Co-Op Students
What is a Kogod Co-Op?
The Kogod Cooperative Education Program (Kogod Co-Op) is part of the Kogod in Practice experiential learning initiative and provides practical, meaningful, long-term (4-12 months) paid internship experiences. Co-ops are available to all Kogod students - undergraduate, graduate, international, residential, and online - throughout their academic program. Co-op internships can be taken anytime in a student's academic program, and can lead to full-time jobs depending on the employer’s hiring needs and the student’s desire to stay on with the employer. Students will work closely with their academic advisor to identify the best time to take their co-op within their academic program.
Students can apply their classroom knowledge in a supportive workplace while being actively engaged with best practice business tools and skills in a hands-on learning environment. Students can experience different functions and industries, practice industry skills, and gain resume-worthy professional experience while earning credit toward their degree.
Students will be working with employers who choose to partner with the Kogod Co-Op program to potentially gain a talent pipeline for their company. In these long-term internships, students gain focused training via an established co-op program, stronger industry skills, and deeper relationships with their co-op employers that can lead to a full-time job offer.
What is the Difference Between a Co-op and a Traditional Internship, and How Do Co-ops Benefit Students?
- Students spend a longer time in a co-op (4-12 months) versus a traditional internship (generally 3 months). Students in long-term co-op internships can gain deeper employer relationships and understanding of the employer’s culture and business needs.
- A Kogod/employer partnership leads to a higher chance of landing an internship and higher likelihood of the student being hired full-time after their long-term co-op internship. The co-op employers partner with Kogod because they want to hire Kogod students!
- All students receive an orientation, tools for success, a Kogod co-op coordinator, a co-op employer supervisor, and performance reviews. The Kogod co-op coordinator and employer supervisor will collaborate regularly to support the co-op student’s performance and development.
- A student does a co-op as an elective credit toward their degree, and their co-op experience will appear on their transcript.
- Students can be paid a higher rate than a traditional internship; this varies based on the industry and job market, but students working in the US can receive up to $35 per hour.
- Students can join the co-op applicant pool every semester to have access to jobs from Kogod’s co-op employer partners, providing valuable opportunities to build their resume.
All Kogod students (masters level and undergraduates) are eligible to apply. All students must have elective credits that can be put toward the internship, and at least one semester remaining in their degree. Generally, students are required to provide 15-40 hours per week for co-ops.
Co-Op Eligibility for International Students
All students holding visas will need to first meet with their academic advisor and AU’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office before enrolling in a co-op internship or any internship for guidance on the requirements related to their visa type. International students may be eligible to participate in co-ops as internships for credit (Curricular Practical Training "CPT") if they apply at the start of their academic semester or term and depending on their visa requirements.
Co-Op Requirements for All Participating Students
Students must commit to completing at least a 4-month co-op cycle and can continue with that co-op for up to 12 months (in total), depending on the co-op employer’s program. Students must remain in good academic standing throughout their co-op. Students must register the co-op for credit every semester they are participating(in summer, fall, and spring semesters or within their four academic terms);the AU/Kogod advisors will confirm the student’s academic standing and eligibility to apply for an internship for credit. Academic advisors, faculty, and the Kogod co-op coordinator will work with students to support their success in the co-op and make any needed adjustments to the students’ co-op schedule; students who are not in good academic standing have a second chance to continue in the program once they make needed adjustments.
Students must participate in and complete the co-op orientation, which introduces the co-op process and prepares students with tools and skills for their co-op work experience.
US Students can begin working as early as December once they have completed all first-year (or first two terms) academic requirements and are in good academic standing with a minimum of 3.0 GPA; students must complete a standard co-op internship for credit form with their Kogod/AU academic advisor stating they are on track to finish their first year in good academic standing. The co-op work schedule is conducive to their academic schedule.
