School of Engineering

Co-Op Programs

Students sitting outside the SEC

The cooperative education (co-op) program in the School of Engineering gives students in selected majors the chance to take what they are learning in class and apply it in the real world through a semester of paid, full-time work. During a co-op, students work under engineers and professionals to tackle real engineering problems, build valuable technical and professional skills, and gain confidence in the workplace. The experience helps students explore career paths, grow their professional networks, and graduate with meaningful hands-on experience that sets them apart.

Before beginning their off-campus work, co-op students from the school of engineering must complete ES85 Professional Preparation for Cooperative Education and any academic requirements in their department.  ES85 is a one-credit course that provides a foundation in basic employment competencies such as professionalism, business etiquette, ethics in the workplace, basic resume and interviewing skills, and other job skills related to working in technical fields.  Some departments require completion of additional coursework, or an application based on academic planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A: Working on consultation with the Dean of Undergraduate Education, departments determine which of their degree programs are eligible to participate in the School’s co-op program. Currently the following majors are permitted to participate: BSBME (Department of Biomedical Engineering Department); BSCE & BSEvE (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering); BSCS & BSDS (Department of Computer Science); BSEE & BSCPE (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering), and BSME & BS-HFE (Department of Mechanical Engineering).

  • A. No. Students pursuing other majors are encouraged to explore alternative opportunities for experiential learning.

  • A: The cooperative education program in the School of Engineering is optional for students pursuing majors that participate in the program.

  • A. Students should contact the career center and the co-op advisor in their department. Students must be eligible to work in the United States. International students should also contact the I-Center to discuss pathways to participating in the co-op program.

  • A. The sophomore year is a good target to take ES85 Professional Preparation for Cooperative Education. Students interested in a co-op term are strongly encouraged to begin planning with their academic advisor as early as possible. The course must be completed prior to starting the co-op term. The most common time to complete a co-op term is during the junior year.

  • A: No. Academic approval is required to join the co-op program. Participation in the co-op program allows you to seek co-op employment. Participation in the co-op program does not guarantee that you will be offered a co-op job. Organizations offering co-op opportunities make their own employment decisions.

  • A: Available co-op opportunities are posted in Handshake by the Career Center staff for students participating in the co-op program. In addition, students bring an opportunity they developed to Career Center. The Career Center must approve all co-op opportunities.

  • A: Students who receive more than one offer must decline the additional offers so the company can offer the position you are declining to another student.

  • A: Upon confirmation of accepting your co-op placement, the Career Center will communicate your plans to participate in a co-op semester to the Registrar’s office. The Registrar’s office will update your record accordingly.

  • A: The Registrar’s office will drop your courses when they receive notice from the Career Center that you are approved for a co-op term.

  • A: Yes, students are active, full-time students at Tufts during their co-op term. This means, for example, that co-op students are eligible to stay in on-campus housing, use the library, attend events, and participate in varsity or club athletics. This full-time student status means that students loans can be deferred during a co-op term.

  • A: Students are not charged tuition during their co-op term. However, because students remain full-time students during their co-op term, they are charged mandatory fees such as the student activity fee and the student health and wellness fee. In addition, students must remain covered by a qualifying health insurance plan during their co-op term.

  • A: Tufts has an eight-semester residency requirement that must be fulfilled to graduate. Co-op terms do not count as a semester of residency. That is, the co-op term does not count toward the residency requirement. For information on the residency requirement see the General Undergraduate Policies and Information section of The Bulletin and related guidance provided by academic advising.

  • A: Possibly. While the co-op semester does not count towards the residency requirement, some students fulfill a semester of residency through pre-matriculation credits and/or Tufts summer courses. Many co-op students take four and a half academic years to complete their degree with one co-op term.

  • A: Students will not receive financial aid during a co-op term because they are not charged tuition. Tufts assumes that co-op students will be paid enough during their co-op term to cover their living expenses. Co-op earnings will not count towards your financial aid eligibility when you apply for financial aid in future years. Contact the Financial Aid office for further details.

  • A: International students may participate via Curricular Practical Training (CPT). For all queries regarding international student participation in the co-op program, please contact the International Center.

  • A. No. Students are prohibited from taking courses at Tufts during their co-op term.  Courses taken outside of Tufts during a co-op term may not be transferred into Tufts.