Co-op (Cooperative Education) is an integral part of our program. Professional preparation includes work in a variety of organizations, where you can both apply skills learned in the classroom and acquire new skills from real-world projects. Through co-op you can enhance your technical, communication, interpersonal, and networking skills.

The Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services should be you first stop when preparing for your co-op jobs. They provide materials about resumes, interviews, and landing that first job. In addition they sponsor Career Fairs where employers come to hire students for full-time and co-op positions.

The Department of Software Engineering has prepared the Software Engineering Co-op Guidelines for our students. You should read these guidelines before selecting a co-op assignment. These guidelines address our minimum requirements for co-op assignments.

Keep your eyes open for presentations by employers at Society of Software Engineers meetings. SSE often will arrange for company representatives to come and speak directly to software engineering students about employment opportunities in their company. While you are in the SSE office speak to other software engineering students about their co-op experiences. Those conversations often can generate leads for positions.

As co-op is unique to your RIT education, we provide a list of frequent questions and their answers.

• How many quarters do I have to co-op?
  The program requires four co-op blocks to graduate. However, sometimes students choose to do five and even six co-op blocks.
• What is the length of a co-op?
  A co-op block is the same length as an academic quarter or ten weeks. This means at least ten weeks at 35-40 hours per week (total of 350-400 working hours) in duration. You may, in fact, work longer - as long as thirteen weeks- depending on your exam schedule the preceding quarter and on your employer's needs.
• Does the co-op have to be paid?
  Yes. RIT defines co-op work for which you must receive financial compensation.
• Who approves and signs my co-op registration form?
  The department's Senior Academic Advisor.
• How do I register for co-op?
  Submit a completed co-op registration form to the Software Engineering Student Services Office for approval from the department's Senior Academic Advisor. If the co-op is approved you will appear as registered for co-op on SIS. If the co-op is denied, you will be notified via e-mail.
• Do I have to write a student co-op evaluation?
  Yes, you must complete an on-line student co-op evaluation. Toward the end of your co-op assignment, the Co-Op Office will provide you with a link to the electronic evaluation form.
• Does my manager need to complete an employer co-op evaluation
  Yes, upon completion of your co-op, your supervisor must complete an evaluation of your work. The Co-Op office sends an electronic notification and provides your supervisor with a URL an ID and a password to login to the electronic co-op evaluation system.
• How is a grade assigned for Co-op?
  Co-op is graded as S (Satisfactory) or F(Failure). To assign a grade, both your supervisor and you must have filed the respective co-op evaluation documents. If one is missing after a week after final exams of the respective quarter, you will be assigned an F grade. The F can be replaced with an S as after we.ve received the missing co-op evaluation documents.
• Do I pay tuition for co-op?
  You do not pay tuition or any institute fees while on co-op. But you remain eligible to utilize all the facilities and services of the Institute.
• How much do I get paid?
  Compensation is ultimately up to the organization that hires you. But employers often base compensation upon comparable co-op salaries and a candidate's experience. There may be room for negotiation. Employers also determine eligibility for benefits, if any. Check the Co-op website for the latest co-op salary data.
• What type of work qualifies for co-op?
  You should strive to be in a position that will give you hands-on experience that you have never had before but which is related to academic skills you have acquired. Job opportunities, which are listed by the Office of Co-op and Career Services, are "approved" co-op positions. If you obtain a co-op position on your own and are not sure if it is acceptable, see your academic advisor before accepting the job. Also, read the Software Engineering Co-op Guidelines for additional information. Keep in mind that if the job meets the criteria it doesn't matter if a company calls the job an internship or temporary employment.
• Am I guaranteed a co-op job?
  No. You are not placed into a co-op position, but rather you must apply and go through the same hiring process you will when looking for a job after you graduate. The Office of Co-Op and Career Services merely guarantees that it can help you find job opportunities. Seizing the opportunities and interviewing for them is your responsibility.