Cooperative Education:

The term, 'cooperative education' or commonly referred to as Co-Op is used to broadly interpret: internships, practical experiences, fieldwork, and similar non-traditional experiences where students are supervised by a non-faculty mentor. They are designed to strengthen and complement the education received by students in their academic major.

Fieldwork:

The scientific activity conducted in the "field", outside the laboratory, of subject matter in an as-found state, by those who study the natural or human world.

Internship:

An advanced student or a recent graduate, as of a medical school, undergoing supervised practical training. In other words, it's a short-term work experience in which you receive training and gain experience in a specific field or career area. An internship can be paid or unpaid and can vary in hours and length.

Practical experience:

Spending most of your working time on activities that make practical use of what you have studied so far, what you are currently studying, or what you may study in the future in a highly regulated, structured program.

Student teaching:

Student teaching is defined as a full day, full time, school-based experience that is supervised by both a certified experienced teacher and a university supervisor.

The Benefits of Co-Operative Education Experience Include:

- Gain practical experience in chosen career field. - Determine if chosen career is right. - Apply skills and knowledge learned in the classroom to actual on-the-job experiences. - Earn money for school tuition and expenses. - Learn how to adapt to different employment situations. - Begin thinking about future employment opportunities. - Establish valuable contacts for letters of reference. - Student who have participated in an internship tend to get better grades because they are better able to see the relevancy of course-work to real world situations. - Improve decision making abilities. - Identify strengths and weaknesses. - Work with qualified professionals.