Experiential Learning Frequently Asked Questions

Your career development advisor will offer guidance during your job search and make sure you know how to research job opportunities. However, it is your responsibility to apply and interview for available co-op or internship positions. There are no guarantees that you will secure a co-op or intern. Barriers to locating a co-op or internship position may include being inflexible regarding the geographic location in which you are willing to work and/or the term in which you wish to begin working. Another possible barrier is having a GPA that is lower than what employers typically seek. Your advisor will be there to assist you throughout your time you are working with the Career Center.

Yes! However, the Career Center must approve the company and co-op or internship opportunity in which you are interested. You must work out such arrangements with your career development advisor. Remember that the job must be related to your major, paid, full-time, supervised, and with increasing responsibility for at least three alternating semesters, if it is a co-op. If it is an internship it must be related to your major but it can be either full or part-time.

If at any point you choose not to participate in the co-op program, please let your advisor know. He or she will ask you to either transfer out of the program or into the internship program. Since co-op is an official academic program, the Career Center must track which students choose not to complete requirements for the co-op designation.

No. You will be allowed to begin co-op employment only if you intend to meet all requirements of the program, including working a minimum of three work terms — two of which must be during a fall or spring semester. If you do not have time to complete the required number of work terms, you may wish to consider the internship program.

In certain situations, you may be made a verbal offer. You may accept the offer over the phone; however, you must follow up with a written acceptance letter to the individual who has extended the offer. If you are made the offer during a second interview, you still must follow up in writing.

After accepting a co-op or internship — even if the acceptance has been only verbal — you may not consider other offers.

Once you accept a job offer, inform other employers with whom you have pending offers.

NOTE: You MUST cancel any other scheduled interviews or on-site visits once you have accepted your co-op or internship.

You must complete at least three(3) alternating work terms, at least two(2) of which must be during fall or spring.

Most students will find they have the flexibility to intern with one or two additional employers after completing the three(3) co-op rotations, or before beginning the co-op program.

No tuition is required for this course.

Co-op is an audited course, and a letter grade is not given. A successful audit results in a designation of V on the transcript, and an unsuccessful audit results in a designation of W on the transcript.

You must go to work for the company that hires you first. If you renege on the agreement, the Career Center reserves the right to refuse registering your job, or providing further service to you. Companies seek to plan hiring several months out. Your voiding of the agreement causes inconvenience and further expense on their part, which negatively impacts Georgia Tech.

You are required to complete at least three work terms with the same employer to receive the co-op designation. However, if you change your major, or the company downsizes and no longer employs you, your career advisor can help you figure out how to find another position so you can complete the co-op program.

Your audit course serves as ‘placeholder’ for you in your school schedule, and does not cost or receive a grade. The course maintains your Tech enrollment, and appears on your transcript. Successful work terms appear as a ‘V’, unsuccessful as a ‘W’. In order to succeed, intern and co-op students must work a total of 16 weeks in either fall or spring semester. Co-ops must work a minimum of 12 weeks in a summer semester, interns must work at least ten weeks in a summer semester.

If you don’t register your internship, the Career Center will not be able to provide support for you on the job, nor will you be considered a full-time student that semester. All students benefit from registering their jobs through having an Ombudsman to assist with any challenges that occur on the worksite.

Yes. If your job is a co-op, not registering means your work term will not count toward your completion of the co-op program, and also run the risk of not getting the co-op designation. Registering your co-op terms maintains your full-time student status.

Most companies have preset salaries for these positions, negotiating a salary is not recommended.

Yes, if it is available and if you’ve met deadlines required by Housing.