The Co-op program is an accredited academic program in which students gain valuable work experience in their major by alternating between full-time study and at least three semesters of full- time paid work with the same employer. Co-op students work with the same employer for three or more semesters – two of which must be a fall or spring – cops gain at least a year’s worth of valuable professional work experience in their majors. Their work experience is documented on their transcripts. Work rotations typically begin as early as their sophomore year and as late as their junior year. Students earn a cooperative designation on their diploma when they complete the program’s requirements.
Co-op Program Requirements
- Experience must be relevant and major related
- Experience must be 3 work terms alternating with academic terms (no back-to-back rotations)
- The length of the experience must be a minimum of 14 weeks in Fall/Spring, minimum of 8 weeks in the summer
- Student must be supervised by an experienced professional staff member
- All co-op rotations must be full-time (36+ hours/week)
- Experience must be paid
- The three co-op rotations must fall in the 3 academic semesters: Fall (Mid-August – end of December), Spring (January – Mid-May), Summer (Mid-May – Mid-August)
Co-op Program Timelines
Students are required to register each co-op work term with the Georgia Tech Career Center once they receive their offer. Registration of co-ops occurs during the same time frame as registration for academic courses, therefore students have to meet the registration deadlines.
Please see IMPORTANT TIMELINES AND DATES to keep in mind when recruiting Georgia Tech students for co-ops.
Based on registration students are enrolled in a CO-OP tuition-free non-credit bearing course that keeps them enrolled at Georgia Tech while out working.
Co-op Offers
Student can register their co-op with the Georgia Tech Career Center once they receive an offer. Please offer ample of time for students to make their decision on accepting an offer. Please review our recruiting and offer guidelines when extending an offer to our students.
Very Important
Please include in your co-op offer letters the following information:
- Exact start and end date of the co-op
- Job title
- Hourly pay rate
- Number of total work hours per week
- Exact location where students will be working
For co-op average hourly pay rates, please review our Employer Recruiting Guide.
How to recruit
The process for recruiting Co-op students is the same as it is for recruiting career full-
time employment candidates. You will need to sign up for a recruiting account in CareerBuzz our online platform that connects employers with qualified candidates. This is where you may post your position, collect applications, access our Resume Books, and schedule on-campus recruiting visits. We expect all employers to abide by our Co-op and Internship Program Policies.
Employers who attend career fairs, host information sessions, special presentations, coffee chats or post co-ops and/or internships must adhere to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
guidelines, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Employment Professionals, and Georgia Tech’s Career Center recruiting guidelines.
