A co-op search is the period of time when the student is applying to co-op jobs, participating in interviews, and considering offers. The requirements in this section must be met before a student can engage in any of these search activities and they must continue to be met during the entire search. See Accepting
and Working at a co-op Job for additional information and rules that apply to accepting offers and during the co-op job.

1. Complete the Intent to co-op process by departmental deadline, receive authorization to begin a search, and meet with the assigned co-op coordinator.
2. Authorization is granted to search during specific semester (Spring, Summer, Fall), and the authorization applies to co-op jobs that would be worked during a specific semester (e.g., a student searching in Fall may be approved to search for a Spring co-op job).
   1. Students may be approved to search for a co-op for at most one Summer/Fall cycle and one Spring cycle.
   2. Students who do not secure a co-op placement during their first co-op search may request to extend their search by one semester.
      1. All eligibility requirements still apply, and such an extension can be requested at most once.
      2. To continue searching into another semester, students must complete the Intent to co-op process a second time.
      3. Students are responsible for communicating with their program to learn more about this process, including the deadline for completing the Intent to Co-op process.
         1. Bioengineering
         2. Chemical Engineering
         3. Civil & Environmental Engineering
         4. Electrical & Computer Engineering, Internet of Things, and Wireless & Network Engineering
         5. Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
         6. Product Development offered through the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education
         7. Multidisciplinary Graduate Engineering (MGEN)
3. The student’s academic record must demonstrate a high level of success, including:
   1. No missing grades.
   2. No incomplete grades (grade of I).
   3. No grade of W in the most recent Spring/Fall semester completed or in progress.
   4. No more than one repeated/substituted course.
   5. No academic probation or disciplinary issues.
   6. A cumulative GPA of 3.200 or higher.
      1. Courses transferred from other institutions, or from Northeastern’s CPS, do not factor into a student’s overall GPA, and as such are not used to determine co-op eligibility.
4. The student must be enrolled full-time at a campus which offers co-op.
   1. The student must have completed a full-time Fall or Spring semester at the Boston, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, or Silicon Valley/San José campus.
   2. During Fall or Spring, the student must be enrolled full time and have been enrolled full time in the immediate previous Fall or Spring semester to be authorized to search.
   3. During Summer, the student must have been enrolled full-time in the previous Fall and Spring semesters to be authorized to search.
5. Students searching during a Fall or Spring semester must meet the semester-hour requirements indicated in the table below.
   1. Students must have earned the minimum number of semester hours in the “Minimum Earned Hours” column below and must have either earned or be on track to earn at least the number of semester hours in the “Minimum Earned or In-Progress” column for their program.
   2. Students must have no more than the number of semester hours in the “Maximum Attempted Hours” column earned or attempted at the time they begin their search, and they must not be on track to earn more than the number of semester hours in the “Maximum Attempted and In-Progress Hours” column before the start of their co-op (i.e., the end of their search).
      

      Program	Minimum Earned Hours	Minimum Earned or In-Progress Hours	Maximum Attempted Hours	Maximum Attempted and In-Progress Hours
      Master’s (32SH)	8SH	16SH	24SH	28SH
      Master’s (32SH) Global Pathways	12SH	20SH	24SH	28SH
      Master’s (40SH) Academic Link	16SH	24SH	32SH	36SH

      SH in the table above do not include “Career Management for Engineers” (ENCP 6000), “Introduction to Co-op” (ENCP 6100), or “Principles of Bioengineering” (BIOE 6000). Master’s students who are also enrolled in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business graduate certificate in “Supply Change Manage” may have one additional attempted hour attempted and in-progress (29SH/37SH) with one 4SH College of Engineering course required in their degree.

6. Students searching during a Summer semester must meet the semester-hour requirements indicated in the table below.
   1. Students must have earned the minimum number of semester hours in the “Minimum Earned Hours” column below and must have either earned or be on track to earn at least the number of semester hours in the “Minimum Earned or In-Progress” column for their program.
   2. Students must have no more than the number of semester hours in the “Maximum Attempted Hours” column earned or attempted at the time they begin their search, and they must not be on track to earn more than the number of semester hours in the “Maximum Attempted and In-Progress Hours” column before the start of their co op (i.e., the end of their search).
      

      Program	Minimum Earned Hours	Maximum Attempted Hours	Maximum Attempted and In-Progress Hours
      Master’s (32SH)	16SH	24SH	28SH
      Master’s (32SH) Global Pathways	20SH	24SH	28SH
      Master’s (40SH) Academic Link	24SH	32SH	36SH

      SH in the table above do not include “Career Management for Engineers” (ENCP 6000), “Introduction to Co-op” (ENCP 6100), or “Principles of Bioengineering” (BIOE 6000). Master’s students who are also enrolled in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business graduate certificate in “Supply Change Manage” may have one additional attempted hour attempted and in-progress (29SH/37SH) with one 4SH College of Engineering course required in their degree.

