It helps you integrate theory and practice, confirm career choices, investigate potential job opportunities, and become better graduates. The objective of Purdue's Co-Op Program is to provide you with the best possible education by combining both academic and professional work experiences. The Co-Op Program is a voluntary plan for students who finish their first or second year at Purdue in the upper half of their class. Once a Co-Op job is accepted, students alternate session of academic study with sessions of work with a qualified employer. Generally, students who choose not to co-op seek out some kind of internship experience.
Students can intern with a company as early as the summer following their freshman year.
Often, engineering faculty are the best source for internship leads. Job fairs are another good bet. Purdue's Industrial Roundtable, held each year in the fall, is the largest student-sponsored job fair in the country. As with the co-op program, internships offer students an excellent opportunity to earn extra money to help finance their education. In addition to salary, companies often offer interns help finding housing and, sometimes, relocation assistance as well.