<p>Hi all. We are beginning the process of looking for potential colleges for S to major in software engineering. There are only certain schools to which he can apply since they need to be part of the tuition exchange my school is part of in for us to be able to afford to send him to college. There are several that offer computer science, which he will consider, if need be. However, of those that offer SE, only a couple involve co-ops (off the top of my head, I think they are Drexel and RIT).</p>
<p>So, my question is, how important and helpful are co-ops? Should schools having co-ops in place sway our decision in favor of those school?</p>
<p>Work experience, whether it is through co-op or internships, is an important consideration for many engineering employers. Typically schools with strong co-op programs will allow the student to gain more work experience than they could gain through summer internships (up to 18 months at some schools), and co-op jobs can often lead to permanent jobs after graduation (many co-op employers use co-ops to select and train future employees). </p>
<p>By the way, both RIT and Drexel belong to the NCCE which has a scholarship program and gives out several renewable co-op merit scholarships each year to students attending member institutions…just something to keep in mind if your S applies to these schools :)</p>
<p>Often schools that don’t have a formal co-op program will have summer job/internship opportunities. I interviewed on campus for my summer engineering jobs in a major corporation. Almost 30 year later I still work for them.</p>
<p>Co-ops and internships are invaluable to a student when it comes time to get a job after college. They give him or her real experience in industry to put on their resume, which can be a deal maker even for entry-level jobs.</p>
<p>Here is the thing, though; a school doesn’t have to require a co-op in order to graduate in order for a student to get one. Honestly, internships are nearly as valuable anyway and don’t use up a semester of your school time. Having a good co-op program is a decent feather in the cap of any program, but only a minority of students in engineering across the country actually do co-ops anyway. Most opt for the shorter-term internships and get by just fine.</p>