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How the Co-op Program Works

NCE co-op students graduate having already built a professional network and typically receive higher starting salaries than their counterparts from other schools.

Co-op Education

Eligibility

  1. The student must have completed at least 36 credits in their engineering program and maintain a GPA of 2.5 at the time they apply for the co-op  program.
  2. The student must complete at least 9 additional semester credits after the first co-op  period and maintain a GPA of 2.5 to continue with the second co-op  period.
  3. The student must contact the co-op  advisor to verify eligibility and approval to participate in the co-op  program.


Co-op Positions

Use the following steps to arrange a co-op:

  1. Meet with your Department’s co-op advisor to verify eligibility and approval for co-op;
  2. Complete the course ENGR 210;
  3. There are two ways of obtaining a co-op position
    1. Through Career Development Services
      1. Meet with your career advisor to review your resume, cover letter, and co-op job search plan.
      2. Review and apply to co-op positions via the online career portal, Handshake. Log in with UCID & password.
    2. By direct contact between student and company (which requires final approval from CDS and department co-op advisor).
      1. Identify or create opportunities on your own.
      2. Apply to job opportunities through additional career resources and company websites.

Co-op Curricular Requirements

Students must also complete ENGR 210 (Career Planning Seminar for Engineers) as a prerequisite to joining the co-op  program.  ENGR 210 provides engineering students with multidisciplinary and career planning skills in a seminar environment with emphasis on career planning, resume writing, and interview skills.

No other classes or curricular requirements will be imposed by participating in a co-op, except for a written report at the end of each co-op period and a short on-line monthly report. The grade for ENGR 310 and ENGR 410 will be either satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U).

The co-op course will appear on the transcript, and the name of the company that the student works for will appear on the bottom of the transcript as part of a note.
 

Tuition

There will be no tuition associated with the two 12-credit courses, ENGR 310 and ENGR 410. The student will be required to pay the student fee for the semester (12-credit fee).
 

Taking classes while on co-op

During the Fall or Spring semester, a co-op student can take up to two additional courses. During the summer, a co-op  student can only take one additional course. The tuition for the additional course(s) will billed on a per credit basis.
 

Financial aid

The registration of the co-op course will allow the student to be considered full-time for the purpose of federal/state financial aid. If eligible, the student will be entitled to take out student loans and receive state/federal aid. The student will not be entitled to receive university scholarship during the semester the co-op course is registered. However, the student will remain eligible to receive his/her university scholarship upon completion of the semester. The semester when the student is enrolled in a co-op will not count against the total number of semesters the student is entitled for the university scholarship.