Cooperative Education

Welcome to the homepage for the Engineering Cooperative Education Program at the University of Kentucky.

This program is the traditional, engineering academic option for undergraduates and serves all seven Departments in the UK College of Engineering: Biosystems, Chemical and Materials, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Mechanical, Mining Engineering and Computer Science. Our students work full time for a minimum of three semesters, which alternate with full time academic work.

Lou Takacs Co-op of the Year Awardees Honored at Tau Beta Pi Banquet

In April of 2012, the College of Engineering honored it’s outstanding students, teachers and staff.  Part of this annual award ceremony is the Co-operative Education Office’s Lou Takacs Co-op of the Year Award.  This award is named for former Dow executive and co-op office employee Lou Takacs, whose family has funded the annual award.

In 2012, the awards were shared among two outstanding students:

Cody Manning is a 2012 graduate in Mechanical Engineering, who co-oped with GE Aviation in Madisonville and Cincinnati. Cody has also accepted employment with his co-op employer starting this summer.From L to R: Co-op Director Ilka Balk, Cody Manning, Cody’s girlfriend Carolyn Weiter, and his parents Connie and Gary Manning

Andrea Ramsey is a 2012 graduate of Chemical Engineering. She co-oped three terms with Eastman Chemicals in Kingsport, TN, where she has also accepted permanent employment.

Dan Parker with Trane/Ingersoll Rand wins National Employer of the Year Award

Every year, the Cooperative and Experiential Education Division (CEED) of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) selects one employer of the year. The employer who is chosen embodies the principles of experiential education, and is nominated by a member college or university.

In 2011/12, the awardee is Dan Parker of Trane right here in Lexington. He was nominated by the UK Co-op office. In our nomination, we praised Dan and his employer, Trane, a company of Ingersoll Rand, saying that “Dan has not only ensured that students receive a co-operative education at Trane, but he has mentored and guided countless engineering students at events such as ‘Resumania’, ‘mock interview days’ and career fairs.  Dan is always willing to lend a hand when the university asks employers to help our students with ‘real life’ advice and guidance.  He has also given us advice on our teaching of professional development to students, and  is always willing to help the co-op office in any way we may need the support.”

Thank you, Dan and Trane, for being an outstanding partner and mentor to the UK Co-op office and UK engineering students!

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide students with at least 12 months of work experience while they continue to make progress towards an academic degree in engineering. The co-op program integrates theory learned in the classroom with its practical application in industry.

We also strive to provide industry with the students needed to maintain a skilled and well educated workforce for future years. Our employers get a chance to mentor a student, introduce him or her to their business, and possibly hire him or her after graduation.

Through co-operative education, we help students obtain transferable skills, such as communication, leadership, presentation, teamwork and social skills. Students get a glimpse of “real life” as an engineer.”

Our assessment tools provide the college with necessary tools and data for accreditation.

Participation and Outcomes

Roughly one-third of UK ‘s eligible engineering and computer science students elect to participate in co-op. Many employers located across the nation are consistent co-op partners – such as the National Security Agency, GE, Eastman Chemical Company, Duke Energy, Marathon Petroleum, BMW, and NASA. “In state” employers such as Ashland,  Lexmark, Trane, LinkBelt, Messer Construction, CMTA, Turner Construction, Alltech, CMWA, Progeny, Toyota, the Center for Applied Energy Research, Altec Industries, LG&E and KU, Ceradyne, Parker Seals, and many more participate.

About thirty percent of our co-op work outside of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The company size is not important; the work assignments must, however, complement academic programs. Most Co-op employers request students to work for a total of three, full-time semesters (about four months each) alternating with semesters of study on campus. Typically, 90 percent of UK’s co-op graduates have received job offers before receiving their diplomas. Their starting salaries are consistently in the 75th percentile of starting salaries being reported nationwide by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Fifteen percent of UK co-op graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees, securing fellowships and assistantships from such schools as UK, Purdue, GA Tech, MIT, Duke, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins, University of Florida, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Tech, Carnegie Mellon, and UC Berkeley.

If you are an employer please see For Employers

If you are a UK student please see For Students

Contact Us

Marsha Phillips
287 Ralph G Anderson Bldg.
Phone: (859) 257-8863

Fax: (859) 323-4922