Graduate Co-Op Program Bolsters Career Readiness

Each semester, a cohort of master’s students in the School of Engineering has the option to enter the workforce for up to six months through the School of Engineering Graduate Co-Op program. The program offers students an opportunity to learn from professionals in the field, apply their classwork to real-world projects, and explore career interests. Participation has grown steadily since its inception in Fall 2024, with 89 graduate co-op students in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 combined. All newly-matriculated, full-time master’s students enrolled in on-campus programs are eligible to participate. 

Read on to hear some perspectives from recent co-op students about how their experience informed their current career path.
 

Anas Ansari

Program: M.S. in Cybersecurity and Public Policy
Co-Op Position: Information Security Consultant
Co-Op Employer: Strand Therapeutics

What led you to the Master’s in Cybersecurity and Public Policy program at Tufts?

I completed my undergraduate degree in cybersecurity and computer networking. Governance is a big part of cybersecurity when you go up higher in the ranks, so I wanted to learn more about governance and policymaking. I decided that Tufts was one of the best options that I had based on faculty members like Professor of Cybersecurity and Policy Susan Landau. She’s also very highly known in the field, so I think she was one of the major attractions that I had when I came in.

Can you briefly describe a typical day in your co-op?

In the morning, I analyzed system logs that we had and looked for any anomalies. Then I made sure that all our devices were compliant with our policies. We had a device management system which would determine if the necessary security applications were installed and if they were encrypted. I would make sure that all our baselines were committed, and if they weren’t I would take steps to get to that point. Other than that, if any alerts popped up in our security systems I would look into them. If it was actually a threat, then I'd have to eradicate it and restore the system, so the user did not have any issues.

How did your time at Tufts help prepare you for the co-op?

I was part of the Tufts Cybersecurity Clinic last fall, and I think that helped me a lot, because it provided hands-on experience. Many of the tasks I performed during co-op, such as phishing trainings and suggesting best practices, were all things I had done in the clinic as well. I also worked with a similar device management system, so I already knew how to use many of the tools. 

How has your understanding of cybersecurity changed since doing your co-op?  

Before coming to Tufts and completing this co-op, I worked as a cybersecurity analyst immediately after finishing my undergraduate degree. There were many things I knew were happening—and knew were bad—but I didn't fully understand why. At Strand, I worked directly with those systems, which gave me a much deeper understanding of how and why they function the way they do. 

What advice would you give to a graduate student considering a co-op?

Look at job descriptions and check for the skills that they require. It’s a good idea to build those skills before applying for jobs when you still have time. Also, connect with as many Tufts alumni as possible, because they are very helpful. Just reach out to them on LinkedIn, and don't get shy about it. I did that a lot, and I still do.

What advice would you give to a cybersecurity student?  

In the cybersecurity world, it’s best to stick to the same industry once you start. If you go into banks, there's PCI DSS, which are the cybersecurity rules and regulations that the banking sector has to comply with. Similarly, the health sector has HIPAA. There are only so many rules that you can familiarize yourself with. So, if you stick to the same industry, it gets easier with time.

Anything else you’d like to share?

The graduate co-op advising team, Alicia Abdulrazzaq and Matt Casey, are very helpful! Beyond that, you should always reach out to the career services team with your resume or any issues you have in your career.  

Varun Nair

Program: M.S. in Human Factors Engineering
Co-Op Position: Human Factors Engineering Co-Op
Co-Op Employer: Johnson & Johnson MedTech – Heart Recovery 

What led you to the Master’s in Human Factors Engineering program at Tufts?

I was previously a user experience designer. Although I enjoyed my work, I wanted it to have a greater impact. That's when I discovered human factors engineering. After meeting Professor of the Practice Michael Wiklund and learning about his impact on healthcare & medical devices, I knew it was the field I wanted to pursue. I also learned about Tufts' excellent reputation in human factors engineering, particularly in medical devices, and decided it was the right place for my master's degree. 

What was your co-op experience like?

It was intimidating at first, jumping into a Class III Device, which is so important for someone's survival and recovery. But I had an incredible mentor (Jeremy Van Hill) who taught me everything I needed to know. I quickly became comfortable and learned a lot about Abiomed’s products, about Impella, how heart pumps work, and a bit about anatomy, like how the heart functions.

What did a typical day in your co-op look like?

My day-to-day looked very different each week. Some days, I was focused on just one single medical device validation study for a single product. Other times, I was working on five separate projects for different teams through the same week. It helped me stay on my toes and learn a lot, because when you're involved with so many different people you are exposed to multiple aspects of human factors and come out as a more well-equipped engineer.

Are there any parts of your Tufts experience that helped prepare you for your co-op?

