CSE Co-op Program Requirements

  • The student must work under the supervision of a qualified engineer who can provide effective professional and technical guidance.
  • The student must work for two semesters. Ideally, these will be consecutive semesters (summer/fall or spring/summer).  If your program is structured to have alternating work semesters, you must ensure that the structure works for the student.
    • Students may work a third semester of co-op but they will not receive academic credit for the third semester. Please have international students contact the Co-op Program office prior to their start date if you are looking for 3 semesters.
    • Due to logistics of the major, the Biomedical Engineering (BME) major requires that students begin their co-op in the summer and take their second semester in the fall or spring semester. BME students cannot take an out-of-town position because they have an on-campus course that they need to take. Employers hiring BME students must allow the student to leave during the work day to attend this class.
  • The student must work full-time (40 hours per week).
  • Students must log their hours during the semesters in which they are enrolled in the academic courses (see below for semester dates).
  • The position must be related to the student's major.
  • Work assignments must be technical in nature.
  • The student must be paid a competitive wage. For more information about wages, see the hiring co-op students page.
  • Co-op offers must remain open for a duration of two weeks, unless start date is within one month of employment offer. 

Start and End Dates for the Work Semester

Below is a chart of approximate start and end dates for the working semester. The start and end dates are decided by the employer and student. The starting and ending work dates do not need to exactly match the University's semester dates, but they should fall within the below ranges. Official start and end dates of each semester can be found on the University Calendar

General Dates for the Working Semester

 
Working SemesterApproximate Work Start DateApproximate Work End Date
Spring SemesterJanuary 3rd - January 22nd May 3rd- May 10th
Summer SemesterMay 13th- May 31st August 9th-30th
Fall SemesterSeptember 3rd-9thDecember 13th-20th

* All co-ops must be 2 working semesters (January-August, May-December, or September-May)

Student's Work Responsibilities

Co-op students are expected to behave professionally.

  • During the work period, students must observe all the rules and regulations of the employer and not expect special treatment. For instance, University holidays do not apply, and students should not expect to be released for the University's Spring Break.
  • Any misunderstanding that a student might have with an employer should be discussed with Co-op Program staff.
  • Layoffs or enforced absence due to illness or other situations should be reported immediately to the Co-op Program.