Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internship Program
Overview
Our Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internship Program is dedicated to providing equitable access to career opportunities and success. While not all positions are paid, we strongly advocate for paid opportunities [pdf].
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 "Internship or Experience" 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). However, an experience can still be considered high impact even without a public demonstration of knowledge, as written reflections are an integral part of the Co-op and Internship Program.
For Employers
Enhance Your Impact
If you have any questions about creating High Impact experiences, please contact Dr. Tammy Taylor at tammtay@siue.edu 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.
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 tammtay@siue.edu for more information.
Types of Experiences and Major Differences
Type |
Compensation
|
Duration
|
Commitment |
Duties |
Co-op |
Always Paid | 2+ terms | Full or Part-time |
|
Internship |
Paid or Unpaid | 1+ term(s) | Usually Part-time |
|
Micro-internship
|
Usually Paid | 2+weeks | 40+ Hours |
|
The Career Development Center advocates for paid internships.
Guidelines for Participation
Student Guidelines
|
|
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 name@company.com |
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 for more information.
