The Co-op Process Once You Have Accepted a Position

Once you've accepted a co-op position, you should immediately notify the Co-op Office and schedule a time to complete a Co-op Contract Agreement, at which point all the rules and regulations of the Co-op Program will be explained.

Remain professional to all other companies which may call you after you've accepted a position. Please return all calls in a timely matter to thank them for their interest, but to let them know you are no longer available. This is important to your professional future, for a company which you must turn down now may become a company of interest to you in the future.

Registration

More information will be coming soon as the university is moving to a self-registration system. Please check back here as more information becomes available.

Housing/Sublets

Many students accept co-op positions outside of Pittsburgh while still retaining their apartment leases in Pittsburgh.   If you need help in either subletting your apartment or finding an apartment, please contact Jackie Jones at jlj35@pitt.edu.   She will be able to send a notice out to all of our co-op students regarding your housing needs.

Obtaining Credit for Rotations

Once having completed three rotations, each co-op student has a choice of how they will get credit for their co-op experience. Most students opt to take their co-op experience as a three credit technical or open elective.

The student will write an academic paper on their co-op experiences. It is a good idea to start gathering information for this paper during your first and second rotations. You can check with your department regarding the guidelines for the paper.  

Listed below are policy updates and clarifications regarding co-op credits and term paper/senior project requirements for each engineering discipline involved in co-op.

Engineering co-op students will be registered for Engineering 1090, Chemistry co-op students for 1091, international co-op experiences for Engineering 1092, and Computer Science co-op students for Engineering 1093.  Registered students will initially be given an “S” grade for Engineering 1090, 1091, 1092, or 1093.

A “G” grade will be issued until both the employer and student evaluation forms are in the co-op office.    Once they are

received, an “S” grade is issued.   If they are not received within a specified amount of time, a “U” grade can be issued.

Final grades are as follows:

Students completing the minimum three-work rotations successfully and the term paper senior project requirements will receive a letter grade or S/U for these three credits.  Each engineering department will develop the specific objectives and requirements for the term paper and/or senior project.  Copies are available in the co-op office or on the departmental website.  The co-op office does not issue the final grade; your final grade is determined by your co-op faculty advisor, who will also be receiving copies of your work evaluations. 

"S" grades will be given to those students who complete all work terms and complete evaluations, but who do not complete term paper requirements. 

       

        "F" or “U” grades can be given for the following reasons:

           

• Unsatisfactory completion of assignment.
• Failure to return for a work rotation without properly and promptly notifying the co-op director and the employer of your resignation.  
• Not abiding by co-op regulations as detailed in this booklet.

Students who voluntarily leave the co-op program in good standing after 1 or 2 rotations will retain their "S" grades, but the credits will not count towards departmental graduation requirements until the minimum 3 co-op terms and the final papers/projects are completed.

Students who lose their co-op positions for reasons beyond their control (i.e., strikes, layoffs) can be issued an "S" for the term or terms worked.  We can also help you find a new position for the remaining term(s) to receive full credit and grade for the co-op experience.

 

Obtaining Credit for the New Economy Technology Scholarship (NETS)

School of Engineering and Computer Science students who participate in the cooperative education program at the University of Pittsburgh must complete three rotations and Chemistry students must complete two rotations in order to receive a certificate of completion and certification on the transcript.

Co-op participants who are Pennsylvania residents and meet other program criteria are eligible for the NETS scholarship and may apply at any point during their tenure in the program; however, if the individual does not complete the required number of rotations, the grant money will be considered as a loan from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Consequently, participants who receive the NETS scholarship but do not complete the program requirements will be expected to repay the scholarship amount the the Commonwealth.

Graduation Luncheon

During the first week of December after your last rotation, you will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony. The Dean of the School of Engineering will present you with a certificate upon your successful completion of the Co-op Program. Your co-op employer will be invited to attend. You are welcome to invite friends and family to this ceremony. Please notify the Co-op Office that you will be attending with your number of guests.