What is a co-op? How is it different from an Internship?

Cooperative education is an employment opportunity that is combined with an educational component. Co-ops are a joint venture between a student, an employer, and Michigan Tech. Unlike an internship (more typically taking place during the summer break), a co-op assignment typically lasts two semesters (spring-summer or summer-fall). Similar to an internship, co-op work assignments are intended to relate to the student's major and provide a range of experience and training.

Employers are expected to provide co-op students with challenging work, and students work closely with a supervisor/mentor to learn while on the job. The supervisor completes evaluations to gauge performance; by submitting discussion assignments and a final report, students can earn 1-2 credits by taking the co-op course.

Where do students take co-ops?

Everywhere! Many companies that recruit at Michigan Tech (and plenty of others who don't) offer co-ops. Just a few of our common co-op employers include:

Domtar
Amcor
Greenheck Group
Kimberly-Clark
Plexus Corp.
Billrud Americas Corporation

Who takes the co-op course(s)?

This is a slightly complicated answer, but we can sum it up as follows:

International students must take the co-op course for credit. This is tied to their visa status with the university. International Programs and Services (IPS) coordinates with Career Services on the management of these students' OPT and I-20.
Domestic students may take the co-op course, and it tends to depend on a few things.
- The most common reason for students to enroll in 1-2 credits of co-op is that they will be gone for one regular semester (either fall or spring); for some students, their financial aid circumstances dictate that they must remain continuously enrolled. Taking the co-op course while they are away enables to them to stay enrolled and not face consequences regarding loans or scholarships.
- Other students may not have a financial reason that they need to enroll, and might choose not to in order to save on paying for the extra credits.
All that in mind: some majors allow for the co-op course to count toward a major technical elective, or as a free elective. In this case, the student may want to enroll in the credit(s) - even if they do not have to for financial aid - in order to fulfill a degree requirement.

I don't understand whether co-op course(s) count for a student's major.

If after reading the above you feel slightly confused, that's okay. If your role does not require specifically advising students on their credits, try not to stress too much. The people who most need to know about co-op credits are Career Services, IPS, and a student's academic (or graduate) advisor. If you are an advisor and have questions, come talk with us! There is no one-size fits all answer, especially since where/if the credits count varies by program (in addition to the other variable factors like financial aid and visa status).

How do students enroll in the co-op course?

Co-op registration is now completed as a Handshake experience module. Check out this intro page and skim it over to learn more.

What do I tell students who have questions?

Encourage them to meet with our office! They can reach out to co-op@mtu.edu or stop in our office to meet with Natalie.