Co-op Program

Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) is a structured method program that offers students the opportunity to alternate periods of academic study with periods of work closely related to their major field of study. The combination of academic study and work produces an overall learning experience that gives greater meaning to students’ studies and more directions to career development. 

This program is non-compulsory; however, the University urges students to gain work experiences either through internships or cooperative education assignments prior to graduation. The program is centralized and operates out of the Office of Career Services (OCS). 

There are two types of co-op assignments, alternating and parallel. Alternating co-op assignment is the most common. This allows the student to travel to another city, state or country and work full-time as a cooperative education student, enrolling only in the cooperative education course.  Parallel co-op assignment allows the student go to school and work at the same time. 

 

 

  • Any undergraduate and graduate students formally enrolled in a degree-granting program at North Carolina A&T State University (N.C. A&T) can participate. Participants must establish and maintain at least a 2.5 overall grade point average. Freshmen must complete their first academic year prior to their first work assignment. Transfer students must complete one semester. 
  • Students must be registered with the OCS.

Registration with the Office of Career Services (OCS) is required.  To register with OCS, you must update your Profile section in Handshake and then upload an approved resume.  It is strongly encouraged to attend an orientation session either in our office or online, have a  resume critique and approved by an OCS counselor, and complete InterviewStream (virtual mock interview).   

Preparation is a key component in receiving a co-op assignment. Take advantage of the many services and resources OCS provides towards your professional development (i.e., resume development, varies workshops, and mock interviews).

Once registered with the Office of Career Services, several options are available to start the process of searching for a co-op. 

  1. Attend career fairs.
  2. Search and sign up online for On-campus Interviews using Handshake.
  3. Search and apply for positions listed in Handshake.
  4. Receive emails first from OCS of available positions in your area of discipline.
  5. Approved resumes are referred to employers looking to fill a co-op position.

The Cooperative Education Program is designed to help students find the best opportunities. However, it is up to the student to ensure success by utilizing a variety of career resources offered through the Office of Career Services (i.e., preparing a resume, attending workshops, participating in mock interviews and researching job opportunities).  There are no guarantees that students will secure a co-op assignment. Some of the barriers to obtaining a co-op position include inflexibility regarding the geographic location in which students are willing to work, the term in which to begin working and having a GPA that is lower than what employers typically desire.

After accepting a co-op assignment set an appointment with Shantea Gentry, Assistant Director for Experiential Learning by email at sygentry@ncat.edu with the subject line “Accepted a Co-op".  During this time, the student will go over the co-op packet and the co-op class.  Co-op assignment must be related to the student’s area of study in about 80% of assigned tasks/projects.

Instructions will be given on which co-op class to enroll in.  This class will allow students to stay active and in good standing with the university, and receive a co-op notation on their official transcript.  The university will charge a fee of $300. Payment is due by the first day of class of each semester to the Treasurer’s Office which can be paid online   The co-op course is a zero credit course, which students will receive a pass or fail notation.