- What is Co-op?
- Gain practical experience before graduation with the Michigan Tech Cooperative Education Program.
- Co-op is a joint venture between the University, a selected employer, and you. Work assignments are related to your major and are varied to provide a range of experience and training. MTU offers several options designed to accommodate the needs of students and employers: students may work for an employer for just one semester, a summer or alternate semesters (one on, one off).
- Because most students work for an employer for a semester or more, you could defer graduation by as much as a full calendar year. However, you'll
- get great, relevant work experience,
- be paid for learning on the job,
- receive academic credit. Students should check with their advisors to determine if the credits will count as general or technical electives.
- get the inside track for a job when you graduate, since employers look favorably upon students with relevant work experience!
- Co-op vs Internship
- Internships are similar to co-ops, except that the work is not necessarily applicable to the field in which you will receive your degree. You won't receive any academic credits for an internship, but you may receive some great work experience.
- Who is Eligible to Co-op?
- Undergraduate students:
- Must have completed their first year at Tech.
- Transfer students must complete at least one semester in residence at Tech.
- Must have a GPA of 2.20 or better and be in good social standing.
- Must obtain authorization from the Office of International Studies if they are studying at Tech on an F1 visa.
- Graduate Students:
- Must complete at least one semester at Tech
- Have a 3.0 GPA or higher
- Have permission of their academic advisor
- Must obtain authorization from the Office of International Studies if they are studying at Tech on an F1 visa.
- Common Questions
- Where could I work?
- Michigan Tech students are co-oping all over the US and in several foreign countries including China, Germany and Korea. Most of our co-op students find positions in the Midwest, however outside of this region, the next highest concentration of Tech students are in Arizona and Vermont. We encourage our students to pursue the best learning opportunity regardless of the geographic location.
- How much could I earn?
- Our co-op student salaries ranged from $10/hr to over $35/hr depending on the major, school level and employer. The employer determines the co-op wage, and many employers offer assistance with housing costs, co-op tuition reimbursement, and relocation expenses.
- What could I do on co-op?
- Co-op students perform many of the same tasks as an entry level professional but at the level that is appropriate to their advancement in school. Here what some of our students have done on co-op:
- A mechanical engineering student redesigned a manufacturing plant layout for a major automotive supplier, saving the employer over $300,000
- Chemical engineering students conducted feasibility studies, and worked on proprietary research for a major personal products manufacturer
- Technology students traveled around the country and the world as troubleshooting representatives for a major heavy equipment company
- A chemistry student assisted the Grand Rapids Police Department's Forensics Unit
- Our electrical engineering students have worked on intense planned "outages" for a nuclear power facility in Vermont
- Our scientific and technical communications students have redesigned corporate web pages, created technical manuals, promotional videos and brochures
- Marketing students evaluated businesses, created surveys, conducted market research and created business plans to expand and improve local and national businesses
- MIS students created customized databases to assist companies in streamlining their inventory, record keeping and orders
- A biomedical engineering student recently completed a co-op assignment in Colorado where she designed and fabricated learning devices for physically handicapped skiers at a ski camp.
- How do I find a co-op or internship?
- Most students find co-op and summer internship positions through the MTU Career Center's "eRecruiting" system.
- This free job posting system and resume book allows our students and alumni to seek out and apply for available co-op, intern and full time positions. Other students find positions through job fairs, their academic departments, student organizations, or through their own searches. If you find a potential co-op position and the employer is not yet familiar with our co-op program, feel free to refer them to Jeff Kangas (jakangas@mtu.edu) and he can answer any questions they may have.
