There are many great reasons to get an internship, co-op or other 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 after graduation.

And, at UMass Lowell, there are many ways to obtain these experiences.

  1. Our ProPath career development model for undergraduates encourages students to gain experience through their college years. As part of the ProPath model, students receive a guide that outlines the several college departments and contacts to use in exploring experiential education opportunities.
  2. Most undergraduate academic programs offer some form of experience-based learning course. Course titles often include one of the following terms: “service learning,” “cooperative education,” “industrial experience,” “practicum,” “internship,” “field experience,” etc. Students interested in these courses should read the course offerings and descriptions for the upcoming semester in the UMass Lowell online academic catalog and speak to their academic advisor or department chairperson to learn requirements, available credits, policies, and registration procedures.
  3. Students may also be able to obtain credit for an independently arranged experiential education opportunity (not part of a class). If interested in this possibility, the student should speak with his or her academic advisor or department chair to discuss the suitability of the experience for academic credit, as well as the academic component of the work which often accompanies such experiences.
  4. Many students also complete internships outside of their academic curriculum, many of which are paid experiences. The Career & Co-op Center’s Handshake system includes posts of many internship opportunities for students in all majors, in all years. In addition, UMass Lowell’s career fairs attract employers from the region interested in recruiting students for internship opportunities.
  5. Students in the Manning School of Business and the Francis College of Engineering, and Computer Science majors may apply to the Professional Co-op Program managed by the Career & Co-op Center. Interested students from these academic areas are invited to contact the Assistant Director of Co-op for their respective majors.
  6. NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SEEKING U.S. EMPLOYMENT OR EXPERIENCE: Before considering any internships, co-ops, part-time or full-time employment, international students (on an F-1 visa) should always consult their international student advisor to make certain they are eligible to work in the U.S., whether they qualify for curricular and/or optional practical training (CPT and/or OPT), and to understand respective application deadlines, procedures, and other requirements.