Co-op & Internship

• To apply for the Cooperative Education Program: Log into your Handshake account. Click on Career Center. Click on Surveys. Complete the Cooperative Education (Co-op) Application Form.
• Below you will find information to help you through the co-op process. Email cds@njit.edu if you have questions regarding the process.
• If your Co-op application has been approved, please review these instructions.  Find your co-op_faculty advisor here.

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 aligned with your major 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:

Benefits of Cooperative Education

Cooperative Education provides many unique opportunities. You can:

• Determine if the current major is a good match for your interests, skills, and values
• Test different work environments and management styles within a major
• Make the connection between academics learned in the classroom and its application in the workplace
• Earn academic credit relevant to your major course of study
• Help defray the costs of personal or educational expenses by earning a good salary
• Gain exposure to cutting edge technology and research in addition to what is available at NJIT
• Develop professional and communication skills in a real-world environment
• Begin a network of professional contacts among colleagues and supervisors
• Improve interviewing skills for future positions by becoming familiar with an employer’s expectations
• Increase the likelihood of future full-time employment with your current co-op employer
• Position yourself for a higher starting salary or more advanced position as a full-time employee as a result of your work experience
• Meet employers’ expectations that prospective employees obtained professional work experience while a student

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 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. Some internships may be eligible for conversion to co-op status. Please check with your career advisor to explore this option.

Overview of Co-op Eligibility

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.

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.

• Co-op Eligibility
  For U.S. Citizens and Permanent Resident
   
• Undergraduate Students
  Undergraduate students can apply for co-op as early as freshman or sophomore year, depending on major department requirements. In the undergraduate option, a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.2 or above is required and you must be in good academic standing. Individual departments or colleges may have a higher GPA standard and may also have major-specific requirements for co-op eligibility. Check with your academic department before beginning the co-op process.
   
• Master's Students
  To participate in the Co-op Program graduate students must have completed at least one semester of graduate study at NJIT with a cumulative and semester GPA of 3.0 or above, be in good academic standing, and making satisfactory progress toward the degree. Within the 3.0 or above cumulative GPA, at least two major courses must have grades of “B” or better, not counting bridge courses. Master's students should review the specific requirements for their respective departments. For a detailed description of co-op policy, please review the
  Graduate Cooperative Education Summary of Policy.

• Ph.D. Students
  Doctoral candidates must have approval to participate in co-op from their academic advisor, dissertation advisor, and the Office of Graduate Studies in addition to meeting the criteria for master's students. Please complete the appropriate section for doctoral candidates in Handshake.
   
• Transfer Students
  Students transferring to NJIT from another institution must complete at least one semester at NJIT to be eligible to apply for the co-op program. Acceptance into the co-op program is dependent on meeting eligibility requirements.
   
• Co-op Eligibility and Requirements for  International Students
  Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorization is required for F1 students interested in co-op..  All off-campus employment must be approved through co-op and for CPT.  For details on co-op eligibility for international students, review the requirements for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) set by the Office of Global Initiatives.  

Participating in Co-op for All Students

Complete the co-op application Handshake. Please be sure to read the statement of co-op policies. By submitting the co-op application, you agree that you have read and understand 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.

• After review of your application and transcript by a Career Advisor to determine eligibility, you will receive an email within 3-5 business days outlining the next steps in the process.  
• Make an appointment through Handshake to meet with your Career Advisor to discuss co-op job preparation.
• If you have a co-op job offer, enter an Experience in Handshake.
• If you have not received a response to the Experience you submitted within two weeks, please contact Career Development Services at 973.596.3100 or your career advisor.

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.

• January through May
• January through August
• May through August 
• June, July, or August through December

​​Co-op Work Cycles for Engineering Students
Course Requirements
All placed co-op students are required to: Meet with their designated career advisor.

• Complete and submit a Co-op Handshake Experience that is approved by your faculty co-op advisor, your supervisor, a career advisor, and the Office of Global Initiatives for F1 students.   
• Contact your faculty co-op advisor to arrange a site visit or phone interview to discuss your work progress.
• Meet with other co-op students and give a brief oral presentation of your work experience. Specific requirements for the presentation will be given to you by the faculty co-op advisor. Click here for course requirements and written paper format for additive (doc, pdf) or for degree credit (doc, pdf). Please submit two copies of your report: one for your department and one for CDS through your Handshake experience. Check with your faculty co-op advisor for any additional assignments.

University Co-op Policies and Guidelines

Placement

You may secure a co-op position through Career Development Services. All co-op positions are posted on Handshake. 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:  Offer letters must be on company letterhead and contain:

• The Company name and work location address
• Your job title and a two-to-three sentence job description that confirms that the position is related to your major
• Name of supervisor and contact information
• Exact start and end dates of your work assignment
• Exact number of hours per week you will work
• Salary by the hour, week, or month

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.  If your co-op registration will change your status from full-time to part-time, please speak with your career advisor about full-time certification.

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. International students are required to work within a three hour car ride from NJIT during the Fall and Spring semesters.  They can relocate during the summer in the US.  Remote positions are allowed for co-op as well.

Academic Credits
After successfully completing each co-op course, you will receive additive or degree credits depending on your department's co-op policies. 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.

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
Undergraduate students - US/Permanent Residents:  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.
Undergraduate students - F1 Visa international Students: If you are participating in a full-time or part-time co-op position, you are required to register for twelve (12) credits during your co-op.

Graduate students - F1 Visa International Students: If you are participating in a full-time co-op position, you need to register for the co-op course plus 1 three (3) credit face to face course to be full-time.  If you are registered for less than 9 credits, you will need to complete a full-time certification form.  Graduate students completing a part-time placement, will be considered full-time student with nine (9) 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. Graduate students can register for a maximum of twelve (12) credits including the co-op course.

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. Please note: International students on a F1 visa cannot use co-op to delay or postpone their graduation date.  Students must complete their degree requirements by the date listed on their I20.  

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

• Check the What's Happening in CDS Calendar for other Career Development Services events.
• Utilize online resources on the CDS website to help you prepare for the job search process.
• Review Co-op Job Postings in Handshake for new additions.
• Keep in touch with your Career Advisor.
• Register for the NJIT Career Fair and attend.