Sophomores in good academic standing begin applying for co-op positions as early as the fall quarter. The co-op coordinator makes every effort to secure interviews for the students, so that cooperative work assignments are related to their professional objectives. Generally, the first work experience for sophomore co-op students occurs the summer before their junior year. Co-op experience for junior and transfer students and others may begin as late as the spring of their junior year. If necessary, with the help of the academic advisers, special schedules may be arranged to enable students to meet individual academic requirements as well as co-op requirements.
Students register for their work quarters, but no tuition or fee is charged.
The registration keeps co-op students enrolled at Northwestern during work periods. Although emphasis is on the experience gained from cooperative work rather than on the income, students in the co-op program may earn at least a portion of their educational expenses. Students who complete the co-op plan receive tuition rebates during their final academic quarters to assure that they will not pay higher total tuition than other students in the same entering class. In addition to the academic degree, the faculty of the McCormick School awards co-op students a certificate in recognition of successful completion of the Walter P. Murphy Cooperative Engineering Education Program. Employers of co-op students include government and service institutions as well as industry.