Internships and co-ops for academic credit and student academic considerations vary and are determined by the student’s academic department and other academic policies. The career center can recommend clarifying language in employer postings so the student understands the time commitment.
An internship is generally defined as one full-time or part-time work experience over one summer OR one part-time work experience over one regular semester (fall/spring). An internship might be for academic credit or not for academic credit. An internship might be paid OR unpaid if it meets FLSA definitions. Students can earn pay from the employer AND academic credit from ASU if their academic program offers internship course credit.
A cooperative educational experience (co-op) is generally a longer full-time work experience, including a fall and/or spring semester in addition to summer. Due to the full-time nature of the work students generally do not attend classes during a co-op. A co-op might be for academic credit or not for academic credit. Most engineering programs do not allow students to take a full-time co-op as their only academic class during fall or spring semester. A co-op is almost always paid. Students can earn pay from the employer AND academic credit from ASU if their academic program offers co-op/internship credit.
If you are looking to hire for a cooperative education position (6-9 months in length and full-time):
Post the role in Handshake for students to apply. Be clear about start/end dates, # hrs/week, and shifts.
The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering does not currently have a formal cooperative education class. Some things to consider:
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- Some students may not apply if they cannot delay their graduation date
- Some students may not apply if they are on financial aid
- Some students may not apply if they live in campus housing
- Some students may not apply if they are an international student and full-time student status may affect their student visa status
- Some students may not apply if they are a US Veteran and using veteran benefits
- Some students may not apply if they are student-athletes and on an athletic scholarship
If you are looking to hire any of the students mentioned above, a full time summer internship and/or a part-time spring or fall internship may be better options.
For more information on how to create a Handshake Employer user account to post opportunities, please click Here!