What is a co-op?

A co-op offers students the opportunity to integrate career, social and personal development in to the educational process. It allows students to integrate classroom study with a paid work experience related to their field of study. It is recommended that a student has successfully completed one year of academic study within their program prior to completing a co-op.

Requirements

• Student must meet GPA requirements. For most programs, a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA is required; however, some programs require a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA.
• Work must be related to the student’s program of study and provide the integration of academic learning with on-the-job training.
• Students are responsible for finding employment with the assistance of the following resources:
      o Faculty within the program
      o NDSCS Online Job Posting site
      o NDSCS Career Services
      o NDSCS Career Fair 
• 162 hours of work are required per credit. Most co-ops are 2 credits requiring 324 hours of work.
• Paperwork must be completed and turned in to Student Success in Old Main 130 during the semester prior to the co-op.
     o Once the paperwork is submitted and the GPA is verified, students will be instructed to register for the credits.
• A faculty member from the student’s program will conduct a site visit during the co-op.
• After completing the co-op student are required to complete a Student Evaluation and turn in proof of hours for verification purposes (typically a final paystub).

Contact Information

Career Services is located in Old Main, Wahpeton ND. For more information, contact the Career Services office at 1-800-342-4325 ext. 3-3000 or ndscs.careerservices@ndscs.edu.