Graduate Co-op

Offering cooperative education for over 100 years and ranked No. 1 in internships/co-ops by US News and World Report, Northeastern is a leader in experiential learning and is one of only a few that offer a cooperative education program for graduate students. Cooperative education at the graduate level is not just a way for students to gain real world experience, but it is also a way to challenge, network, expand and fine-tune their knowledge within their respective industry, and foster career development, while helping to finance their education. 

The goals of cooperative education are to:

• Apply knowledge and skills in new, authentic contexts.
• Develop new knowledge and skills.
• Integrate and use the deepened knowledge and skills in your academic programs.
• Reflect on and articulate how you used your knowledge and skills, how you gained new knowledge and skills, and how “theory and practice” work together.

The Graduate School of Engineering placed nearly 1,000 students (primarily international students) with some of the most sought after technical skills in positions in the U.S. and globally during the 2022 academic year. Co-op is part of the fabric of our academic program and we have a dedicated co-op team, including a global co-op team, that prepares students for the cooperative education experience through resume building, developing interview skills and guiding professional development. Co-op positions are available nationally and globally.

How Co-op Works

Students start with a required co-op course that prepares them to succeed in their co-op experiences. Graduate masters and PhD students may complete one co-op in the course of their degree program.

Northeastern provides a broad-based network of support that helps students prepare for and get the most from co-op, including an academic advisor, a co-op coordinator and if applicable, a global co-op coordinator.  Your co-op coordinator will guide you through the co-op process and help to identify various positions that best match your skills and career interests. After you’ve completed your co-op assignment, you will be asked to reflect upon your experience and explain how it integrates with your classroom studies. The reflection process may include a variety of options such as one-on-one meetings with your co-op coordinator, writing assignments/or presentations, and online reflections throughout your co-op.

For more information regarding the cooperative education program, please visit the COE Graduate Co-op Website.

You can review the Master’s Co-op or PhD Co-op and Internships page for additional, program-specific information.