Cooperative Education and Internships

A cooperative education program combines classroom learning with hands-on experience gained in industry. At RIT, co-op is built into most programs. You’ll alternate blocks of co-op with semesters of on-campus study. On co-op, you’ll work in industry learning the ins and outs of professional life in your degree field. RIT’s co-op program is designed for you to gain real career experience by completing meaningful projects and assignments for your co-op employer, work that contributes to a company’s objectives and goals. Your co-op is also supervised, which provides mentoring opportunities and one-on-one collaboration with professionals in the field.

Like co-ops, internships are hands-on experience in your career field. They can range from a few hours a week to full-time employment, and everything in between. Some internships may be paid and some may be unpaid, depending on the employer and the career field. While most RIT majors require co-op, a few encourage internships because in some degree fields, internships tend to be more common. While internships may differ in length from co-ops, they are equally as valuable in providing career experience, hands-on learning, and professional exposure.

Co-op vs. Internship. It’s a common question we’re always asked. So what’s the difference between the two? Both co-ops and internships are immeasurable in providing hands-on career experience.

In general, cooperative education is more significant than your typical internship. Co-ops are full-time employment and range in duration from one semester or one summer term to longer back-to-back co-op blocks (e.g., summer term plus fall semester; spring semester plus summer term). In some industries, such as engineering and computing, co-op is more common. At RIT, all co-op positions are paid.

In general, internships can range from a few hours a week to full-time employment. In some industries, such as communication and journalism, internships are standard. Not all internships are paid.

In both cases, you will earn credit for your co-op or internship experience. And both give you the experience you need that sets you apart from competitors.

At RIT, students are responsible for identifying and applying to co-op and internship positions. However, RIT has built partnerships with more than 3,400 hiring organizations and we assist in connecting you to thousands of employers who are looking to hire students for co-op and internships. Two campus-wide career fairs–one in the fall and one in the spring–welcome hundreds of employers to campus. At these career fairs, employers meet directly with students and conduct hundreds of on-campus interviews. In addition, several academic programs host specialized career fairs. These smaller, major-specific events present opportunities for one-on-one conversations with employers who are looking to hire students from particular degree programs.

In addition, many employers seek out our students specifically for co-ops and internships, knowing that they will be hiring a prepared, well-rounded student who can make meaningful contributions to their organizations.