Co-op Basics
What
is Cooperative Education?
Cooperative Education (or Co-op) is a structured educational program, which incorporates employment-learning experience into the student's academic study. Co-op provides a .partnership among students, the university, and employers.
What
is Cooperative Education at Northern Kentucky
University?
Cooperative Education of Northern Kentucky University is an optional component to one's academic study. (Them are only a few majors at NKU which require some form of experiential learning of which co-op would fulfill.) This learning experience is an employment opportunity in which a student receives academic credit that is applied to Associate and Bachelor degrees. The employment learning experiences are planned, supervised, and coordinated by the staff of the Career Development Center and the Faculty Coordinator with the Cooperation of employers. Students in the co-op system are expected to co-op for at least two full semesters. (Exceptions will be made at the discretion of the Co-op Coordinator.)
Admission
Criteria
GPA
- 2.2 based on a 4.0 scale
Students must have attained a GPA of 2.2 and must maintain that GPA throughout the student's academic experience involving cooperative education.
CDC will verify the student's academic requirements each semester to determine eligibility for admission and retention in the Co-op program.
Classification
|
Associate Degree |
Completion of 15 semester hours toward degree. |
|
Bachelor Degree |
Completion of 30 semester hours toward degree. |
|
Transfer Students |
Completion of one academic semester at NKU and fulfillment
of the criteria for either a Bachelor or ~ program. |
|
International Students |
Students on F-1/J-1 visas are eligible for the program after the completion of 9 months of academic studies. International Students must also receive written authorization from the Office of International Student Affairs to ensure that immigration regulations are not violated. (Questions regarding Immigration Matters should be directed to the Office of International Student Affairs.) |
Patterns of Cooperative Education at NKU - Designated by the employer.
|
Alternating |
Students are employed full-time minimum of 40 hours per week or equivalent one semester and are in school full-time the following semester (but not working for the co-op employer). This pattern is designated by the employer and not the student. The student may request this mode but for employment purposes, we encourage them to keep their options open. For the purpose of benefits and activities, the student will be considered as a full-time student. (Please note: Financial Aid will only be awarded for the number of credit hours enrolled. Thus, student in the Alternating pattern will not receive Financial Aid for a full academic program. For further clarification - please see the office of Financial Assistance) Students on the alternating plan may enroll in additional college courses during the academic term as long as the coursework does not conflict with the work assignment. |
|
Parallel |
Students are employed half-time (minimum of 20 hours per week or equivalent) and are enrolled in school for a minimum of six semester hours (except in the summer) in addition to Cooperative Education. Students enrolled in the parallel plan must carry at least a haft-time course load in addition to cooperative education credit (except during the summer term). However, they are advised to carry no more than 15 additional semester hours. If students encounter difficulty in achieving satisfactory academic success or are enrolled in an unusually demanding semester, they will be advised to reduce their academic load |
Academic
Credit
Credits earned in co-op shall count toward the graduation requirements at NKU in either the Associate or Bachelor degree program. Co-op will not replace any general studies requirements or major requirements unless designated by the specific academic department. This is a 300 level course and will count toward the 45 credit hour of above 300 level course work.
Students may not register for Co-op until they have accepted employment. It is the students responsibility to notify the Career Development Center immediately upon accepting employment
The student is responsible for noting the Registrars requirements for drop/add. The cooperative education credit shall count as follows.
Bachelor
Degree Students
May earn 12 semester hours maximum in Cooperative Education credit.
Students employed under the alternating pattern should register for two 3-hour co-op courses each semester. (CEP 300 - 01 and CEP 300 - 02 for Fall and Spring Semesters.) (CEP 300 - 51 and CEP 300 - 52 for Summer.)
Students employed under the parallel pattern should register for CEP 300 -01 for the Fall and Spring and CEP 300 - 51 for the summer.
Associate
Degree Students
May earn 6 semester hours maximum in Cooperative Education credit.
Students employed under the alternating pattern should register for two 3-hour co-op courses each semester, (CEP 300 - 01 and CEP 300 -02 for Fall and Spring Semesters,) (CEP 300 - 51 and CEP 300 - 52 for Summer.)
Students employed under the parallel pattern should register for CEP 300 -01 for the Fall and Spring and CEP 300 - 51 for the summer.
Tuition
and Fees
Students shall pay the normal student tuition rates. No special fees will be levied for Co-op students. (Please note: Financial Aid will only be awarded for the number of credit hours enrolled. Thus, student in the Alternating pattern will not receive Financial Aid assistance for a full academic program. For further clarification please see the Office of Financial Assistance)
Academic
Calendar
Each calendar year is divided into three terms for cooperative education purposes: Spring, Summer, and Fall. Students on the parallel plan are expected to continue to co-op every semester. Students on the alternating plan are expected to alternate between work and school assigned terms. Special cases regarding either plan must be discussed with the Co-op coordinator. These plans may be adjusted to accommodate special employment opportunities.