7. Successfully complete or be enrolled in the appropriate section of “Career Management for Engineers” (ENCP 6000) or “Introduction to Co-op” (ENCP 6100). Students in the Robotics program should register based on their selected concentration.
   

   Bioengineering	ENCP 6100 sections 10–19
   Chemical Engineering	ENCP 6100 sections 20–29
   Civil & Environmental Engineering	ENCP 6100 sections 30–39
   Electrical & Computer Engineering, Internet of Things, and Wireless & Network Engineering	ENCP 6100 sections 40–49
   Mechanical & Industrial Engineering	ENCP 6100 sections 50–89
   Product Development	ENCP 6100 sections 50–89
   Multidisciplinary Graduate Engineering (MGEN)	ENCP 6000 all sections

   Waivers to ENCP:
   ENCP 6100: Students who have taken an equivalent course or who have significant prior U.S.-based work experience can apply to have this requirement waived. Visit the ENCP 6100 Waiver Request.
   ENCP 6000: Students who have taken an equivalent course can apply to have this requirement waived. Visit ENCP 6000 Waiver Request.

8. Students must agree to either the COE Departmental Co-op Performance Agreement or the COE MGEN Co-op Performance Agreement.
   1. co-op performance standards encourage professional and ethical behaviors throughout the co-op process and clarify procedures required for the continued success of our students and the co-op program. The College of Engineering co-op Performance Standards are communicated to all students in the “Career Management for Engineers” (ENCP 6000) / “Introduction to Cooperative Education” (ENCP 6100) course as part of their preparation for the co-op experience. The standards establish co-op professional expectations of the student throughout the co-op search process and during the co-op term and address co-op related issues that may involve performance.
   2. A student who in the process of seeking a cooperative education experience and is disqualified because of violation of co-op performance standards is ineligible to seek a future cooperative education experience. In other words, the student forfeits the opportunity to participate in co-op.
9. Students in a thesis-option program must have written permission from their thesis advisor to participate in a co-op search.
10. International students must also:
    1. Have a valid I-20/DS-2019.
    2. Demonstrate sufficient English proficiency in one of the following ways:
       1. Complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree at an accredited institution which conducts classes in English, located within the United States of America, Canada (excluding Quebec), United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Australia, or New Zealand.
       2. Achieve a TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score based on the student’s program.  Co-op does not accept the “MyBest” score from TOEFL; scores must be from a single test session.
          

          Program	TOEFL	IELTS	Duolingo
          Advanced & Intelligent Manufacturing Bioengineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Data Analytics Engineering* Energy Systems* Energy Systems – Academic Link* Engineering & Public Policy Engineering Management* Environmental Engineering Human Factors* Industrial Engineering* Internet of Things Mechanical Engineering* Operations Research* Pharmaceutical Engineering Product Development Robotics with concentration in Electrical Engineering Robotics with concentration in Mechanical Engineering* Sustainable Building Systems Wireless & Network Engineering	95	7.0	120
          Electrical & Computer Engineering Electrical & Computer Engineering Leadership	90 (admission Fall 2022 or earlier) 95 (admission Spring 2023 or later)	7.0	120
          Computer Systems Engineering ** Cyber-Physical Systems ** Data Architecture & Management ** Information Systems ** Information Systems Bridge ** Software Engineering Systems ** Telecommunication Networks **	79	6.5	105

          * The Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department offers “Technical Writing and Professional Development” (MEIE 6800) to master’s degree students within one of their programs as an opportunity to demonstrate English proficiency. Students within this department may inquire about this course at MIEgradcoop@northeastern.edu.

          ** The MGEN Co-op Unit offers “Communication for Engineers” (CSYE 6700) to master’s degree students within one of their programs as an opportunity to demonstrate and enhance English proficiency. Students within this department may inquire about this course at MGENCoop@northeastern.edu.

