Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internship Program
Overview
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Key Benefits:
- High Impact Practices (HIPs): When executed effectively, Co-ops and internships are recognized as High Impact Practices
- International Student Support: Qualifies as Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for international students
- Transcript Recognition: Offers transcript recognition for qualifying major-related experiences (zero-credit, no tuition or fees)
- Career-Readiness: Provides students with opportunities to enhance their career-readiness competencies
- Real-World Experience: Allows students to gain supervised, professional experience in their field of study while working towards their degree
- Practical Application: Enables students to apply classroom theory in a realistic work setting
- Mutually Beneficial Relationships: Establishes a mutually beneficial relationship among the organization, SIUE, and the student
- Comprehensive Benefits: Offers numerous benefits [pdf] to both students and employers
- Career Exploration: Gives students the chance to explore their career paths before graduation
- Employer Preview: Allows employers to preview talented students who are studying the latest technologies
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Coordination and Scheduling:
Scheduling, coordination of major-related work, and compensation should be determined collaboratively by the student and the employer
Earn TRANSCRIPT Recognition
How to Report Your Experience:
- Login to Cougar Jobline using your E-ID and password
- Navigate to "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
For additional details, review Forms, Orientation, Deadlines, and How to Participate
Features of a High Impact Internship, Co-op, or Experience
For Students
Maximize Your Major-Related Experiences
Seize every opportunity to enrich your learning with major-related experiences. Those that meet the 8 key features of rigor, as illustrated in the chart below, are considered High Impact and offer the greatest perceived benefits to students (Kuh et al., 2017).
For Employers
Enhance Your Impact
If you have any questions about creating High Impact experiences, please contact Dr. Tammy Taylor at [email protected] 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. Completing paperwork with the Career Development Center is one of the required steps.
- Discuss Eligibility and Enrollment:
- Contact International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to discuss your eligibility and enrollment requirements
- Plan Your Internship or Co-op:
- Reach out to the Career Development Center to discuss your internship or Co-op work experience
- You will need to login to your Cougar Jobline account and report your "New Experience"
- If the experience is approved, further instructions will be provided
- Complete Required Paperwork:
- You will not be authorized to work until all paperwork is completed and processed by both ISSS and the Career Development Center
- Firm Deadlines:
- Please note that Co-op/Internships Deadlines 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 [email protected] 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
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|
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 [email protected] |
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.
