Cooperative Education and Internship Course

Enrolling in the Cooperative Education Course is something that happens AFTER you have accepted your coop or internship. While finding a coop is your responsibility, the Offices of Career Connections are here to assist you in the search process. The link below is to the Offices of Career Connections’ internship and coop search resources.

Find Coops and Internships

Apply for the cooperative education and internship course

Many researchers have examined the benefits of participating in coops and internships for students. Below are just some of the benefits they have identified.

• Defer student loans until you return as a student
• Receive academic credit in addition to professional experience
• Stay on your parent’s medical insurance (if applicable)
• Become eligible for monetary scholarships and award opportunities
• Ensure a quality experience by creating learning objectives
• Maintain state residency
• Get your experience listed on your academic transcript

Fall 2024

• First Day to Apply for Course: July 8, 2024
• Last Day to Apply for Course: August 23, 2024
• Last Day to Enroll for Course: August 30, 2024
• AR Based Technology Scholarship Application: September 6, 2024
• Student Work Report/Employer Evaluation Emailed: November 25, 2024
• Student Work Report/Employer Evaluation Due: December 5, 2024
• Email Evaluations to Faculty for Grade Assignments: December 9, 2024

Spring 2025

• First day to apply for Coop Course: November 4, 2024
• Last Day to Apply for Course: January 17, 2025
• Last Day to Enroll in Course: January 24, 2025
• AR Based Technology Scholarship Application: January 31, 2025
• Student Work Report/Employer Evaluation Emailed: April 15, 2025
• Student Work Report/Employer Evaluation Due: May 2, 2025
• Email Evaluations to Faculty for Grade Assignments: May 6, 2025

Summer 2025

• First day to apply for Coop Course: April 7, 2025
• Last Day to Apply for Course: May 12, 2025
• Last Day to Enroll in Course: May 19, 2025
• AR Based Technology Scholarship Application: May 26, 2025
• Student Work Report/Employer Evaluation Emailed: July 15, 2025
• Student Work Report/Employer Evaluation Due: August 1, 2025
• Email Evaluations to Faculty for Grade Assignments: August 5, 2025

Where do I go to learn more about co-ops?

Please contact Caleb Hatz, Engineering Career Connections Coordinator, at chatz@uark.edu, 479-575-2422, or schedule an appointment if you have any questions or concerns.

Can I participate in the Cooperative Education Course more than once?

Absolutely! However, you may not take the full-time course (GNEG 38101 or GNEG 58101) back-to-back fall/spring or spring/fall. Though you can take it summer/fall or spring/summer.

Will I still be considered a full-time student while I participate in the Cooperative Education Course?

If you are eligible for and choose to enroll in the course, you will be considered a full-time student in the eyes of the university. However, this does NOT apply to scholarships, financial aid, or international students.

What tuition and fees can I expect to pay if I enroll in the Cooperative Education Course?

There is a $25 course fee in lieu of tuition. This money is used to fund student professional development opportunities in the College of Engineering.

How will I obtain a coop or internship placement?

Obtaining a coop or internship is the responsibility of the student. To assist in this process, we have put together a list of resources to look for internships. You can access this list here. For additional help, please feel free to schedule an appointment with your career coach.

Is participating in the Cooperative Education Course required?

No, but it is strongly encouraged. Students who participate in a co-op are significantly more likely to have full-time work at graduation or to be accepted into graduate school. They also tend to have higher starting salaries.

Does the internship/co-op have to be a paid position to receive academic credit?

Yes. The internship/co-op must be a paid position to receive academic credit.

Can international students participate in the Cooperative Education Course?

Absolutely! As part of your student visa, you can take advantage of Curricular Practical Training (CPT). This means that you are eligible to take part in coop and internship opportunities as long as they are for academic credit and are approved by your institution.

How will coop or internship participation affect my financial aid?

