About Cooperative Education

Co-op Eligibility

Enrollment Requirements

To be eligible for co-op, the student must be a full-time student, making academic progress (see below), in a cooperative education concentration. The student must also accumulate a total of 24 credits over the two (2) terms prior to their scheduled co-op terms*.

*Freshmen assigned to the fall/winter co-op cycle of their sophomore year are the exception since they are on vacation the summer term just prior to their first co-op cycle.

Coursework - Co-op 101 Requirement

The Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC) offers a mandatory class for all co-op students which provides the tools necessary to participate and succeed in Drexel University’s Co-operative Education Program.

This class is designed to enhance resume-building skills, interviewing techniques, independent job-search strategies and methods in navigating the web-based system, SCDConline.
All students must satisfactorily pass this required course before they can participate in any part of the co-op process. Please see Co-op 101 policies for further information.

Academic Progress

Although a student may register for full-time credits each term, he/she must also pass the majority of his/her classes to maintain academic progress. As outlined below, every student must satisfactorily complete a specific amount of credits each term to move up in classification by the end of each academic year.

If a student does not enroll in enough courses or failed courses, he/she is in jeopardy of not making academic progress and not being eligible for co-op. The SCDC will require a student to bring a new academic plan to our office, outlining when he/she would make up the classes he/she failed/withdrew from so that a new co-op cycle can be projected.

Pre-Registration Session

The final step to be eligible for the co-op job search process is to attend a pre-registration session. During this meeting, students' eligibility and resumes will be reviewed. Once eligibility has been confirmed, coordinators will allow students to search for co-op jobs. Pre-registration sessions are held two terms prior to co-op, primarily during the months of October and April. Call the SCDC at (215) 895-2185 to schedule your pre-registration session.

Work Authorization for International Students

Students with F1 and J1 visas – Students with these visas must obtain proper work authorization BEFORE each co-op position/assignment. Students with other visas (not F1 or J1) – Eligibility to work needs to be established by ISSS (International Students and Scholars Services) prior to being assigned a co-op cycle. Students with an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) – EAD needs to be current and a copy presented to co-op coordinator. Resident Aliens (green card holders) – There are no special requirements for students with this immigration status.