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Employer's Guide to Graduate Co-opThe Graduate Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) is an academically based partnership between the Case School of Engineering and sponsoring organizations in which engineering graduate students apply their technical knowledge and research skills in positions and projects at the organizations. While on co-op assignment, graduate students apply and learn new scientific, engineering, and business approaches while assisting the sponsoring organization to achieve a short-term objective. Organizations benefit by having highly qualified graduate students provide assistance with their technical and/or business operations. Utilizing co-op students has proven to be a very effective means in meeting industry demands, while providing the opportunity to preview the future workforce. The Graduate Co-op Program requires the teaming of the University, students, and Co-op sponsors to enhance the student's educational experiences. Also, the Co-op Program is an excellent avenue for academia and industry to partner in various projects and research. The Graduate Co-op Program is offered by the Case School of Engineering and is administered through the Office of Curricular Enhancements & External Assessment (OCEEA). The Co-op ProcessInterested organizations may initiate the process by identifying technical projects appropriate for a graduate student. The assignments are intended to be of seven-month duration and include a summer and contiguous academic semesters. Typical co-op assignments are from January-mid-August (spring/summer semesters) or mid-May-December (summer/fall semesters). The co-op assignments are expected to be full-time, paid positions. Students may extend their Co-op assignment or have multiple Co-op experiences upon approval from their departmental faculty advisor. The project descriptions will be reviewed by the Assistant Dean in the OCEEA along with faculty in the departments from which students are being requested. Upon review of the project and its acceptability, the faculty and Assistant Dean will begin to identify qualified students for the Co-op position. Student resumes will be forwarded to the organization for review and potential interviews of the candidates may be scheduled. Once a student has been identified and selected for the Co-op assignment, the technical representative from the organization, the faculty advisor, student, and Assistant Dean of the OCEEA will meet to discuss the specifics of the project. When all of the details of the project are determined and coordinated, the student begins the co-op assignment. Co-op TracksThe Graduate Co-op Program contains two tracks:
Track 1: Co-op for experiential benefits
Track 2: Co-op integrated with the thesis or project EligibilityEMPLOYERS: Employers with a strong commitment to academics and a desire to enhance the student's educational curriculum are essential to the success of the Graduate Co-op Program. The projects must be related to the students major field of study, provide a challenge, and progress in responsibility. The Graduate Co-op Program enables organizations to identify their future workforce, reach desired business goals, and team with University faculty for joint projects and partnerships. STUDENTS: To be eligible for the Graduate Co-op Program, students must meet the following requirements:
SalaryThe Graduate Co-op experiences are expected to be salary bearing. Although the exact details of the salary are negotiated between the sponsoring organization and the student, it is anticipated that a typical salary will be about 2/3 of the salary that the sponsor would offer to a new employee hired with an advanced degree. Participating Degree ProgramsAerospace Engineering Faculty ParticipationThe Graduate Co-op Program requires strong participation with the faculty. The faculty will review potential project descriptions to determine quality and assist in identifying graduate students for the positions. The faculty advisor will meet with the technical advisor from the organization once a student has been identified for hire to determine the specific aspects of the co-op project. EvaluationSupervisors of the Graduate Co-op students will be expected to complete both mid-term and final performance reviews on the student. The OCEEA will forward the evaluation forms, however, employers may elect to use an internal performance review form which is acceptable. The Assistant Dean of the OCEEA and the student's faculty advisor will maintain regular discussions with the student while on co-op assignment. Students are also required to complete both a mid-term and final report detailing their co-op project and experience. Upon return from the Co-op assignment, the student will meet with the departmental faculty advisor and Assistant Dean of the OCEEA to discuss their experiences. Contact InformationThe Office of Curricular Enhancements and External Assessment looks forward to working with you in designing an academically related experience for your specific program of study.
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