Coop Definitions

Career Services

When used on this website, it refers to Career Services at MTU, located in the Harold Meese Building, on Pearl Street, across the street from Jim's Foodmart.

Cooperative Education

Cooperative education is an academic program in which students gain paid, career-related work experience to complement and enhance their education. Some co-op employers require students to complete multiple work experiences that alternate between classroom study, while other co-op employers offer a single summer or semester opportunity. Co-op credits (Undergraduates: 1-2 credits per semester; Graduate students: 1-6 variable credits with permission from advisor) may be applied toward academic degree requirements in some majors-check with your academic advisor for details.

Co-op class or Co-op credits

These terms refer to UN3002 (for undergrads, 1 or 2 credits) and UN5000 (for graduate students, 1 to 6 credits), the classes for which a student must be registered during semesters they are participating in a co-op.

Full-time co-op

Students work full-time hours (average 35-40 per week) during the semester and register for two undergraduate or one to six graduate co-op credits.

Full-time student while on co-op

An undergraduate who is a full-time co-op or a parallel co-op. Any graduate student registered for UN5000. In most cases, full-time student status while on co-op qualifies an individual for student loan deferment and coverage under parents' health insurance.

Internships

Internships are typically summer-only experiences, while most co-op experiences take place during the fall or spring semesters. Internships may or may not be paid or career-related, and often the experience is not progressive in nature. Internships will not earn credit through the University Career Services.

NACElink

The online job posting/interview scheduling system managed by Career Services that maintains student profile data, resumes and cover letters.

Parallel co-op

Undergraduate students work part-time hours (20-25 per week), register for one co-op credit and take at least a one credit class at Tech.

Semester

One of the three segments of the year that a student is available to work: summer, spring or fall.