive a job offer along with their second co-op experience, leading to employment well before graduation.

For a work experience to be registered as a co-op work term with NJIT Newark College of Engineering, the position should fulfill the following qualifications:

Number of hours per week: 

• NCE Undergraduate programs: (full-time) 35 to 40 hours per week  
• SAET Undergraduate programs: (full-time) 35 to 40 hours per week or (part-time) 15 to 25 hours per week

Length: at least 15 weeks and within the academic term (e.g., Jan-Apr; May-Aug; Sep-Dec)

• NCE Undergraduate programs: 4-6 months
• SAET Undergraduate programs: 4 months

Salary: minimum wage or above (for the standards of the geographic area where the student is working)

• The average salary for NJIT Engineering students varies based on the student’s academic program and prior work experience; the general average is $20/hr. 

Supervision: Co-op student supervised by an engineer or other technical staff who provides regular supervision, feedback, and completes the Final Evaluation.

Relevant to Engineering:  Technical and relevant to student’s academic program and/or career objectives 

Please click here to view employment policies for international students.

Hourly pay for co-ops ranges between $18 and $22 an hour, although some positions pay more.

If you are an approved participant in the NCE undergraduate co-op program (and only do the Co-op course), you will not be charged tuition during the semester(s) you participate. You will however be charged any additional classes you take while doing a Co-op.

You will be charged university-use fees. Click here to see current university-use fee rates.

Food plan and housing fees

Please note that participating in a co-op will not automatically waive your food and housing plans. If you wish to waive those plans, follow these steps at least one month prior to the start of the co-op semester.

Waive housing. You must express your desire to waive housing for the co-op semester in writing to the Office of Residence Life at reslife@njit.edu, copying the Director of Residence Life (see the staff here).

Waive the food plan. You may request a change to your meal plan by clicking here.

Domestic students

• With the approval of the department co-op advisor, and in consultation with the academic advisor, a student on co-op assignment can take up to two courses while doing a full-time Co-op position during the relevant fall or spring semesters, and one additional course during the summer.

International students

• International students have different requirements. Please click here to view employment policies for international students. For more information about international requirements, contact the Office of Global Initiatives.

Paying for additional credits

• If you plan to take additional classes, you do need to pay for the credit hours. Please click here to see the current rates on the University Catalog page.

Your scholarship will pause during the semester of your co-op and return the following semester. Click here to schedule an appointment with your financial aid counselor to learn more.

There are several points of contact to support you in finding and participating in a co-op. The most important to know are:

• Your faculty advisor will connect with you throughout your academic career to ensure that your courses are in line with your goals.
• Your faculty co-op advisor will specifically advise you on co-op questions, and will serve as your professor for the co-op course in which you will enroll during your co-op. 
• Your Career Services - Career Advisor will help you find a co-op position and can assist you in preparation for interviews and participation.
• Your academic advisor is a staff member who will help guide your early academic enrollment questions.

First, it's important to understand that "ENGR" stands for a general engineering course. Any course you take within your major will have that major's letters first. Since the state of New Jersey caps the number of credits that a student can take within certain engineering fields, your course structure is critical. To that end, ENGR 211 is a 1-credit course general engineering course. It provides engineering students with multidisciplinary and career planning skills in a seminar environment with emphasis on career planning, resume writing, and interview skills. This course was structured so that you will not exceed the state's credit cap, while still giving you some academic credit for your hard work.

NCE Undergraduate programs:

The co-op standard courses ENGR310 and ENGR410 are designed only to help students maintain full-time status during co-op experiences and will not count towards in-major credits. Instead, your academic career will extend for additional semesters to accommodate the time spent on co-op.

SAET Undergraduate programs:

Course credits: 3 credits (usually taken as elective). Co-op may be able to replace required elective course 

NJIT has many co-op jobs available to students. The Career Services - Career Advisor will work closely with each student to help him or her secure a suitable position. However, in rare cases, due to market conditions, economic circumstances or other factors, a student may not get a co-op job in each semester. In that case, and depending on their field of study and program, the student may return to classes and begin the process of applying for co-op jobs for the subsequent semester.

While we strongly advise against dropping out of a co-op, we understand that circumstances sometimes require it. Due to the academic nature of the program, and the fact that your co-op participation is what waives your tuition fees, you will need to immediately re-enroll in courses (if you are not past the re-enroll dates), or, with the approval of your faculty co-op advisor, you will need to find another co-op opportunity that meets similar criteria and is willing to take you on. While this is technically possible, we strive to ensure that students do not need to take such drastic steps.

At the conclusion of your co-op, you will make a presentation about your experience to your faculty co-op advisor. Different faculty have different preferences for how you present your work and learning experiences, but all of them will require you to demonstrate the specific items you've learned in the co-op, and how they pertain to your field of study.

If you have any questions about the NCE Co-op program, you are welcome to contact Nayelli Perez - Director, Undergraduate Engineering Co-op at nayelli.perez@njit.edu. Students who want to go over their Co-op job search can make an appointment with their career advisor in Handshake, and can find their career advisor at this link.