University of Kentucky - College of Engineering - Future Students

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 and Agricultural, Chemical and Materials, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Mechanical, Mining Engineering and Computer Science.

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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.

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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, Jacobs Engineering, Marathon Petroleum and NASA. "In state" employers such as Lexmark, Trane, LinkBelt, Messer Construction, CMTA , Turner Construction, Alltech, CMWA, Progeny, L3, CMTA and many more participate.

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, 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

If you are a high school student please visit engineering-rocks.uky.edu

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Contact Us