1. Students must attend an Introduction to Cooperative Education & Internship workshop before applying for a co-op or internship.

2. Students must be in good academic standing (2.5+ for Undergraduate Students and 3.0+ for Graduate Students), and remain in good academic standing, in order to participate in the co-op program. Co-op is an academic program designed to facilitate understanding of theoretical material through applied work experience. Therefore, the co-op assignment should complement learning and boost academic success. This is measured in part by the student's academic achievement remaining high.

3. Students must have an NACElink account with the CMC, and must ensure that their profile remains current, and that an up-to-date resume is posted at all times. In addition, students must select "Co-op/Internship/Part-Time" as their Applicant Type in their registration data. Students not registered in NACElink will be unable to participate in co-op.

4. Students must agree to a multi-work-term commitment with one company. The minimum requirement is three (3) full-time work terms for undergraduates, or two (2) full-time work terms for graduate students. (For the purposes of completing this minimum, two part-time work terms are counted as one full-time term.) By committing to multiple work terms with a single company, students (and the university) are better able to track development of skills over time, because the employer establishes new and more challenging learning objectives each work term, and evaluates the student on his/her continued performance toward those objectives. Each work term, therefore, the employer is helping the student gain greater expertise in his/her field of study.

5. Co-op is an academic program and follows regular university cycles - this means work terms must coincide with university semesters. Students may not begin co-op work assignments past the latest work start date. Check with the CMC for specific deadlines determining the earliest and latest start dates for any given work term, or go to Key Deadlines.

6. Students must register for a co-op course for each term they work as a co-op - this course, which carries no academic credits, documents each work term as a formal part of a student's academic program. IIT grants full-time student status to co-op students who are working full time (over 20 hours/week), or who are working part-time (up to 20 hours a week) and taking a half load of regular course-work. Students must register for this co-op course by the deadline for regular course registration.

7. Students must develop a Co-operative Education Plan approved by their faculty advisor, their work-site supervisor, and their CMC advisor. On this plan, students map out what courses they have already taken and will take during specific semesters (subject to change, as are university course offerings themselves), what terms they will be working, and whether that work will be full- or part-time. This Plan must be fully filled out - that is, showing all course-work, both completed and anticipated, and all work terms - before it is signed by the student, faculty advisor and work-site supervisor. This plan must be submitted along with the other necessary co-op forms signed by the student and their employer, before the student's co-op's position will be recognized by IIT. Visit Forms for all of the necessary paperwork.

8. Paperwork: Five forms must be fully filled out and completed before a student may enter the co-op program - the Student Agreement, the Employer Agreement, the Employer Information Form, the Student Co-operative Education Plan, and the Faculty Advisor's Review of Job Description. See Forms for details. In addition, a student must submit a copy of the letter the student received extending an offer of employment, and a copy of a job description. A job title is not sufficient; the job description must detail what tasks and assignments will be expected. (After entering the co-op program, Work Term Evaluations are also required; see #9.)

9. Co-op work terms must cycle through the academic year; they may not occur only over summer semesters. One of the goals of requiring multiple work terms from co-op program participants is to provide students with the opportunity to work at a company through different cycles and seasonal fluctuations, thus allowing them a more realistic and well-rounded view of day-to-day work changes and variations at the company.

10. A Work Term Evaluation form must be submitted to the CMC at the completion of EACH co-op work term even if you are not renewing. This four-page form can be downloaded here, along with all other co-op forms. The Evaluation is completed in two parts by the student and his/her supervisor. The first two pages, which establish the student's work and learning objectives for that term, should be completed by the student's supervisor, with student input, during the first weeks of the work assignment. The last two pages are completed, and signed by the student and supervisor, at the end of the work term. NO online co-op renewal forms will be accepted without an original, signed Work Term Evaluation.

11. Students must be enrolled in at least one full-semester course during their last semester at IIT completing their degree program. Students also may work at a co-op job during this time - either full- or part-time - however, they cannot have their final semester at IIT consist solely of a work assignment. The academic course in which a student is enrolled must meet for the full semester; short courses will not fulfill this requirement.

12. Students are expected to maintain contact with both their CMC and academic advisors throughout their participation in the co-op program. Any changes in employment, problems or questions should be directed to the student's CMC advisor as soon as they arise. In this unique learning program, students are equal partners with the university and their employers. Only through open communication can the CMC act as an ally to both the student and the employer to ensure success, learning and growth at the work assignment.

13. All co-op forms submitted to the CMC - those required for initial entry into the co-op program and subsequent Work Term Evaluations - must be originals, and contain original signatures. Faxes and copies will not be accepted.