What is Co-op?

One of Northeastern’s major draws is the Co-op Program, but explaining it to incoming freshmen, family, or friends outside of Northeastern can be hard. Here is a brief overview to put co-op simply for when your grandma asks, “what do you mean you’re not taking classes?”

Co-op is a four- to six-month, full-time job within your field of study. While you’re on co-op, you don’t have to take any courses. You rotate from classes to co-op each semester, so that you can learn more in between co-ops. If you’re worried about finding a co-op as soon as you get to campus: don’t fret. You can only go on co-op after you’ve completed your fall semester of your second year. And, most co-ops are entry-level positions, but vary in requirements depending upon your prior experience. In your time at Northeastern, you can do up to three co-ops, but you don’t have to do any co-ops. Northeastern really stresses experiential learning, and co-op is a great way to test the waters in your field, see if you want to make any changes in your studies, and build your resume while (usually) getting paid.

At this point, you might be feeling overwhelmed. Luckily, Northeastern helps you to find your perfect fit from their exclusive database with thousands of job listings. All students are also required to take a one-credit, co-op course the semester before their first co-op. In this course, the instructor goes through how to use the database, helps you build a resume, practices interviews, and prepares you for entering the workforce. There are so many options to choose from in the co-op program, but if you can’t find the perfect fit, you can always create your own.

In terms of my own experience, my second co-op was at MSNBC this past fall. My core responsibilities included transcribing the late night shows from the day before, pitching and writing for the Morning Primer segment, creating full-screen graphics, making a guest information list for the anchor, and clipping the segments for YouTube. I learned so much about production and it was surreal seeing and hearing my work on television broadcast across the world. But, I found that it’s not quite what I’m interested in, which I’m happy to know now rather than after I enter the workforce.

I’ve also talked with other students who have co-ops in fields entirely different from mine. One of my classmates just worked at The Hague for the United Nations in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, one of my roommates is in nursing, so she co-oped in the emergency room of a major Boston hospital, drawing blood and assisting the nurses. I’ve had friends in the past few months go to Beijing while working at Amazon, work at start-ups in Bali, move to Uganda to work in public health, and more.

Co-op prepares you for the real world through hands-on exposure to your potential field. It’s a great way to discover more precisely what you want to do and the type of work environment you like. So, when a relative asks you about taking the semester off, you can tell them about your hands-on learning experience. With co-op, the possibilities are truly endless.

Check out our other student blog posts about co-op below:

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