Your financial aid will need to be deferred if you are participating in the full-time Cooperative Education Course (GNEG 38101 or 58101). To do this, follow these recommended steps:

1. Create a comprehensive list of your scholarships and loans, including contact information for each agency.
2. Call each agency and inform them of your coop or internship and your need to defer your financial aid for the semester. Inquire about any consequences of this deferment.
3. Meet with the Office of Financial Aid to confirm that you have contacted all necessary agencies and that nothing else needs to be done for your financial aid.

•  GPA 2.0 
• 10-25 hours of work per week
• International students on an F-1 visa: Please know that because of federal requirements, ISS will also require that:
  • Must have completed at least 30 weeks of study in the USA
  • Must be enrolled full-time (12 hours; spring and fall terms only per immigration status)  

•  GPA 2.0 
• 40 hours of work per week
• International students on an F-1 visa: Please know that because of federal requirements, ISS will also require that:
  • Must have completed at least 30 weeks of study in the USA
  • Must be enrolled full-time (12 hours; spring and fall terms only per immigration status)  

• GPA 3.0
• 10-20 hours of work per week 
• Can keep Assistantship, must have Major Advisor Approval 
• Completed 6 hours towards current degree 
• Remain a full time-student 
• A combination of GNEG 50801 (graduate part time) and/or GNEG 50811 (graduate full time) is limited to a total of 3 credit hours.   
• MSOM Students must have completed OMGT 5003 Introduction to Operations Management, OMGT 5123 or OMGT 5463, and OMGT 5783.
• International students on an F-1 visa: Please know that because of federal requirements, ISS will also require that:
  • Must have completed at least 30 weeks of study in the USA   
  • Must be enrolled full-time

During your co-op, you will be concentrating on transitioning into the workforce and learning how to apply your current and new engineering skills to projects. While you do this, we expect you to follow Student Role Agreement that you agreed to in your initial course application. The Student Role Agreement is listed below for your convenience.

• Complete the co-op as outlined by your employer and yourself.
• Conform to the company’s policies and rules completely.
• Meet course enrollment requirements of the College of Engineering and/or Immigration Regulations.
• Remain working with your employer in the event of a suspension or withdrawal from the College of Engineering (unless employer withdraws position).
• Complete all of your homework assignments associated with your coop experience by their deadlines unless an extension has been granted.
• Perform all work in an ethical manner, including being productive during the work day, asking questions as needed, and alerting supervisors to safety concerns.
• Complete additional tasks as assigned by your faculty co-op advisor or the Co-op Coordinator.
• Speak with financial aid regarding your individual financial aid package and how your co-op would affect your financial aid disbursement.
• Accept or decline a company’s offer within the time frame requested.
• Notify your faculty co-op advisor or the Co-op Coordinator if problems arise with your co-op experience.

All engineering departments offer academic credit for qualifying internships and coops at the undergraduate level, although the type of credit offered can differ. Some departments allow their students to receive the Technical Elective (three-hour, upper-level engineering elective) for their co-op experience. Other departments do not. All departments award the Additive Elective (one-hour, general engineering elective). Below is a chart that will inform you whether your department offers internship credit.

Department	Additive Elective Credit	Technical Elective Credit	Conversion Info
Biological Engineering	Yes	No	N/A
Biomedical Engineering	Yes	No	N/A
Chemical Engineering	Yes	Yes	Each term of GNEG 38101 or GNEG 38001 counts as 1 technical elective credit up to a total of 3 hours technical elective credit.
Civil Engineering	Yes	Yes	Requires 3 terms of GNEG 38101 to count as 3-hour STEM elective credit.
Computer Science/Computer Engineering	Yes	Yes	Requires 3 terms of GNEG 38101 to count as 3-hour technical elective credit
Data Science	Yes	No	N/A
Electrical Engineering	Yes	Yes	Each term of GNEG 38101 counts as 1 technical elective credit
Industrial Engineering	Yes	Yes	Requires 3 terms of GNEG 38101 to count as a 3-hour technical elective credit
Mechanical Engineering	Yes	Yes	Requires 3 terms of GNEG 38101 or GNEG 38001 to count as 3-hour technical elective credit (only allowed once)

 