11. Additionally, the following guidelines apply to co-op search eligibility:
    1. Students may participate in only one co-op experience during their Master’s program. A student who participates in a co-op at the Master’s level cannot search for a second co-op.
    2. Students must be approved to search before engaging in a search.
    3. Students may not apply for jobs outside of the Northeastern co-op job database prior to meeting these search eligibility guidelines and receiving approval via their program’s authorization process.
    4. These guidelines apply for jobs both domestic (within the US) and global.
    5. Students changing degree programs must meet all co-op eligibility requirements for the new program to participate in co-op. Students are encouraged to discuss the impact of changing programs with the appropriate co-op team before or during the application process.
    6. Students who are dismissed from or resign from a co-op job for circumstances under their control will receive a U (unsatisfactory) grade for co-op work experience and be ineligible for other future co-op experiences.
    7. Any exceptions to the above requirements need to be approved by the appropriate program’s co-op team. Individual co-op teams may implement additional requirements or guidelines that supplement these college-wide requirements and guidelines.
       1. Bioengineering
       2. Chemical Engineering
       3. Civil & Environmental Engineering
       4. Electrical & Computer Engineering, Internet of Things, and Wireless & Network Engineering
       5. Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
       6. Product Development offered through the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education
       7. Multidisciplinary Graduate Engineering (MGEN)
    8. Students who wish to appeal the decision of their program’s co-op faculty may do so by submitting an appeal to the COE co-op Standing Committee, whose decision is final. For instructions on submitting an appeal please email your co-op team at the address listed above.
    9. MSIS Bridge students are eligible to go on co-op when they have completed at least 21SH of qualifying coursework.
       1. INFO 5001 and DAMG 6105 are conditional courses for MSIS Bridge pathway and do not count towards co-op search eligibility.

1. In order to accept and start working at a co-op job, a student must have received authorization to search for the specific term.
   For all requirements to gain approval to search, see: Beginning a co-op Search.
2. The student’s academic record must demonstrate a high level of success, including:
   1. No missing grades.
   2. No incomplete grades (grade of I).
   3. No grade of W in the most recent Spring/Fall semester completed or in progress.
   4. No more than one repeated/substituted course.
   5. No academic probation or disciplinary issues.
   6. A cumulative GPA of 3.200 or higher.
      1. Courses transferred from other institutions, or from Northeastern’s CPS, do not factor into a student’s overall GPA, and as such are not used to determine co-op eligibility.
3. Before starting a co-op job, the student must have completed two full-time academic Spring or Fall semesters, and meet the semester hours outlined below:
   

   Program	Minimum	Maximum
   Master’s (32SH)	16SH earned	28SH
   Master’s (32SH) Global Pathways	20SH earned	28SH
   Master’s (40SH) Academic Link	24SH earned	36SH

   SH in the box above do not include “Career Management for Engineers” (ENCP 6000), “Introduction to Co-op” (ENCP 6100), or “Principles of Bioengineering” (BIOE 6000). Master’s students who are also enrolled in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business graduate certificate in “Supply Change Manage” may have one additional completed semester hour (29SH/37SH) with one 4SH College of Engineering course required in their degree.

4. The student must return to campus for at least one semester (at least 4SH) after the co-op work experience.
5. The student must have successfully completed “Career Management for Engineers” (ENCP 6000) or “Introduction to Co-op” (ENCP 6100).For more details, see: Beginning a co-op Search.
6. Students may participate in one co-op experience during their master’s program.
   1. The co-op experience must be with a single company.
   2. The length may be one of the following:
      1. 4-months (Spring, Fall, or Full Summer)
      2. 6-months (Spring plus Summer 1; or Summer 2 plus Fall)
      3. 8-months (Spring plus Full Summer; or Full Summer plus Fall)
   3. Fall plus Spring is never allowed; Spring plus Fall is never allowed.
7. Full time co-ops are required to be 35-40 hours per week; an exception to 32 hours per week may be permitted if the reduction is required by the co-op employer and approved by the assigned co-op coordinator. Half-time co-op positions (16-31 hours/week) may be approved in certain cases with the expectation that students take a minimum number of credits concurrently to maintain their full-time student status; such cases must be approved by the co-op coordinator, co-op employer and student services. If you are an international student on a F-1, J-1 or other visa, you must also check with the Office of Global Services (OGS) for further approval.
8. International students must also:
   1. Have a valid I-20/DS-2019
   2. Obtain CPT/AT authorization and approval for any paid or unpaid work experience prior to starting work.
   3. Comply with all requirements of their student visa.
9. Additional Guidelines
   1. During co-op, a student’s primary focus should be on the co-op work experience.
      1. Other Work During co-op.
         Students may not hold a graduate stipend assistantship at the university during the semesters planned for co-op.
         Students should not hold any other job without prior approval from their co-op coordinator. If a student holds a second job, the co-op job must always be the priority.
      2. Courses During co-op.
         Half Time Co-op:  Students on half-time co-op are required to take one course while on co-op to maintain full-time student status. Additional courses while on half-time co-op will not be approved.
         Full Time Co-op:  Students may not take a course during full-time co-op, without special approval from their co-op department. Approval will only be granted for specific academic reasons of a required pre-requisite, or a course that only meets once, or less, per year. This option is only available to students who have completed 25SH or less (33SH or less for Academic Link students) before starting co-op. If approved, course and student must meet all of the following:
         1. The course must be online or meet after 5pm of the student’s co-op job’s time zone. The work schedule cannot be changed to accommodate a course. The final exam and any other course requirements occur on the weekend or after 5pm of the student’s co-op job’s time zone.
         2. The course cannot be during an accelerated term (i.e. summer 1, summer 2, or winter intercession).
         3. The course must not have a lab, recitation, or other co-requisite.
         4. The course must not be an Experiential Project course.
         5. The student must have demonstrated high academic excellence by holding a GPA of 3.67 or higher.
         6. The student cannot hold an on-campus job.

