Getting Started

The first step is to define the term “Engineering Co-op”.

For UK Engineering:

• “Co-op” is a formal, alternating semester program, requiring special co-op registration procedures for the student participants. This is the traditional, academic co-op model in which participants usually hire students to work for a total of three, full-time semesters (about four months each) alternated with semesters of study on campus. Many employers hire a pair of students who alternate with one another and are able to cover a full-time position over a period of two years.
• Summer jobs require no formal working agreement with UK. We are happy to post listings directly to all students via our email list for each engineering major.*
• Part-time positions require no formal working agreement with UK. We are happy to post listings directly to all students via our email list for each engineering major.*

* If students wish to seek pass/fail academic credit for summer or part-time work, they may request paperwork from the internship program provided by the Stuckert Career Center. This credit may not take the place of required courses; it is additive credit only.

The next step is to contact one of the co-op staff in order to discuss your particular needs.

Ilka Balk (859)257-4178

Marsha Phillips (859) 257-8863

Our program is set up to “fit” the desired format of many corporations in Kentucky and across the country that use co-op as a major recruiting tool. Special arrangements or needs are always an option. One-third of UK’s eligible engineering and computer science students usually elect to participate in co-op. The company size is not important; the work assignments must, however, compliment academic programs and must increase in challenge and responsibility as students progress through work semesters. Please review the calendars, Co-op Agreement, and sample student rotations for further information.

http://ceed.asee.org/ is the website for the national Cooperative Education Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.