Experience-based Education: Co-ops, Internships and More

There are many great reasons to get internship or co-op experience during college: to explore a career field, to build a professional network, to gain new skills, and to make yourself more marketable for a good job.

Most undergraduate academic departments at UMass Lowell offer some form of experience-based learning opportunities.  Course titles typically include one of the following terms:  "co-op" or "cooperative education," "industrial experience," "practicum," or "internship." 

Students in the Manning School of Business and selected majors in the Colleges of Sciences and Engineering may participate in the optional Professional Co-op Program.  Interested students from these areas are encouraged to contact the Assistant Director of Co-op for their respective college in the Career Services & Cooperative Education Center.

Students in other majors or those interested in other experiential opportunities should first read the course offerings and descriptions for the upcoming semester in the University catalog.  Your academic advisor or department chairperson can provide your department's guidelines, requirements, policies, and registration procedures.  Some elements of these academically approved opportunities are fairly consistent across disciplines.  Most

• Allow for receiving academic credits
• Require a faculty member's approval (and, for international students, approval of the International Student and Scholars Office)
• Are limited to student who have successfully completed one or more years of college studies
• Have a minimum GPA requirement
• Have a learning contract approved and signed by the student, the experience site supervisor, and the faculty advisor
• Include an evaluation by the experience site supervisor
• Require a written report based on the learning experience.
  

Typical process for locating, gaining approval, applying for, and completing an experience-based learning course.

The following links can provide added help in exploring possibilities and pathways to getting professional experience before graduation:

• All Majors: Internship Search Sites
• FAQs: Internships
• Professional Co-op Program: College of Engineering, College of the Sciences, and Manning School of Business