Why should your organization participate?

• Save budget dollars by hiring students to perform relevant engineering tasks
• Evaluate potential permanent hires over an extended period of employment
• Participate in both academic and on-the-job career preparation of engineering students
• Enhance your employer image with exposure via the Co-op Office and students
• Establish a cooperative relationship with The Cockrell School of Engineering and The University of Texas at Austin

Student Process

Because the Co-op Program is a fully-sanctioned academic program, students must apply to participate. Typically, students apply one semester before they plan to begin work. In order to be approved, students must meet the following prerequisites:

1. Student must be an undergraduate in The Cockrell School of Engineering.
2. Student must have at least 28 hours of completed coursework, including:

An introductory course in their engineering discipline
            8 hours of Calculus (M 408C & D or M 408KL&M) and
            8 hours of Physics (PHY 303K & L; PHY 103M & N)

3. Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 overall and 2.0 Engineering GPA throughout the Co-op Program.
4. First-year and transfer students must have completed at least one full semester of engineering at UT Austin.
5. Must have at least 12 hours of remaining degree requirements to complete after the final co-op work term.

• Student commits to working at least two semesters with the same co-op employer.

• Student must register for the co-op course before each work term and pay applicable tuition and fees.

• Student must submit a work term assignment for each co-op semester, which includes a technical report and performance evaluations. Co-op students receive academic credit upon successful completion of the program.

Employer Expectations

To ensure our students receive the best possible experience, please follow the guidelines below:

1.   Provide the student with multiple co-op work terms. 

--Work terms are determined between the employer and student, typically based on work needs and student performance.
--The work terms can either be alternating semesters or one long semester back-to-back with a summer semester (i.e. Spring/Summer or Summer/Fall).

2.  Educate students by having them perform technical engineering work relevant to their academic discipline.
3.  Provide direct supervision by an engineer.
4.  Review student’s work term assignment and complete a performance evaluation for each semester of work.
5.  Maintain communication with the Co-op Office regarding recruitment and student performance.

Recruiting Co-ops

The Engineering Career Assistance Center (ECAC) coordinates student recruitment for available co-op positions, in addition to summer internships and permanent hires. The first step is to get registered with ECAC. Please contact an ECAC Recruiting Coordinator to begin setting up your account.

Once you have registered, you will have access to all of our recruitment services, including:

• On-campus interviewing

• Online job postings

• Resume database search

• Career Fairs

The Co-op Office can also assist in recruitment efforts by promoting recruiting activities, announcing job postings, and connecting you with potential candidates. Please call (512) 471-5954 for more information on additional ways to reach co-op students.