         For MGEN students, this policy goes into effect for summer 2023 co-op placements and beyond.

   2. Students must agree to either the COE Departmental Co-op Performance Agreement or the COE MGEN Co-op Performance Agreement.
      1. co-op performance standards encourage professional and ethical behaviors throughout the co-op process and clarify procedures required for the continued success of our students and the co-op program. The College of Engineering co-op Performance Standards are communicated to all students in the “Career Management for Engineers” (ENCP 6000) / “Introduction to Co-op” (ENCP 6100) course as part of their preparation for the co-op experience. The standards establish co-op professional expectations of the student throughout the co-op search process and during the co-op term and address co-op related issues that may involve performance.
      2. A student who is in the process of seeking a cooperative education experience and is disqualified because of violation of co-op performance standards is ineligible to seek a future cooperative education experience. In other words, the student forfeits the opportunity to participate in co-op.

During co-op, the student’s primary focus should be on the co-op work experience. Co-op jobs are full-time (35+ hours per week) demanding positions, and as such, it is not recommended that students enroll in a course while on co-op. Please see below for the policy that applies to your program of study:

Co-op Students, all programs (MIE, BioE, ChE, ECE, CEE departments, MGEN, and Centers: Internet of Things, Wireless & Network Engineering, Sherman (Product Development)):

Half Time Co-op:  Students on half-time co-op are required to take one course while on co-op to maintain full-time student status. Additional courses while on half-time co-op will not be approved.
Full Time Co-op:  Students may not take a course during full-time co-op, without special approval from their co-op department. Approval will only be granted for specific academic reasons of a required pre-requisite, or a course that only meets once, or less, per year. This option is only available to students who have completed 25SH or less (33SH or less for Academic Link students) before starting co-op. If approved, course and student must meet all of the following:

1. The course must be online or meet after 5pm of the student’s co-op job’s time zone. The work schedule cannot be changed to accommodate a course. The final exam and any other course requirements occur on the weekend or after 5pm of the student’s co-op job’s time zone.
2. The course cannot be during an accelerated term (i.e. summer 1, summer 2, or winter intercession).
3. The course must not have a lab, recitation, or other co-requisite.
4. The course must not be an Experiential Project course.
5. The student must have demonstrated high academic excellence by holding a GPA of 3.67 or higher.
6. The student cannot hold an on-campus job.

For MGEN students, this policy goes into effect for summer 2023 co-op placements and beyond.

Regular Master’s Program Plan of Study

Students who start a 32SH master’s degree program in Fall and wish to participate in co-op are encouraged to model their plan of study as shown here to maximize their co-op opportunities.

If the student successfully requests to extend their co-op search into the next cycle (see 1.b under Beginning a Co-op Search), this is the modified suggested plan of study:.

Global Pathways Entry to Master’s Program Plan of Study

Students who finish their Global Pathways program in Spring (with one course of their master’s program completed) are encouraged to start their first full-time semester of master’s courses in the Fall to maximize their co-op opportunities.

If the student successfully requests to extend their co-op search into the next cycle (see 1.b under Beginning a Co-op Search), this is the modified suggested plan of study:.

Academic Link Master’s Program Plan of Study

Students who start their first full-time semester of their Academic Link master’s courses in the Fall to maximize their co-op opportunities.

If the student successfully requests to extend their co-op search into the next cycle (see 1.b under Beginning a Co-op Search), this is the modified suggested plan of study:.

Regular Master’s Program Plan of Study

Students who start a 32SH master’s degree program in Fall and wish to participate in co-op are encouraged to model their plan of study as shown here to maximize their co-op opportunities.

If the student successfully requests to extend their co-op search into the next cycle (see 1.b under Beginning a Co-op Search), this is the modified suggested plan of study:

Global Pathways Entry to Master’s Program Plan of Study

Students who finish their Global Pathways program in Fall (with one course of their master’s program completed) are encouraged to start their first full-time semester of master’s courses in the Spring to maximize their co-op opportunities.

If the student successfully requests to extend their co-op search into the next cycle (see 1.b under Beginning a Co-op Search), this is the modified suggested plan of study:.

Academic Link Master’s Program Plan of Study

Students who start their first full-time semester of their Academic Link master’s courses in the Fall to maximize their co-op opportunities.

If the student successfully requests to extend their co-op search into the next cycle (see 1.b under Beginning a Co-op Search), this is the modified suggested plan of study:.