Co-Ops Schedule
Kogod students can opt to participate in a 4-12 month co-op internship, per their academic schedules and the employer’s co-op internship needs. The co-op must be at least 4 months in duration. The employer may be willing to extend the co-op to a second rotation with the same co-op employee, depending on the co-op employer’s program and the student’s job performance.While participating in a co-op, the student’s general academic schedule can remain the same and students don’t need to extend the timeframe of their academic program to be in a co-op. Students must first meet with their academic advisor to discuss co-op schedule possibilities per their available elective credits. The co-op student can apply up to 6 credits toward co-ops, depending on the number of electives within their specific academic program (whether undergraduate or masters level). A co-op internship can be taken as an elective in Summer, Fall & Spring or within a student’s academic term. Students should first check in with their academic advisor to devise the best way to use their electives for their co-op internship.
Students may take each co-op cycle with a different employer or take two or three consecutive cycles with the same employer unless the student is international (see below section: International Students).
The co-op student can spread their elective credits consecutively over Summer, Fall and Spring, or across their academic terms, as they prefer and per the direction of their academic advisor. For example, students could participate in the Summer (1 credit) and work full-time, in Fall (1 credit) and work part-time, and in Spring (1 credit) and work part-time; or they could do 2 credits in the summer and 1 credit in the Fall, or 2 in Fall and 1 in Spring, etc.
Students are encouraged to spread out their co-op credits over at least two consecutive semesters, if the length of the co-op allows. Students must work a minimum of 70 hours for one credit in one semester (an average of 5 hours/week over 14 weeks), however students may work more than 70 hours in one semester (for one credit) if they choose. If a student chooses to take two credits for a co-op, the student must work a minimum of 140 hours/semester; if three credits then 210 hours/semester. Overall, students can work up to 40 hours per week maximum, to adequately manage their class/homework schedules.
Students are strongly encouraged to work part-time during their academic schedules, to make adequate time for classes and related class work. Students are expected to manage their time for both class and co-op schedules, and must perform well in their classes, as well as in the co-op, to finish their degree.
Employer Expectations (Performance Evaluations)
Student Expectations
Hiring Expectations
Federal and State Labor Laws
The Kogod co-op coordinator will be available to the co-op student employee throughout the co-op to address any needs and ensure the success of the co-op student and overall program.
If the co-op employee does not meet the employer’s reasonable employment policies, procedures, and standards and/or has poor performance reviews, the employer must immediately inform the Kogod co-op coordinator. The Kogod co-op coordinator will work with the co-op student to identify the challenges, any additional needs for support, and opportunities for success in the co-op. The employer may terminate the co-op employment opportunity if the co-op employee continues not to meet the employer’s reasonable performance expectations, policies, procedures and standards.
Co-op student employees may only leave their co-op role for another job (part-time or full-time) if necessary due to an unresolvable employment issue. The student’s consistent participation in the co-op is for academic growth, gaining industry tools and skills, and offering value to the co-op employer partner. In their co-op roles, co-op employees are expected to perform their work responsibly and accurately and participate with commitment and diligence.
If the co-op job has a need for overtime, weekends, or irregular hours outside of the original co-op schedule, the co-op employer must first confer with the Kogod co-op coordinator and the co-op student employee to confirm that these hours are feasible for the co-op student employee to carry out and do not conflict with the co-op student’s academic studies. The student may decide not to work those overtime/weekend/irregular hours if it conflicts with their academic studies/schedule. The co-op employer may not impose any repercussions on the co-op employee if the co-op employee decides not to work those hours.
Students may choose to work these extra hours with their co-op organization after graduation if they become full-time employees of that co-op organization. If a student would like to work part-time for another employer while on a co-op, they must first obtain permission from the co-op employer and their Kogod co-op coordinator.
The co-op student must be in good academic standing to participate and remain in the co-op program. The student can be suspended from the co-op program if not in good academic standing. However, the employer may choose to continue or terminate the employment of the suspended student.
The co-op student will inform the university co-op coordinator of a permanent job offer made to the student at the end of the co-op program. The student may not begin working in a permanent full-time role with the co-op employer prior to graduation.
Co-op employers have responsibility for providing the co-op job description, interviews, and employee evaluations related to the co-op employment. The employer will reach out directly to the student candidate to make the offer. The employer must give the student up to 2 weeks to accept the offer. Students can work up to 40 hours per week maximum, to adequately manage their class/homework schedules. If a student would like to work part-time for another employer while on a co-op, they must first obtain permission from the co-op employer and their Kogod co-op coordinator. The employer can extend the co-op to a second rotation , depending on the co-op employer’s program and the student’s job performance.
