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Cooperative Education
WHAT IS CO-OP?
Cooperative Education (Co-op) is an educational program that provides students with an opportunity to gain valuable paid work experiences directly related to their major.
Career Center staff members manage the program, in partnership with area employers, to ensure that co-op experiences are substantive and well-supervised. Co-op students find that their work in this program not only teaches them marketable career skills, but allows them to apply classroom learning to professional work situations.
WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE IN CO-OP?
Co-op enables you to gain experience, determine your career goals and establish a career-related work record, thus increasing your marketability upon graduation.
You will benefit because co-op can:
- enhance and reinforce academic learning through a blending of theory and practice.
- offer a clarity of purpose and greater motivation for classroom learning.
- present a supportive, realistic environment in which you can explore career opportunities and test career goals.
- provide opportunities to acquire specific, professional work experience and career-related skills.
- offer opportunities for employment with regional and national employers.
- improve prospects for full-time, professional employment after graduation.
- provide a salary to help defray educational expenses.
- help to establish a professional network.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS)
Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA)
School of Business (GWSB)
School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS)
- admitted to the University and enrolled full-time (a minimum of 12 semester hours) while taking courses as a degree-seeking student.
- completed a minimum of 30 semester hours while maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA.
- Transfer students may begin a co-op experience as early as their first GW semester provided they meet the credit hour, degree, and GPA requirement. More details are provided at the required co-op orientation.
- have declared a major.
GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS)
Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD)
School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS)
- enrolled as a degree candidate, and taking courses.
- maintain a 3.0 GPA.
For graduate students in ESIA, GWSB and the Law School:
Services for experiential education activities will be available through the graduate career centers of their respective schools:
ESIA - Graduate Student Career Development
GWSB - F. David Fowler Graduate Career Center
Law School - Career Development Office
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
In order to be considered for a co-op position, you need to understand fully and complete the following enrollment process:
1. Complete a mandatory Cooperative Education orientation online (see below) or at the Career Center (consult the Career Center's Upcoming Events Calendar or the GWork Calendar for scheduled orientations within the Career Center).
Co-op Orientation
(international students see below)
2. Create a profile and upload your resume onto GWork, the Career Center's online joblisting system.
3. Contact the co-op staff in the Career Center to request access to co-op job listings on GWork. Call 202.994.9747 or e-mail coopmain@gwu.edu.
4. Once you have completed the enrollment process, and have uploaded your resume on to GWork, you can have your resume referred to co-op employers directly from the system.
Co-op Orientation for International Students
After completing the orientation, please click on the Co-op Checklist for International Students to help guide you in the process.
WHERE CAN I FIND A CO-OP JOB?
Co-op jobs developed by the Career Center staff are available only to students who have enrolled in the cooperative education program. Co-op job listings can be found on GWork once you have been provided access as an enrolled co-op student. In some programs, candidate e-mail distribution lists have been developed to communicate job listings and program information.
WHEN CAN I GET STARTED?!
Once you have met all of the eligibility requirements, you will be ready to pursue your co-op job placement.
You are encouraged to apply early, during the semester preceding the one in which you hope to begin a co-op job. Applicants for positions that require extensive security clearances may apply as early as six to nine months before the desired start date of the co-op position.
Co-op is a competitive process and employers make the final hiring decisions, therefore the Career Center cannot guarantee that every applicant will obtain a co-op position.
FOR MORE INFO & ASSISTANCE:
202.994.9747
coopmain@gwu.edu
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