Once Hired – Your Next Steps
When you accept a co-op position, you will follow these guidelines for the duration of your co-op experience. Be sure to contact your Co-op Coordinator should you have any questions.
After accepting a position, schedule a Co-op: Pre-Work Conference through ePACK. Please complete:
- Plan of Work and Study form (undergraduates only) signed by you and your Academic Advisor, within your department.
- An official offer letter from the company.
Required Course
Once you’re hired by a company or agency, you will need to register for the appropriate course for each semester or summer period that you’re employed until you graduate or you officially withdraw from the University. This excludes permanent, full-time employment. The registration cost for the Co-op course, as set by the University, is currently:
| Course | Cost |
| COP 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 (Alternate Full-Time) | $490* |
| COP 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 (Parallel Part-Time) | $245* |
*Fees are subject to change
Course Assignments
Your required assignments depend entirely on which course level you are currently registered for. Please check your specific course below to ensure compliance and a passing grade.
COP 100, 200, & 300
- Pre-Assessment: Completed at the start of the term to establish your baseline skills and set learning objectives with your supervisor.
- Post-Assessment: Completed at the end of the term to measure your growth, evaluate workplace performance, and gather supervisor feedback.
- Portfolio (Reflection Summary): A comprehensive written reflection of your experience. Rather than uploading physical work samples, you will provide a structured summary analyzing what you learned, how you navigated workplace challenges, and how this term influenced your long-term career goals.
COP 400
- Pre-Assessment: A baseline evaluation to map out your advanced goals and leadership focus for this specific work block.
- Post-Assessment: A comprehensive final evaluation reviewing your mastery of technical competencies and overall contribution to the employer.
COP 500
- Pre-Assessment: A specialized baseline check-in tailored for advanced students to align their current work scope with professional milestones.
- Portfolio (COE CS Alignment Reflection): An advanced reflection summary built strictly in alignment with the College of Engineering (COE) and Computer Science (CS) instruction guidelines.
Important Note: All assessments and portfolios must be submitted by the deadlines posted in your course portal to receive a grade of Satisfactory.
Additional Costs
Campus facilities, services and activities are open to all registered co-op students. Please be sure to register and pay the necessary registration costs – otherwise, you may jeopardize your participation in the program.
In the event that the Co-op Program has to register for you, a late fee will be charged as required by the University’s Cashier’s Office.
If you are on financial aid and are considering participating in the Cooperative Education Program, contact the Student Services Center to learn how your earnings from a co-op job could affect the amount and type of aid that you receive in the future. As a general rule, you shouldn’t expect to receive financial aid while you are on a co-op rotation.
While you are in a co-op work assignment, keep a record of additional expenses you incur during your co-op job. Financial Aid staff may consider these costs when reviewing your co-op earnings.
Academic Requirements
As a successful co-op student, you’ll enjoy the rewards of real-world job while continuing to receive a top-notch education. Between alternating work periods, you are required to be enrolled in classes full-time.
All undergraduate co-op students must maintain a 2.0 GPA to remain in the program, while graduate students need to remain in good standing with the University and keep a GPA of 3.0 or above. If your employer’s GPA requirements are higher, they will apply in lieu of those mandated by the University. In either case, you and your employer will both be notified by the Co-op Program if your GPA drops below the required level. After each work rotation, you will schedule a post-work conference with a Co-op Coordinator.
You will initially be awarded a Satisfactory (S) grade upon completing your work rotation. However, please note that if you are found to have not submitted all necessary post-work requirements and your co-op portfolio, your grade will subsequently be changed to an Unsatisfactory (U).