<p>Work-study is typically an on-campus job that allows one to study while they "work". You still take classes at the same time. Kinda like monitoring folks who are entering the library or a lab or something. You can basically study until someone tries to gain entrance, etc...but most of the time you get paid and can still study. Or you work in a lab or something but still take classes at the same time.</p>
<p>Co-op is taking a semester or two off and working in a real business environment, most likely somewhere off-campus. You don't take any classes and you basically work full time instead of attending classes. Completely different. I would be wary of ANY school offering a strong co-op program at this point in time; as they are basically marketing the (past) internet boom that happened 4-6 years ago when any college EE or CS student with a pulse could get a great job at a great salary because of all the internet startups that have long since busted. Those days and attractive jobs are long gone now, unless you attend the very top tier schools!</p>