Towards the end of your coop or internship, you will receive an email from Kelsey Lavigne asking you to complete your Student Work Report, a reflection on your experience. Additionally, your employer will receive the Employer Evaluation, their reflection on your experience. We pull these two reports together and email them to your Faculty Coop Advisor to assign your grade. If either your Student Work Report or Employer Evaluation are missing, you will receive an incomplete until the report is submitted. All departments, except for Electrical Engineering, use a CR/F (Credit or Fail) for grading instead of A-F scale for this course. Electrical Engineering students who are seeking technical elective credit will also be required to submit a report to their Coop Faculty Advisor. If you have any questions about this report, you should contact Dale R. Thompson.

Arkansas-Based Technology Scholarship

This $1500 scholarship is awarded each term to students that intern at a tech company based in Arkansas. Eligible students must submit an application by the deadline date along with an essay and an updated resume. Additionally, students must have a minimum 2.7 GPA, must be a Junior or Senior, and must be working approximately 20 hours per week. All applicants are reviewed by the ABT Scholarship Committee. Submitting the application is NOT a guarantee you will be awarded the scholarship. This scholarship may be received a maximum of two times.

Porter Stone Award

The $2,000 Porter Stone Scholarship Award is awarded each May to a student(s) who has participated in the Cooperative Education Course three or more terms. Eligible students are notified via email when the application opens in February. This award is presented during the College of Engineering Awards Reception at the end of spring semester.

FutureFuel Chemical Company Scholarship

The Terry Martin Endowed Outstanding Intern Award sponsored by FutureFuel Chemical Company is a $1,000 scholarship provided annually to an outstanding intern or interns. Preference is given to mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, and computer science majors. Students who have worked a part-time or full-time internship with any company during fall, spring, or summer semester are encouraged to apply. Students may be finishing an internship when they submit their application. You do not have to be enrolled in the Cooperative Education Course to be eligible for this scholarship. However, students may only receive the award once. An article in the Newswire runs each July with the application link and deadline.

 

When you return from your internship or co-op experience, make sure you update your resume, LinkedIn profile, and Handshake profile. It’s important to do this while the experience is fresh in your mind. If you need assistance, please schedule an appointment with a career coach.

You will also want to make sure that your grade has posted properly in UAConnect.

When students submit an application to enroll in the Cooperative Education and Internship Course, you will receive an automated email with a link to our Job Placement Form asking for some basic information about the coop or internship description. You will also be asked in another emailed form to approve the learning objectives that the student submitted. When the semester is coming to an end, you will receive a final email requesting that you submit a brief evaluation of the student’s work.

• Employer role agreement form

Undergraduate Students

• Must have completed 30 hours towards engineering degree.
• Must have a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.
• If working part-time (fewer than 25 hours) at the coop must be enrolled at least half time (6 hours, spring and fall terms only if U.S. Citizen; 12 hours, spring and fall terms only if International student).
• If working full-time (40+ hours) students must not be enrolled in more than 3 credit hours.
• If working full-time (40+ hours) at the coop students must have at least 12 hours of required course work remaining upon return to campus.
• Must not be enrolled in more than 3 credit hours if working full-time (U.S. Citizen); may only enroll during summer term per immigration and College of Engineering regulations (International Student).
• Transfer students (transferring 24 or more hours) must have completed 12 credit hours in the College of Engineering.
• International Students on F-1 Visa must have completed at least 30 weeks of study in the USA.
  • These requirements are accurate as of February 2021 and are subject to change.

Note: Eligible students may not work a full-time internship/coop back-to-back fall/spring or spring/fall. However, they can work full-time summer/fall or spring/summer.

