Electrical & Computer Engineering Department
Cooperative Education Program
The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, in
cooperation with various sponsoring companies and government
organizations, conducts a Cooperative Education (Co-Op) Program. This
program allows students to obtain a real, professional job experience as
part of their formal education. It also allows the participating
sponsors to become familiar with the students' capabilities before
considering them for permanent employment. Some highlights of the
program include:
Starting the Program
A typical program starts at the end of
the Sophomore year and the Co-Op student rotates between the campus
and the sponsor's site at the end of each semester. The Program is
very flexible, however, and will allow variations in the rotation to
accommodate the sponsor or the student, as appropriate. A Co-Op program
normally adds one year to the student's academic program and, if the
student has opted for the Graduation Guarantee, the Guarantee will be
invalid.
Accreditation
The Program is designed to meet ABET
requirements (see Program Details).
Experience
Typically, a Co-Op student receives a minimum of
one year of work experience in three staggered semesters. During
that work experience the student is paid a significant salary which
normally may be 65-85% of that paid to a new engineering graduate for
the same period.
Travel & Housing
Sponsors normally provide travel allowances
and assistance in obtaining suitable, affordable housing for the
on-site periods.
GPA
The program normally requires that participating students
maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. However, the
sponsor may specify a different GPA.
Application
Students are normally required to submit Co-Op
applications by October 1, in order to allow sponsors to make early
selection which may be related to fiscal year constraints.
Sponsoring Organizations
Sponsors have included 3M, CIA,
Conoco, Dow Chemical, Idaho National Energy Laboratory, Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Micron Technology, Monsanto, NASA and US West.
Employment
Over 90% of Co-Op students are employed by their
sponsors after graduation.
Women & Minority Participants
The program has significantly
involved both women and minorities, particularly Native Americans.
Interested students may obtain additional information from the
Department's Co-Op Coordinator, Dr. Bill Jameson, at 406-994-5970, (FAX
406-994-5958) or
E-mail Dr. Jameson.
