Are you looking to get a jumpstart on your career while
still a student? Then you should consider Peirce’s Cooperative Education
Program (CWE), also known as a Co-op. The benefits of participating in a Co-op
have been well documented and could have long-term advantages for your career.
For starters, you’ll gain real-world experience the field
you’re studying. Because of this you’ll better understand and appreciate the
materials and principles from related classes. It’s a great opportunity to
immediately apply what you’ve learned.
From a financial perspective, often times Co-ops are paid
and you’ll still be able to use financial aid funds toward the course.
And that’s just during the Co-op. There’s another
significant impact that could boost your career. During your Co-op you’ll
become more professionally polished and gain that out-of-classroom experience
that employers want. According to the National Commission for Cooperative
Education, 95 percent of co-op students find jobs immediately upon graduation.
Since these are typically done during your last semester, there’s a good chance
your Co-op could be extended into a full-time job upon graduation.
At Peirce, our Co-op programs are 16-weeks long and can be
completed in the Fall, Spring, or Summer sessions. During this time you’ll be
required to work 135 hours at an off-campus approved Co-op site, or about 8.5
hours per week. You’ll also have a full-time faculty member assigned to oversee
your Co-op course.
To get started, you’ll need to have completed 22 credits
towards a certificate, 30 credits towards an associate’s, or 90 credits towards
a bachelor’s degree and have a 2.5 GPA. Co-ops usually occur in the final
semester of either the associates or bachelor’s degree program. It’s best to
plan ahead well before you intend on taking your Co-op to make sure your
personal and academic schedules are compatible and to account for the 7-week
Pre Co-op workshop. This will also give you more time to identify and pursue
potential Co-op opportunities.
Once you’re ready to pursue your Co-op, simply follow these
steps:
- Speak to your Academic Advisor and let them know of your intent to take Co-op.
- Register (via your Academic Advisor) for CWE 098 (AS level) or 099(BS or CT level) online Pre Co-op workshops. These 7-week online workshops are offered by the Career Development Services office. Since these are workshops rather than actual courses, you won’t get academic credit for the Pre Co-op workshop and they are provided at no cost to you.
- Contact Career Development Services to discuss the types of Co-op that you wish to pursue.
- Register for Co-op (via your Academic Advisor) for the last semester of your classes.
- Career Development Services will assist you in the process of obtaining a Co-op site; however you are responsible for conducting your own job search and securing a Co-op site.