Graduate Students

• Must have completed at least 6 hours of graduate level engineering courses meeting degree requirements at the University of Arkansas.
• Must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• If working part-time students must be enrolled at least half-time (5 credit hours, spring and fall terms only if U.S. Citizen; 9 credit hours, spring and fall terms only if International F-1 Visa student).
• If working full-time (40+ hours) students must not be enrolled in more than 3 credit hours.
• If working full-time (40+ hours) students must have at least 3 required hours (Masters) or 6 required hours (PhD) of course work/dissertation/thesis remaining upon return to campus.
• Must have approval of graduate committee chair prior to interviewing for coop.
• Must not hold a TA, GA, or RA position during the work experience if working full-time. No TA, GA, RA position during a part-time work experience without approval from major advisor.
• Must not be enrolled in more than 3 credit hours if working full-time (U.S. Citizen); may only enroll during summer term per immigration and College of Engineering regulations (International Student).
• International F-1 Visa students working full-time may only enroll during summer term per immigration and College of Engineering regulations.
• International students must have completed 30 weeks of study in the USA.
• A combination of GNEG 58001 (part-time coop) or GNEG 58101 (full-time coop) may be repeated for up to 3 hours of non-degree credit.
• MSOM students must have completed OMGT 5003 Introduction to Operations Management (with a grade of B or better) and one OMGT graduate elective directly applicable to the proposed internship experience.
  • These requirements are accurate as of February 2021 and are subject to change.

Note: Eligible students may not work a full-time internship/coop back-to-back fall/spring or spring/fall. However, they can work full-time summer/fall or spring/summer.

• Coop and Internship Description Template
• Example 1
• Example 2

When can students participate in an internship/co-op?

Students can participate in an internship or coop experience during any academic term (Spring, Summer, Fall) once they meet the student eligibility requirements. Students must apply for the Cooperative Education and Internship course during regular course enrollment, so it is unlikely that they will be able to get into the course in the middle of the semester. Please note that we do not allow students to take a full year off of school sequentially (i.e. working January through December) to participate in experiential education.

What is the average salary paid to students during an internship/co-op?

The co-op hourly wages average varies greatly by major and depends on undergraduate or graduate student classification. For specific information please contact Career Connections Coordinator Caleb Hatz by email, chatz@uark.edu, or by phone, 479-575-2422.

What is expected from our program during the student’s experience?

You will agree to…

• Complete all forms needed by the College of Engineering.
• Notify the Co-op Coordinator if problems arise with the co-op experience.
• Provide the student with meaningful learning experiences related to his/her academic program or career field.
• Give feedback to the student to enable him/her to learn.
• Ensure that the student will be treated as an employee during their tenure with your company.
• Consider students on an equal opportunity basis.
• Pay a fair wage for a student’s experience and education.
• Provide supervision to the student.
• Cooperate with site-visits by College of Engineering staff during student appointments.
• Develop a co-op description.
• Arrange for the student to have a designated work space.
• Hire the student for a minimum of 10 weeks.
• Properly train the student for the work tasks and conditions.
• Notify the Co-op Coordinator of staffing changes that will directly impact the student’s experience (i.e. supervisor).
• Provide diversified assignments for the student to experience a variety of skills.
• Allow the student to write about his/her experience at your organization with a moderate level of detail.
• Support and enforce the academic standards required to participate in the program as defined by the College of Engineering.

Why should I host an intern/co-op student?

• Develop high visibility with students, faculty, and staff.
• Help educate the next generation of engineers.
• Evaluate potential permanent hires through hiring temporary students and evaluating on-the-job performance.
• Identify high-achieving, talented students early.
• Provide assistance to your organization by having students support senior-level engineers with short-term and long-term projects.
• Reduce recruiting and training costs of hiring permanent employees.
• Infuse creative energy and up-to-date engineering education into your organization.
• Experience immediate productivity from new permanent hires that were co-op/intern hires first.
• Benefit from higher retention rates and higher job acceptance rates.
• Find students to contribute to a diverse employee base.
• Influence curriculum development to meet industry needs.

How do I recruit students?

You can recruit students through a variety of means, but the most common ones are using Handshake (UA’s online job database), using our College of Engineering ListServ, hosting information sessions, and attending the STEM Career Fair. 

Who do I talk to if I still have questions?

If you still have questions, contact Kelsey Lavigne, Director of Career Initiatives for the College of Engineering. You can reach her at klavigne@uark.edu.