Welcome
What is CO-OP?
About the Co-op Program - The Cooperative Education Program (or Co-op Program) is a partnership between students, employers, and the university. It is a distinctive form of experiential education, which integrates classroom theory with practical experience. Students have the opportunity to work in their chosen career field prior to graduation.
The program integrates a rotation of school and employment terms that enables the co-op student to complement his or her formal classroom training with additional knowledge, hands-on experience, and paid work experiences. The co-op program is structured to allow students to obtain a total of twelve months of paid work experience without extending their graduation date beyond the traditional four years. The advantage over the usual five-year co-op program is obvious. Students can enter the job market earlier, they do not delay their graduation date, they graduate with their classmates and there is a savings of a full year of tuition.
The co-op program is available to all undergraduate business majors, with the exeception of Food Marketing.
(The Food Marketing Department administers their own co-op program.) Students must have at least a 2.5 grade point average and have earned 30 credit hours in order to be eligible to begin thier first work term. Students register for the program during their freshman year.
The Co-op staff assists students with resume preparation and interviewing skills. Staff members also develop the co-op opportunities with employers, who are local, regional and national. The co-op office works with students individually to try and place them in appropriate assignments. Placement is not guaranteed, but in most cases, students find appropriate positions. The average hourly rate for a first term co-op during the fall runs between $10.00 and $17.00 an hour.
Work Schedule:
| CLASS | FALL | SPRING | SUMMER |
| Freshman | Study | Study | Study |
| Sophomore | Work | Study | Study |
| Junior | Study | Work | Work |
| Senior | Study | Study/Graduate |
Please call or visit the Co-op office as soon as possible. We're located in Mandeville Hall, 2nd Floor- Room 289, and our number is (610) 660-1934. We'll give you an application packet and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to helping you take advantage of Saint Joseph's University Co-op.
OUR WAY OF LEARNING IS WORKING!