Cooperative Education is an academic program that allows you to earn college credit for a work experience related to your major. Co-op helps you explore or confirm your career goals, apply classroom learning to real world situations and practice or strengthen your interpersonal and technical skills. It exposes you to work methods and state-of-the-art technology in industry. It also improves your ability to make the transition from school to work, following completion or near-completion of a degree or certificate program. Co-ops may be paid or non-paid positions with for-profit or non-profit organizations. For information, see the Internship Co-op brochure.

How to Apply for a Co-op or Internship

• Find your Co-op/Internship - You may do research on your own to locate a company you are interested in and want to do a co-op with by utilizing the Clark College Career Center, or by speaking with an instructor in the department of your major field of study. Another technique is to do an informational interview with an employer. You can get other ideas from the Co-op Program Coordinator.

• Approve your Co-op/Internship - Once you have secured a co-op/internship, you need to see an instructor about signing up for the credits for the quarter (1-5 variable credits). If you don’t know who the instructor is for your major, contact the Co-op office at 992-2964. After your internship has been approved, you need to see your instructor or the Co-op Program Coordinator to pick up your packets and forms. You should also attend a Co-op Mandatory Information Session, which is listed in the class schedule each quarter.

• Register your Co-op/Internship - You will also be advised that you need to sign up for a co-op seminar (BTEC 141-143, or BTEC 147, or HDEV 195, 198 or 200, depending on your major), unless you have taken one of these classes in the past.