Support

UC creates a supportive environment in which students work one on one with a co-op faculty advisor. This advisor is a liaison between students and employers and maintains a list of potential opportunities.

As a co-op student at UC, you will take a sequence of courses that support your professional growth and success. Courses help you identify career goals, build a resume, develop interview skills, and learn the ins and outs of the co-op program. Courses also cover how to research companies and types of jobs, how to write a resume or develop a portfolio, how to apply for jobs, interviewing, networking, and how to succeed on co-op.

Student handbooks describe each co-op program in detail:

• DAAP Cooperative Education Student Handbook
• DAAP Cooperative Education Graduate Student Handbook
  
• Engineering and Applied Science Cooperative Education Student Handbook
  
• Information Technology Cooperative Education Student Handbook

As with any job search, students seeking co-op positions must research opportunities, apply and interview in a competitive process.

Our division uses the popular campus recruiting tool Handshake as well as a custom database called PAL to help co-op students and employers find each other and make a successful match.

In addition, faculty and staff continually develop relationships with employers to open up new co-op opportunities for students.

Some students use their personal networks to secure a co-op position on their own outside the PAL system. Prior to initiating a discussion with an employer, students must speak with their faculty advisor. The advisor will work with the student to evaluate the opportunity's educational value.