Cooperative Education

Cooperative education is an academic program for undergraduate and graduate students who wish to combine classroom studies with academically related paid employment. Cooperative education provides students work-based learning opportunities both locally and nationally.

By using off-campus resources and expertise, cooperative education provides opportunities for students in business, government, industry and social agencies. Programs are designed to enable students to work directly with professionals in their field while expanding upon the knowledge learned in the classroom.

Students hired in cooperative education positions must enroll in specially designated co-op courses and work with a faculty advisor from within the appropriate department. Each position is assessed by a faculty advisor for its potential to provide learning experiences relevant to the student’s professional and educational goals.

Cooperative education offers both alternating and parallel positions. Students who select the alternating option must complete a semester of full-time enrollment in coursework before entering a second alternating position. Alternating positions carry the status of full-time students.

Students selecting the parallel option are required to carry a minimum of 6 credit hours of coursework in addition to their co-op course. Students may enroll in parallel co-op positions during consecutive semesters.

Requirements for co-op participation vary within the different colleges and departments. Requirements for admission to the co-op program generally include completion of 24 credit hours, with 9 of these credit hours completed in the student’s major, and satisfactory academic standing. Interested students should come to the Shocker Career Accelerator, located in John Bardo Center, Suite 162. The telephone number is 316-978-3688. 

Internships

Wichita State University’s location in Wichita has allowed it to form strong relationships with public, private, and nonprofit organizations that offer a variety of internship opportunities. These positions are an invaluable way for WSU students to gain professional experience to complement the strong academic fundamentals they learn in the classroom. Through the Shocker Career Accelerator, students have an opportunity to earn academic credit for an internship, or enroll in zero credit and have an internship recognized on their academic transcript.

Students who choose academic credit, enroll in designated internship courses and work with a faculty advisor from an appropriate department. Academic credit is earned after completing all project requirements assigned by the advisor. Students who enroll in zero credit internships have their internship recognized on their official academic transcript through a transcript notation (no tuition is paid). A transcript notation is earned after completing the zero credit program requirements. Additional information may be found on the Cooperative Education and Internship webpage.¹ Not all departments participate in zero credit internships and not all students are eligible to enroll in zero credit.

Requirements for internships vary within different colleges and departments and for various employers. The requirements for participation in an academic or zero credit internship include completion of 24 credit hours, with 9 of these credit hours completed in the student’s major, and satisfactory academic standing. Students enrolled in academic or zero credit internships in the fall and spring are required to carry a minimum of 6 credit hours of coursework in addition to their internship course. 

Interested students should come to the Shocker Career Accelerator, John Bardo Center, Suite 162 or call 316-978-3688. 

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