Reasons for You to Do Cooperative Education and/or Internships:
- Explore jobs & careers related to your college major
- Get your foot in the door in this competitive job market
- Apply your classroom learning in real-world settings
- Gain confidence & practice on-the-job knowledge and technical skills
- Build your resume with current relevant work experience
- Expand your professional network in your career field
- Expected field experience of students/graduates in current labor market
- Earn academic credit toward certificates & degrees
Co-op Process:
- Must have successfully completed 12 (Business) or 16 (Computing) credits in declared major as pre-requisite to get co-op credit and/or have experience or education equivalency
- Find appropriate work-site that is willing to supervise your cooperative education learning experience
- To find a work-site, sign-up for (not Admin Asst) Google Groups, sign up for Panther Works, use supportive Web Links, and your personal/professional network to discover opportunities
- You can only use a current employer if new job in your intended field or new learning at older job!
- Remember to approach employers professionally & be a positive representative of PCC
- Cooperative Education work experience/learning objectives must be directly related to your major
- Co-op may be paid or un-paid and could be done at current employer site
- If paid, can work between terms, beyond the minimum hours, and employer covers Worker's Compensation Insurance
- If unpaid, cannot work between terms or beyond hours/credit and PCC covers Worker's Compensation Insurance
- Co-op credits are earned at 30 hours of work experience/term = 1 credit (12 credit max/academic year)
- Business Administration: 1-6 credits/term allowed
- Computing: 1- 4 credits/term allowed
- Secure co-op work-site & submit completed & signed Training Agreement
and Learning Objective forms to your Jobs & Internship Specialist - Writing Learning Objectives (accessible forms available)
- Keep Training Agreement & Learning Objectives form copies for yourself & give one to your supervisor!
- Jobs & Internships Specialist will review/sign paperwork & add requested credits CRN, approve work-site, assign Faculty Mentor, get Faculty signature/approval of Training Agreement & Learning Objectives, and enroll you with Registration. You can NOT register for these courses directly!
- Student will be notified when paperwork goes to Registration
- Must pay for credits or have financial payment plan in place within 24 hours of Registration
- Co-op is Open Entry (unless Financial Aid requires registration by end of 1st week of term)
- Co-op Registration stops at the end of the 8th week of each term
- A one-term, 1 credit online concurrent seminar is required with your 1st co-op experience in Business
- Learn from & enjoy your Co-op experience!
- You are required to submit Weekly Reflections and/or Summary Paper to your Faculty Mentor
- At the end of term and/or co-op, Faculty Mentor may conduct short site visit (15-20 minutes) with your employer to review how you did with your Learning Objectives. You will not be at this visit, so the employer can be candid. Your supervisor will also be required to complete an Employer Evaluation which they will either share with you or you can request from Jobs & Internships Specialist.
- Your pass/no pass grade will be determined by all of the above. (NO graded option)
