Student FAQ

Please contact the Office of Residence Life for information on, on campus housing contracts.

Some employers require successful results from substance abuse screening, psychological testing, GPA/transcript review, driving record review and strength tests. Some may also adhere to a smoke-free environment policy; others require adherence to strict dress codes.  All companies are different so be sure to ask questions.

The Federal Government protects employees through various laws and policies including, but not limited to OSH ACT, EEOC, and FLSA. These are very critical issues that need to be addressed immediately. You should contact the Office of Cooperative Education as soon as possible in order to seek resolution.

Inform the Office of Cooperative Education of any concerns or problems. It may be a simple matter of the employer upgrading the job responsibilities, increasing projects, or assigning the student to a different work area. If you quit without notifying the Co-op Office, you risk losing co-op credit and all tuition.

No. You must realize that you are presenting yourself to employers as an individual with professional aspirations, as a good learner and a hard worker who wants to find entry employment in a particular technology. The first co-op experience is designed for you to test-out and gain exposure in a specific industry which will either reconfirm your major degree program decision or will indicate that this may not be your career aspiration.

Yes, the Office of Cooperative Education will contact a company for you, but encourages you to take the initiavive to make the initial contact. The Office of Cooperative Education is available to answer employer questions via email, phone or virtual meeting.  

Yes, and you are encouraged to find a CO-OP on your own as part of the integrated learning process. The CO-OP experience is meant to simulate a real-life job search. For assistance on how to search, please see our How to Find a CO-OP page.

Students can complete their co-op anywhere in the world. There are many ways in which you can find a Co-op in other states or countries. You can use the resources available in the Office of Cooperative Education, the Internet, friends, family, instructors etc.The information  you need is there, you just have to do the research. For assistance on how to search, please see our How to Find a CO-OP page or contact the The Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections

Yes, with the approval of the Co-op Office. This is not an alternation pattern that is suggested or preferred by the Office of Cooperative Education, however can be allowed.  Each co-op experience should advance in skills and responsibilities. Some employers request that you work two semesters in a row, because they feel that one semester is not long enough.  

After you have secured a CO-OP, you must submit the Co-op Registration Application.

Yes. You may receive elective or other credit for additional co-op's depending on your degree requirements. You should discuss this option with your academic advisor.

Contact your academic advisor for recommendations about modifying your schedule for your individual academic plans.

Yes. If the employer has an obvious interest in you and is grooming you for permanent employment, the situation is encouraged. This is one of the ways the college sells the Cooperative Education Program to potential employers. It gives them the opportunity to train the student, over successive co-op experiences, to meet the company's needs. In all cases, the level of responsibility must increase significantly as the level of co-op increases.

Yes, a part time (working 20 hours/week for 2 consecutive semesters) co-op is an option.  

There are several job finding resources available to you. Please go to the How to Find a Co-op page on the Co-op website or set up an appointment with the The Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections or the Co-op Office.

If with assistance from the Office of Cooperative Education, you fail to find a co-op, you are a rare exception. That is not to say that finding a co-op employer is always easy; sometimes the job search is difficult.  Beginning the co-op search well in advance will help avoid this situation. For more information contact the Co-op Office.

Yes, keep track of ALL companies you contact. Keep track using this Excel table already formatted and ready for your use! Use this to organize company information resulting in a more productive co-op search.

No. Retroactive co-op credit cannot be granted. For more information, see the Cooperative Education Manual. You are required to pre-register, be supervised and be evaluated during the co-op course. When you secure a co-op position, you are required to submit an Co-op Registration Application for approval. Course credit is earned through successfully meeting all co-op requirements, including graded co-op assignments.

You are required to complete a full-time semester-long co-op experience. Fall and spring semesters are 15 weeks and summer semester is 12 weeks. For more detailed information concerning specific dates, please refer to the Academic Calendar.

You should apply for as many co-op's as possible. Applying for as many co-op positions as possible will give you the most options.

Yes. Students should consult with their academic advisor and assess their own personal situation to determine if they can balance the demands of the co-op experience with their academic and personal responsibilities.

Yes. You must initiate a request to BGSU Dining to either adjust or cancel an on-campus meal plan before the start of semester classes.

Contact The Office of Residence Life for information on how to secure housing while away on co-op.  

Yes, under certain stipulations. Please contact the Student Recreation Center membership guidelines. While on co-op you are only registered for a credit bearing course, but you must make arrangements with the Student Recreation Center to obtain a pass. The Student Recreation Center may charge a fee based on number of credits a student is registered during the semester.

You should contact the Office of Cooperative Education and International Programs and Partnerships to plan appropriately for an international co-op experience.

Yes. The University Undergraduate Catalog states that based on institutional policy, students registered for TECH 2890, TECH 3890 and TECH 4890 are involved in a full-time academic experience at BGSU. However, students receiving financial aid are required to check with the Office of Financial Aid to confirm the impact of co-op on their financial aid (including scholarships). Since there are multiple types of financial aid, you should not assume that each recognizes co-op as a full-time academic load. Also, if you are eligible for Veteran's Affairs Educational Benefits, you must check with the Veteran's Affairs Office, to determine the effects of co-op on Veteran's Benefits.

The tuition rate is the same as any other credit bearing courses; tuition and general fees apply.