Co-op & Internship
Cooperative education is available to all undergraduate, masters and doctoral students who meet the eligibility criteria for their level, major and college.
Cooperative education is available to all undergraduate, masters and doctoral students who meet the eligibility criteria for their level, major and college.
What is Cooperative Education?
Cooperative Education (Co-op) is an academic program that gives students the opportunity to gain paid professional work experience before graduation. Co-op work experiences are closely aligned with your major studies and improve understanding of the relationship between classroom theory and practical application.
Nearly 2600 different companies have hired NJIT students over the past decade. Employers range from large multinationals to small start-up companies. Students have completed their co-op assignments in New Jersey, across the nation and overseas. Recent co-op employers include:
AT&T | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products | eClinical Works, LTD | Langan Engineering |
ADP | Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. | UPS | The Associated Press |
Honda R&D Americas, Inc. | Panasonic Corporation of North America | L'Oreal USA | McGraw Hill Financial |
Infineum | Prudential Financial | Viacom | Verizon Wireless |
MTA Transit | Colgate-Palmolive | National Security Agency |
Wakefern Food Corporation |
Benefits of Cooperative Education
Cooperative Education provides many unique opportunities. You can:
Cooperative Education vs. Internships
A co-op work assignment is always related to your major and is always a paid experience. Students who successfully complete a co-op work experience may be able to earn three academic credits, according to the major department’s co-op policy. Co-op assignments coincide with a semester or the summer. Each degree program at NJIT has a designated faculty co-op advisor who oversees the students within each major to ensure the quality of learning. Co-op positions are reviewed by Career Development Services to ensure that the jobs meet quality standards.
Internships provide a learning experience that may or may not be related to your major and may vary in length. They most often coincide with a semester or the summer. Internship assignments may be paid, unpaid, and college credit may or may not be given. There is usually no formal faculty involvement in an internship as there is in a co-op. However, student interns may choose to consult a faculty member for advice and perspective on the work assignment. Students who are successful in obtaining an internship are encouraged to enter the employment data into Handshake at CDS. Some internships may be eligible for conversion to co-op status. Please check with your career advisor to explore this option.
For all undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students, you must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program at NJIT during the entire period of a co-op assignment. Students who have completed their degree requirements are not eligible for co-op and cannot begin a co-op assignment.
Because of federal regulations, co-op eligibility and participation requirements differ between U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents, and International Students. Please read the instructions below that apply to your work authorization status.
Participating in Co-op for All Students
Enter your co-op job information through Handshake using your UCID and password. Please be sure to read the statement of co-op policies. By submitting the co-op application electronically, you agree that you have read and understood the co-op policies and that you will abide by them. You also agree to authorize the release of your resume and unofficial transcript to potential employers by submission of the co-op application to CDS.
Co-op Work Cycles
You may work in one or more co-op assignments, depending on individual preference and eligibility. Work placements do not have to be consecutive. Students should apply the semester before the cycle in which you would like to work. The typical work cycles spring, summer, or fall available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents are below. For co-op work cycles for students requiring Curricular Practical Training, click here.
Co-op Work Cycles for Engineering Students
Course Requirements
All placed co-op students are required to: Meet with their designated career advisor.
University Co-op Policies and Guidelines
You may secure a co-op position through Career Development Services. All co-op positions are posted on Handshake at CDS. The arrangement to "co-op qualify" a position obtained on your own may be approved. The required standards for acceptable co-op assignments are that they relate directly to your major and/or career goals and provide new and appropriate work responsibilities that advance your knowledge, skills and abilities in your field. To determine if a specific position can be co-op qualified, please make an appointment to see a career advisor. You must provide documentation of your job offer from your employer that should be entered on to Handshake at CDS:
Course Registration
Registration for your academic department's co-op course during your placement period is mandatory. All students register for the co-op course at the time of placement. International students with an F-1 visa register for the co-op course as part of the work authorization process.
If your co-op registration will change your status from part time to full time, please inform your career advisor so that it can be determined if you need to request a health insurance waiver.
For the fall and spring semesters, the deadline for co-op course registration is 1 week after the add/drop date for the appropriate semester. (View Academic Calendars)
There is no guarantee of co-op course registration after these deadlines have passed. As with any other course offered by the university, the student bears the responsibility of knowing the requirements and registering on time in accordance with university policy.
Relocation
Most co-op assignments are located in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area within reasonable commuting distance. Some quality opportunities occur out-of-state and require relocation. In some cases of relocation, the employer may subsidize housing costs or may have arranged for inexpensive housing for co-op students, help you locate housing, or assist you with relocation expenses. The type and amount of assistance vary among employers so be sure to have a clear understanding of your employer-provided relocation benefits, if any, before you accept a position that requires a move.