Yes, there are. The Human Factors program at Tufts is really great. The things that we learn at Tufts are perfect for anyone who does not know the fundamentals. Taking the core courses, like human-machine systems and computer interface design, gives the brief background and fundamental knowledge that you need, and then eventually you can pick the tracks that you want to focus on (for HF in Medical Devices, I highly recommend Dr. Tzamaras’ ENP 163, Dr. Durrani’s ENP 111, and Professor Wiklund’s ENP 109 and ENP 110).

Advice for students considering a co-op?

If you have an option to work as a co-op, instead of graduating a semester early, I’d highly recommend choosing the co-op. Especially in engineering, you're going to feel a lot more prepared to enter the job market knowing that you've worked with real devices. I cannot emphasize enough that companies trust you more if they know that you completed a co-op with them or another competitor company. That’s one of the major reasons why I got an opportunity to return to Johnson & Johnson MedTech as a full-time engineer, because I was able to get the experience as a co-op previously.

If you're actively looking for a co-op opportunity, try to connect with your professors who are in practice, and get to know other industry professionals through them. For medical devices, I don't think there's a better resource out there than Tufts professors. I know I wouldn't have gotten this co-op opportunity if it wasn't for the support of my professors (especially Dr. Haroula Tzamaras).

How did your co-op change your understanding of human factors engineering?

I don't think I knew enough about my work until I stepped into my co-op. I realized there were many things I didn't know that I hadn't even been aware of. After the co-op experience, I knew exactly what I needed to focus on through the rest of my Tufts degree, so I could pick and choose the exact courses that I wanted to take because I had identified my strengths and weaknesses during the co-op.

How has your co-op experience changed your career path?

Before my co-op, my work in UX often felt exhausting with very little impact. Now, I feel like my effort has a real impact, and that's incredibly rewarding. 

What are you doing now?

I'm a full-time engineer for Human Factors at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Heart Recovery. I credit my co-op experience for helping me land this position. My participation in this program allowed people to trust me more, which helped me land the job. It took a lot of time and patience, but I think right now I'm quite happy with where I am and what I'm doing.

Martin Ugwuoke

Program: M.S. in Bioengineering
Co-Op Position: Upstream Process Development Modeling
Co-Op Employer: Pfizer

What led you to the Master’s in Bioengineering program at Tufts?

I chose Tufts because it's located near Boston, which is one of the country's largest biotechnology hotspots, with plenty of industry opportunities. It was also one of the few universities that offered a dedicated bioengineering program. The faculty, curriculum, and opportunity to complete a six-month co-op all contributed to my decision too. 

How did you find your co-op?

I would attend the coffee chats in Curtis Hall with Associate Director of Graduate Career Services Matt Casey, where he shared career advice and information about co-op opportunities. Matt Casey sent out job openings from different companies like Pfizer and I applied. Pfizer recruited co-op students directly from universities. After interviewing with the team I'd be working with, I received an offer. 

What was your co-op experience like?

I had the opportunity to work with Pfizer's CHO cell line, which is used to generate data for modeling purposes. It's a cell line that we use to make protein for inflammatory diseases for lungs. My experiment involved running multiple conditions on two CHO cell lines using Ambr15, a high throughput machine with multiple bioreactors. My work was to monitor the metabolite data, growth profiles, and contamination as well as all the changes and errors during the period of cell growth.

All the data I gathered was fed to the model. I collaborated with our principal scientist in Chenai, India who was developing the model and needed data from my experiment at different points in time to give the model enough data to be a robust system. With this data the model will be able to predict the best experiment to run for that particular cell line, or any cell line, reducing the number of experiments required for a process development in the future. 

How did the co-op change your path forward?

When I started the co-op, I had no idea what the industry looked like, I was just there to learn. I intended to finish the co-op, graduate, and then apply for a job. However, midway through the experience, I realized that earning a Ph.D. would provide greater long-term opportunities in the field. That realization inspired me to apply to Ph.D. programs next fall.

What advice would you give to a graduate student considering a co-op?

For students who feel as uncertain as I did when applying, I'd recommend taking on leadership opportunities whenever possible. Leadership demonstrates that you can manage responsibility and perform under pressure. If you're not involved in research, highlight the relevant coursework on your resume. Most importantly, keep applying—to large companies, small companies, and everything in between. Stay open-minded. 

Anything else to share?

The Pfizer co-op experience was good, because the team I worked with were really helpful. Being in a co-op is about being there to learn, so I was asking a lot of questions, and they didn’t mind answering those questions. If you happen to get a co-op, ask questions. I kept on asking questions until my last day.

Learn more about the SOE M.S. co-op program.