Cooperative Education Work Program (Co-op)

The Missouri University of Science and Technology's cooperative education program, administered by Career Opportunities and Employer Relations (COER), is designed to provide students with an employment opportunity to gain practical degree-related, work experience prior to graduation. The program is set up so that students can take a break from studies and work full-time for one or for a combination of semesters such as spring/summer or summer/fall, allowing five to nine months of work experience versus the three summer months allowed for internship positions. Students may also obtain parallel co-op jobs in which they work and take classes on a part-time basis simultaneously. Over 170 employers hire Missouri S&T co-op students annually, and students can apply for many of those positions through the online resume/interview job search process that is facilitated by COER. A focus area of COER is to create new student co-op opportunities with employers who have not previously hired co-ops at Missouri S&T.

Co-op Benefits

  • Gain future employment advantage
  • Earn a higher starting full-time salary
  • Validate career plans
  • Option to earn academic credit in certain academic departments
  • Network with professionals and other college students
  • Apply classroom knowledge
  • Help finance college - the average monthly co-op salary is approximately $3,300.00
  • Increase odds of having a full-time job lined up before graduation by 1.5 times

Co-op Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the co-op program, a student must be enrolled full-time. Full-time is defined as satisfactorily carrying and passing a minimum of 12 credit hours (nine credit hours for a graduate student) in a fall or spring semester.

A student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 out of 4.0 to apply to and participate in the program. The student must not be on any type of probation. Students in all majors at Missouri S&T may participate in the co-op program.

The actual amount of academic work that must be completed before being selected for the program or before beginning a work period is up to the employer, but a freshman must have completed at least two semesters. Other eligibility requirements may be established by the sponsoring company with the concurrence of Missouri S&T. Financial need is not a determining factor for co-op eligibility.

A transfer student may register for co-op as soon as he or she begins classes at Missouri S&T. A transfer student who is participating in a co-op program through another institution may transfer and continue the co-op affiliation subject to Missouri S&T's guidelines.

Missouri S&T Registration during Co-op

Students participating in the co-op program register each work term (summer, fall, and/or spring) with COER. To register with the university, students pay the educational fee of one in-state credit hour plus a $100 processing fee, regardless of residency. Registration includes:

  • Retaining scholarship(s) which require that the student be registered with the university
  • Maintaining continuously enrolled status for insurance and loan purposes
  • Not having to apply for readmission to Missouri S&T to attend classes following the co-op work term
  • Documentation of co-op participation on the student transcript

Credit for co-op is awarded at the discretion of the student’s academic department. Students must be registered with the university for work terms when academic credit is to be earned. Regular tuition rates apply based upon in-state/out-of-state tuition and the number of hours received. In addition the student will be billed for; IT, health, and departmental fees.

International Students

International students are required to register for co-op with COER in order to be legally eligible to obtain work authorization. International students must complete CPT paperwork with the office of international and cultural affairs first and then with COER. After completion and approval of paperwork, international students will receive work authorization and the necessary documentation to provide to their employer. International students are eligible for co-op after 9 months of studies, with the approval from the office of international affairs.

More Information

For additional information concerning COER please contact:

Career Opportunities and Employer Relations
320 W. 12th Street
Third Floor Norwood Hall
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, Missouri 65409-0240
573-341-4343
http://career.mst.edu
career@mst.edu