University Co-op / Internship Office

The Cooperative Education Program helps students locate work related to their areas of interest as part of their educational program, linking classroom concepts and practical experience.  In 2006-2007, CBA undergraduate students earned over $1.32 million in 329 co-op and internship assignments that are sponsored by BGSU. In addition to providing a source of income for students, co-ops and internships help students and their employers in several ways:

Obtain an edge in the job market.
Many co-op students receive job offers upon graduation from their co-op employer. In general, co-op students receive more job offers than others, often at higher salaries.

Many employers, such as

Owens-Corning

Mead Corporation

AlliedSignal

NCR

Nationwide Insurance

J.C. Penney

Cooper Tire and Rubber and

IBM

as well as many federal agencies, use their co-op program as the dominant source of hiring graduating seniors. Over 90 percent of BGSU's co-op employers say that they would hire the student as a permanent full-time employee after graduation if they had the opportunity.

Gain valuable on-the-job experience.
A co-op or internship is an opportunity to contribute to the education and development of a student and future professional.

"Recruiting through the Co-op Program has been beneficial for Key Services because our internships and co-ops are viewed as educational experience, not summer jobs. The assignments will provide students with opportunities to learn and increase the knowledge they can then apply to their courses." ~ Louanne Vyhnalek of Key Services Corporation

Stimulate learning and personal development of students.
Co-op and internship experiences facilitate transitions from the academic environment to the work world and help students learn about career opportunities and particular jobs and career paths. CBA students rate their co-op experience high on opportunity for learning and realization of their own strengths and weaknesses.

"Given the opportunity to work independently on projects as well as a part of team, allowed me to gain an in-depth understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses. Over the weeks of learning new things, I could identify my progress as a whole." ~ CBA Student

Facilitate Success in Degree Programs and Careers.
Studies have revealed that some co-op students improve their grades substantially compared to other students and that participating in a co-op increases the likelihood that a student will graduate from college. Employers strongly encourage students to complete their college degrees.

Former co-op students are also more productive when they start working after graduation. For example, Mead Corporation found that in the first three months of permanent employment, former co-op students were 42% more productive and required 19% less supervision than did non co-op students, and during the first two years of employment were 74% more cost effective.

Enhance Performance and Cost Effectiveness for Employers.
Over 99% of BGSU's co-op employers reported that their co-op students met or exceeded the employers' performance requirements.  Co-op students are a cost-effective method of completing extra work projects and help employers meet fluctuating work loads.

"A co-op is a way of getting special projects done at a low cost while students gain real experience. Sounds like a win-win situation for the student and employer!"  ~ John Harbal, President of Impact Products