American University’s Kogod School of Business is committed to equitable placement of our co-op students and does not tolerate or condone discrimination against a student, whether on or off campus. All Kogod students may apply for co-op jobs per their skills and interests and will be interviewed and hired for a co-op role by the co-op employer per an equitable application and interview process, without consideration of gender, race, color, religion, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, transgender status, national origin, genetic information or disability.
Co-ops that span multiple semesters must have different components every semester—whether this be rotating the student to a different department or assigning them to a new project. In general, the co-op employer is encouraged to offer varied functional experiences to the co-op student employee to provide the co-op employee with diverse tools and skills. The job’s technical level is expected to expand as the co-op employee demonstrates competency and progresses through the co-op program.
If the co-op job has need for additional hours outside of the original co-op schedule, including overtime, double shifts or weekends, the employer will first confer with the Kogod co-op coordinator and co-op student employee regarding any requests outside of the original co-op schedule. The co-op student will experience no employment/termination repercussions if they decide not to work those overtime/weekend/irregular hours while they are in the co-op program and while they remain a Kogod student. Students can choose to work these extra hours with their co-op organization after graduation if they become a full-time employee of that co-op organization.
The co-op employer must inform the university co-op coordinator of any permanent job offer made to the co-op student employee at the end of the co-op program. The employer will also inform the university co-op coordinator of the co-op student employee’s job performance, any co-op schedule-related needs, termination, impending layoffs or any changes or issues that might impact the co-op student employee.
As the co-op employer and co-op employee have an employer-employee relationship, Federal, State and Local labor laws may apply. The following are a few helpful sites.
- The Department of Labor at https://www.dol.gov/ and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission https://www.eeoc.gov/ for employment laws covering matters such as wages, overtime pay, occupational health and safety, benefits, discrimination and sexual harassment.
- Fact Sheet #13: Employment Relationship Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) available at: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/13-flsa-employment-relationship#:~:text=Fact Sheet 13: Employment Relationship Under the Fair,Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or an independent contractor.
- The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 at https://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/senate-bill/1200
All Kogod students are invited to apply. Please refer to the specific job description for the co-op that you’re interested in to see the employer’s expectations on prior experience.
Complete the co-op pool application, work with your academic advisor and the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) to confirm your visa requirements for employment and attend a co-op information session, and complete an internship for credit (CPT) form. See “Expectations” section.
The first Kogod co-op cohort launched in Spring 2021.
- Apply to an applicant pool during the application period.
- The Kogod in Practice team and the Kogod academic advisors will review all applicants for eligibility based on GPA, number of remaining elective credits, and visa status for international students.
- If you are eligible, you will be invited to join the co-op student pool. The pool gives you access to job postings from a variety of employer partners, and you will be notified every time a new job becomes available.
- Students MUST confirm with their academic advisors before applying to any of the co-op postings to ensure it fits within their degree requirements.
- Students will apply directly to job postings from the employer, and will likely need to provide their resume, provide a cover letter, and answer any additional information asked on the specific job posting.
You are obliged to ask your employer for permission if you can take on a separate employment opportunity during the duration of your co-op; you should also speak with your academic advisor to understand how a new job opportunity might affect your academic program.
Students (US and international) would need to pay for the co-op elective credit(s) for any semester or term they elect to take the co-op. As graduate tuition is billed on a per credit basis, students will be billed per credit enrolled in co-ops. International students do not pay any additional fees beyond the cost of the co-op elective credit.
Yes! Fulbright participants may use their Fulbright funding to pay for full- or part-time co-ops, but they must first confirm with the Fulbright commission within their home country, as each country may have its own unique restrictions on how a student may apply their funding.
If a student works more than the minimum co-op work hours, the student will not need to pay more for the credit. However, international students may not work more than the minimum required hours, cannot participate in a co-op unless it is part of their academic program, and must obtain academic credit for their work. If US/domestic students finish their 3 co-op credit hours, they can choose to continue with the co-op and at that point will no longer have academic requirements.
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