Recruiter’s Toolbox: Co-op

The cooperative education program at WPI provides long-term opportunities (4–8 months) for students to work full-time in an employer’s environment. Co-op jobs help students increase their awareness of the day-to-day operations of industry and gain exposure to professional standards and the methods used to accomplish business objectives. Several recent changes have made WPI’s co-ops more accessible to our students. An overview of the program and its updated guidelines is below:

WPI defines a co-op as a long-term (four to eight months) internship in which students hold paid, full-time roles at external entities. While students are completing their co-ops, their academic statuses are put on hold, but they must return as full-time students at the conclusion of their experiences. Traditional co-ops target first-year, sophomore, and junior students looking to work in positions related to their majors. The time frame tends to include the summer plus one or two academic-year terms—the most convenient time being January through August.

For WPI, summer internships target first-year, sophomore, and junior students looking to work at companies for two to four months, generally between May and August. Additionally, some seniors and graduate students pursue internships and co-ops independent of the university. Hiring for co-op and internship positions is a great way to grow your talent pipeline for full-time hires. Your company is welcome to post co-op opportunities on our online job board, Job Finder. Average co-op earnings fall between $20,000 and $25,000. More detailed salary information can be found here. Learn more about the WPI Career Development Center and our Job Finder system.