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Commonly Asked Questions about Cooperative Education
What is Cooperative Education? Cooperative Education (Co-op) is a formal course which allows students to gain real world work experience in their chosen career field and be graded.
Does the student receive a grade? Yes. Cooperative Education students receive a satisfactory or unsatisfactory grade. The Career Center staff awards the final grade based on the skills development and learning outcomes of the experience and the employer’s final evaluation of work performance.
Since the student is required to register for the Co-op Class, will the student receive credit? While the student is required to register for the Co-op course, there is no credit awarded. There is no tuition for the Co-op course as long as the student is enrolled in at least one other credit course at USF. If the student is not enrolled in a course for credit the student pays for 1 credit hour to take the Co-op course. This maintains the student’s status of continual enrollment.
What students are eligible to participate in Co-op? Any undergraduate or graduate student may participate as long as they meet the following criteria: Undergraduates must have earned 45 academic credit hours and have a minimum 2.5 Grade Point Average. Graduate students must have a minimum of 3.0 Grade Point Average. All undergraduate students must have a declared major and all graduate students must be accepted by a graduate department. In addition, students must be registered in Career Connections and have a resume uploaded.
Can international students participate in Cooperative Education? Yes. Co-op is considered co-curricular training. All international students that are eligible must be granted clearance by the International Student & Scholars Services Office before the can begin their Co-op training.
What are my organization's responsibilities to a student? Your organization is responsible for interviewing, hiring, providing on-the-job training, supervising daily work performance and providing a final evaluation of the student’s work performance and skills development.
Why do students participate in the Co-op program? Students participate to obtain real world experience in their career field, develop skill sets they will use in their future career, learn from professionals, as well as increase their knowledge and understanding of the work culture and their chosen career.
What are benefits of hiring a Cooperative Education student? There are numerous benefits to hiring a Cooperative Education student. Hiring a student provides your organization a) direct access to talented, motivated candidates who are potential full-time employees; b) a cost-effective way to meet human resource needs, without requirement of expensive benefits; c) the opportunity to assign routine daily tasks to students so full-time, experienced staff can work on special projects; d) inclusion of new ideas and enthusiastic paraprofessionals.
How many semesters does the Cooperative Education student commit to be in the program? The minimum commitment is for one semester, either working full-time (35-40 hours a week) or part-time (15-25 hours a week). However, the employer and student may continue the Co-op experience for additional semesters, if agreeable to both parties and approved by the Career Center.
Do I have a commitment to hire the Co-op student when he or she graduates? Hiring a Cooperative Education student for full-time, permanent employment when their Cooperative Education training is completed, is not a commitment. However, you can certainly offer full-time employment to a student when they complete their degree program. About 50% of the Co-op students are employed by their training employer upon graduation.
How can my organization participate in co-op? Contact Sandy Pelletier, Staff Assistant for the Cooperative Education Program by e-mail spelleti@admin.usf.edu or phone 974-9737 to begin the process of becoming a Co-op Employer.
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