Academic Credits
After successfully completing each co-op course, you will receive three additive or three-degree credits. Additive credit courses are graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Degree credit courses that replace a departmentally approved elective are given a letter grade and count in your GPA. Master’s and doctoral students receive additive credit for co-op work experiences. Undergraduate students should consult your career advisor to determine your major department's policy on whether co-op courses are for additive or degree credit, depending on your department’s co-op policy. Students enrolled in the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) should consult their department's faculty co-op advisor for special instructions.
Tuition and Fees
Cooperative education is considered a course by NJIT. Tuition and fees for the co-op course are your responsibility. Failure to fulfill this requirement may result in Bursar holds on your future course registration. You are also responsible for tuition for any other course(s) you take while in a co-op assignment. For more information please visit the NJIT registrar web site at www.njit.edu/registrar.
Professional Interviewing Conduct
You are expected to honor NJIT's co-op policies and procedures; prepare for the interviewing process and accurately present your qualifications and interests; request employment opportunities for co-op positions in which you are generally interested; adhere to all interview schedules; notify organizations and Career Development Services of acceptance or rejection of offers by the earliest possible date and no later than the start date mutually agreed upon; honor an accepted co-op job offer (written or verbal), as a contractual agreement; withdraw from the interviewing process upon acceptance of a job offer; and notify Career Development Services and all employers with whom you have a pending job offer or scheduled interview of your decision.
Professional Workplace Conduct
You are expected to arrive for your co-op position as scheduled; observe the employer's hours, policies and rules; and continue your work period until the arranged ending date. Students who voluntarily leave a co-op position will not be allowed to work for a subsequent employer in the same co-op work period. Students encountering any unexpected difficulties at their co-op job should contact their career advisor immediately. You must demonstrate professional performance and behavior during your co-op work experience. Click here for a Checklist For a Successful Work Experience
Attendance
You must attend all career advising appointments and final seminars as scheduled by the Career Development Services staff and/or faculty co-op advisors.
Status while Participating in Co-op
If you are enrolled in the university's Co-op Program, registered for an appropriate co-op work experience section, and a full-time co-op student, you will be considered a full-time student by the university for that specific period of registration.
If you are an undergraduate in an academic department in which part-time co-op has been approved and you are completing a part-time placement, you will be considered a full-time student when registered for at least twelve (12) credits including the co-op course. If you are a graduate student completing a part-time placement, you will be considered full-time with nine credits including the co-op course.
Course Load While on Co-op
Full-time undergraduate students completing a full-time co-op placement may register for two courses in addition to their co-op course. Undergraduate students who are part-time or working in a part-time co-op arrangement may take as many credits as approved by your academic advisor, up to the limit set by the university. Cooperative Education places no additional course load limitations on graduate students.
Impact on Financial Aid
The salary you earn may affect the financial aid that you receive. A percentage of a student's earnings (with the exception of College Work Study) may be added to the family's contribution. For specific information, please contact your Financial Aid Counselor.
Taxes and Unemployment Insurance
According to the US Internal Revenue Service, wages paid to co-op students are fully subject to federal income taxes. Wages are also subject to state income taxes and FICA (Social Security taxes). International students also pay federal and state taxes, but not Social Security taxes. For all students, once your co-op assignment is completed, you are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
Impact on Residence Life Contracts
Occasionally, a student accepts a co-op position that makes it impractical to live on campus during the co-op cycle because of the employer’s location. You are encouraged to contact Residence Life as soon as possible to discuss your options.
Impact on Health Insurance
If your co-op registration will change your status from part time to full time, please inform your career advisor so that it can be determined if you need to request a health insurance waiver.
Impact on Graduation
Depending on how you schedule your co-op assignment with your academic classes, your graduation may be delayed while you obtain major-related work experience. Students who plan early can maximize summer classes, summer co-ops, or distance learning to keep pace with their original expected date of graduation. Working in one or more co-op assignments is highly beneficial even if it results in delayed graduation. Time spent gaining major-related work experience can greatly improve your chances of obtaining a full-time position before or shortly after graduation.
Limited Guarantee of Placement
While every attempt is made to place each co-op student, Career Development Services cannot guarantee placement. Co-op assignment schedules are determined by employers and are subject to business conditions and student performance. Assignment duration cannot be guaranteed.
Suggestions to Maximize Your Co-op Experience