One def­i­n­i­tion of a coop­er­a­tive edu­ca­tion pro­gram is a struc­tured expe­ri­ence which com­bines prac­ti­cal work and the classroom-based edu­ca­tion.  Such pro­grams pro­vide aca­d­e­mic credit for job expe­ri­ence to help a stu­dent from school-to-work and encour­age ser­vice learning.

• Pro­vide an oppor­tu­nity to learn from some expe­ri­enced and sup­port­ive col­leagues in the workplace
• Gain prac­ti­cal expe­ri­ence while earn­ing a degree and get­ting a head start in career
• Stu­dent mature, are more expe­ri­enced, and already respected for accom­plish­ments in co-op work assignments
• Gain hands-on work expe­ri­ences in spe­cial­ized fields like engi­neer­ing and busi­ness, etc.
• Co-op at cer­tain com­pa­nies could mean excel­lent wages, stipends for travel, and assis­tance with locat­ing hous­ing dur­ing their co-op term
• Fac­ulty and staff at these insti­tu­tions also have years of indus­try expe­ri­ence as well as last­ing rela­tion­ships companies
• Co-ops enhance learn­ing experience
• Test drive a career to see which pro­fes­sional or occu­pa­tional field is preferred
• Chance to develop solid skills in résumé writing
• Learn how to nego­ti­ate cor­po­rate structures
• Man­age pro­fes­sional assignments
• Develop net­work skills that will serve them for their entire career
• Co-op stu­dents obtain employ­ment imme­di­ately upon graduation
• Some stu­dents grad­u­ate with up to two or three years of pro­fes­sional expe­ri­ence, an attribute that employ­ers seek
• Pos­si­bly a path to a debt-free col­lege education
• Co-ops could last a semes­ter or up to four years
• Those involved are typ­i­cally paid by the employer and approved by the colleges
• Co-ops may not earn class credit but a nota­tion could be made on at a transcript
• Explore the Co-op options at col­leges with noted programs