The co-op program provides the students a great opportunity to enhance their employability after graduation. The students gain valuable practical work experience in electrical and computer engineering at many leading companies. They get the opportunities to demonstrate their skills and values. They are more confident and more motivated after the co-op experience.
More than 300 co-op positions were provided to ECE students in the past five years by more than 100 unique companies. The co-op experiences have helped our graduates to find ideal jobs before or soon after graduation.
What is Co-op?
A student takes one semester off to work full time in industry during one of the following co-op cycles:
- 6-plus month
- Spring semester and Summer, or
- Summer and Fall semester
- 3-month option: Summer only (at least two summers)
Preparation: Before the co-op, a student takes professional development seminar course (ENGN 2100, 1 credit) to learn
- Resume writing
- Strategic interviewing
- Professional behavior
- Presentation skills
- Professional networking
- Other job-hunting skills
Reflection: After the co-op, a student takes an assessment course to reflect the co-op experience, identify technical and professional skills that have learned, and to plan next steps of career development.
Benefits of Co-op Program
- Helps to find an ideal job, faster, or right after graduation
- Many students get full-time job offers before the co-op has ended
- Best opportunity to demonstrate your skills and value
- Earn an average of $26k (in 6 months), to pay a portion of tuition
- Higher salary after graduation than peers without co-op
- When eligible, can be counted as one technical elective course
- Helps to decide future courses, career path, MS/PhD programs
- Gain experience in actual work environment
- Enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Promote maturity
- Promote networking skills
- Promote teamwork
Co-op also has many benefits for companies to recruit employees and for universities to gain feedback on programs in order to adjust course materials or add new courses.