• Introduction to WPI
• Section 1: The WPI Plan
• Section 2: Department and Program Descriptions
• Section 3: Course Descriptions
• Section 4: Academic Policies and Procedures
• Section 5: Resources and Special Programs
  • The Gateway Park
  • Special Programs for First Year Students
  • Combined Bachelor/Master's Program
  • Computer Resources
  • Music and Theatre Facilities
  • George C. Gordon Library
  • Academic Technology Center
  • Student Services
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Student Exchanges
  • Worcester Consortium Course Cross-Registration
  • Cooperative Education Program
  • Summer Session (Term E)
  • Awards and Prizes
  • Societies, Registration and Licensing
• Section 6: Career Development & Graduate School
• Section 7: Admission, Expenses, Financial Aid & Housing
• Section 8: Trustees, Administration & Faculty
• Supplement
• Search

Cooperative Education Program

The Co-Op Program

A Division of the Career Development Center

The WPI Cooperative Education Program provides an opportunity for students to alternate time in the classroom with extended periods of paid, full-time, career-related work experience in industry or private and government agencies. The program, which is optional at WPI, entails work assignments from six to eight months in duration which begin in either January or May.

Most students elect to participate in one co-op placement, though students may choose to work for more than one assignment. Students who participate in the co-op program can graduate on time especially when they have advance placement course work. It is recommended that students pre-plan during their first or second year at school. Preparation of a total college plan with the student’s academic advisor is required to ensure a compatible scheduling of work periods and academic courses.

In order to qualify for the co-op program, students must meet the following requirements:

1. they must have completed two years of study but may not participate once they have started their senior year,
2. they must be in good academic standing (students cannot be on academic warning or probation),
3. they are only permitted to register for project credit during the co-op assignment with the approval of their academic and project advisors, co-op supervisor and co-op program coordinator, and
4. they must be full-time students.

Exceptions to any of these requirements are made by submitting a written petition to the Coordinator of Cooperative Education who consults with the WPI Registrar for a final decision.

Advantages to Students and Employers

Co-op offers several advantages to students:

1. Participating in co-op helps students make career-related decisions.
2. Students can test classroom learning in the real world.
3. Co-op earnings enable students to pay a significant portion of their college expenses.
4. Students improve their after-graduation job prospects by gaining valuable work experience. In fact, more and more companies are using their co-op program to identify candidates for full-time permanent positions when the students graduate and/or seek candidates with co-op experience from other companies.

Employers also benefit in a number of ways:

1. Co-op students can handle assignments that may be difficult for untrained personnel, but that do not require the talents of full-time professionals.
2. The program gives employers the chance to judge the actual on-the-job performance of potential permanent employees.
3. Retention rates for permanent employees recruited through a co-op program are higher than for those hired through other routes.

The Placement Process

Students should attend the co-op orientation. Those who are interested in participating in the co-op program must register with the Career Development Center (CDC) several months before the start date of the work assignment.

Employers seeking to fill a co-op position provide the CDC with a brief job description. Students decide which jobs they are interested in applying for and the CDC forwards their resume to the appropriate companies. Some employers interview candidates on campus; others review resumes and then invite selected students for on-site interviews. The final hiring decision is left to the employer. The student is free to interview with more than one employer and to choose among the employment offers received. It often takes several months before the student is placed in a co-op assignment.

A co-op position is not guaranteed, but every effort is made to locate appropriate work assignments for qualified students. More than 300 employers have provided co-op opportunities to over 2000 students since the program began in 1976. The search for additional employers is an on-going activity.

Other Considerations

The employment experiences gained through the Cooperative Education Program do not substitute for, nor qualify as Major Qualifying Project (MQP) or Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) requirements. These experiences, however, often generate ideas for qualifying projects with the cooperating companies.

For some students, the co-op orientation and registration period overlaps with an off campus activity, usually involvement with an IQP at one of our project centers. Students should not think that this prevents them from applying for co-op positions since our office has developed systems for dealing with their absence. Students who will be off campus during the orientation and registration period should contact the Career Development
Center before their departure to complete the registration process in advance.

Information and Registration

Students interested in exploring the possibility of participating in the program should contact:

Career Development Center
Project Center, Lower Level
(508) 831-5260

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Last modified: July 18, 2008 16:23:33