Optional Co-op for Arts and Sciences
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences have the opportunity to participate in co-op - that is, to engage in compensated, career-oriented work experiences, and to reflect on and integrate those experiences as part of their undergraduate degree.
Participating in co-op helps you:
- Receive compensation for work
- Develop transferable skills
- Explore career options
- Build a professional network and receive industry mentorship
- Gain a competitive edge in the post-graduation job search
A&S Students can join the co-op program in their second year or later, after completing their mid-collegiate career touchpoint, which prepares them for the co-op job search process. A&S students must be actively enrolled in, or have completed, their mid-collegiate touchpoint before adding the track to their major. To add the co-op track to your major submit a “Change Major Specialization” form.
After adding the track, a student receives individualized support in their co-op job search. Each student will be assigned a co-op advisor and be added to a Canvas community site where weekly curated job lists are sent out.
Majors
| Humanities | Social Sciences | Natural Sciences |
|---|---|---|
Asian Studies German Studies |
Communication Political Science International Affairs Law & Society Sociology Environmental Studies- BS |
Chemistry- BS, BA, & ACS Chemistry- Cosmetic Science Biochemistry Psychology- BA & BS Organizational Leadership |
Requirements vary by major, consult the major maps or run a what-if report in Catalyst for co-op requirement details. Current students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor before declaring the track.
If your major does not have a co-op subplan or you are unable to enroll in your majors subplan start by meeting with a professional career coach in the Bearcat Promise Career Studio.
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, no. You should work with your academic advisor to make progress toward your undergraduate degree alongside the co-op requirements. You may need to complete a co-op or take classes over a summer in order to graduate on time. You can also make intentional choices between full- and part-time co-op experiences.
Students who register for a full-time co-op (35 or more hours per week) will pay a co-op fee in lieu of a semester of tuition.
Students who register for part-time co-op (less than 35 hours per week) will pay tuition per credit hour. You are encouraged to register for a number of credit hours that will keep you between 12 and 18 credit hours for the semester, to avoid having to pay tuition for additional credit hours. If a student enrolls in more than 18 credit hours, they will pay the standard tuition fee per credit hour over 18. Your academic advisor can help you with the details.
You may co-op during any semester: fall, spring or summer. You should discuss your plans with your academic advisor to ensure you complete the co-op requirements and make adequate progress toward your undergraduate degree.
During your mid-collegiate career touchpoint course, you will develop a resume, cover letters, online profile and skills in interviewing, networking and job searching to support your job search. You’ll learn how to use Handshake and your own networks to search for co-op or paid internship opportunities.
After your co-op track is declared you will be added to a Canvas site with job searching resources. Through this site a curated job list is sent weekly to assist you in your search. You are able to schedule appointments with a co-op advisor for individualized job search support and are encouraged to attend university-sponsored career fairs and networking events. It is your responsibility to lead and engage in a robust job search to secure a co-op position.
To ensure that a co-op or internship experience is educational, according to standards set by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), all the following criteria must be met:
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom and career-oriented: a learning experience that allows the student to apply knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- The experience must be compensated. (Note: Students may earn internship credit for experiences that are not compensated.)
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning date, end date, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives or goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- There is supervision by a professional person with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- There is routine feedback from the supervisor.
- The host employer provides resources, equipment and facilities that support learning objectives or goals.
When you have obtained a position, you will report your experience through Handshake by following these steps:
Log in to Handshake
On the left side select “Career center.” This is the last option,
Select the “Experiences” button, and then “Submit an Experience.”
Under Experience Template you should be prompted to select the A&S Experience Reporting Form.
For term, select the term your experience will take place in, not the current semester.
Fill the form in with as much detail as possible.
It is important to know how many hours per week, or total working hours you will complete during the experience and the approximate start and end date of your experience as this information determines the amount of credit hours you are eligible to earn. If you do not know this information yet, please wait until you have this information to submit the form.
After submitting your experience form you can attach items to it. Including a copy of your offer letter, screenshot of email with your supervisor, etc., is very helpful, but not required.
The program director will review submissions every Friday. You will receive an email with details on your enrollment process once your form is approved. Please do not enroll in a co-op course until this email is received.
The amount of credit hours you can earn through your co-op experience is directly correlated with the amount of working hours completed in your experience. The co-op program director will work with you to determine which class and how many hours to enroll in once your experience form is submitted.
A&S students can earn 0-12 hours for their co-op experience. Though students enrolling in more than 3 hours need approval from their academic advisor and the co-op program director. Careful consideration of the amount of elective hours a student needs for their degree, and the financial commitment (see “Are there costs associated with co-op?”) are considered.
For A&S international students with an F1 Visa who have declared a co-op track for their major, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) can be approved. The amount of CPT that can be approved is equal to the amount of required co-op experiences in your major’s co-op track. Each major’s co-op track requirements vary: be sure to review your major maps and reach out to your academic advisor for more details.
Students can be approved for CPT for an additional co-op experience as an option for the Experiential Learning degree requirement, if not already fulfilled through another experience. Consult your academic advisor for more information.
Once a student has declared the co-op track and obtains a paid position, they should submit the experience through Handshake. After obtaining Handshake approval, the Program Director will email you instructions for registering for the correct course and copy your academic advisor. Once this is received, you will submit your CPT request.
A&S students who are not in a co-op track can use CPT to complete an internship or co-op for their experiential learning requirement. This can only be done once. Please consult your advisor.
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