UMUC

Cooperative Education

Employers

Co-op merges the best practices of human resources development with organizational development in the current knowledge economy.

Through UMUC's Co-op program, employers gain the fresh insights, talents and goal-oriented commitment of mature students who are invested in achieving measurable results. Because students are seeking 'upper level' professional practice experiences, supervisors may delegate responsibilities to co-op interns, who lighten the work load!

While there is no requirement to permanently hire UMUC Co-op students, the opportunity to evaluate performance during a 15-week session provides a known, trained candidate who may fulfill hiring standards. Students can perform part- or full-time work, as they are able to leverage UMUC's flexible formats for completing course work. Also, because UMUC's Co-op staff provides pre-screening of candidates, employer recruitment costs may be reduced.

Learn more about how UMUC's Cooperative Education program can benefit your organization.

How Co-op Helps Employers

Cooperative Education at UMUC is a flexible program that
  • Facilitates recruitment at no cost to employers.
  • Puts a professional UMUC Co-op representative at your service to
    • screen resumes of qualified candidates, and
    • forward them for your consideration.
  • Offers continuous enrollment so students can start at any time during the year.
  • Provides students who can work in permanent or temporary positions, on a full-time or part-time basis.
  • Generates the flow of new ideas and the integration of new talent into your organization.
  • Encourages you to actively participate in and contribute to the educational process.
  • Permits you to observe potential employees before making a commitment for permanent employment.

How to Participate

Employers participate in the Cooperative Education program at UMUC in the following ways:
  • You provide the Co-op office with job specifications for entry-level to advanced professional positions with your organization.
  • Your UMUC Co-op representative will screen the resumes of highly qualified candidates and forward them for your review.
  • You may make interview arrangements directly with the student.
  • After hiring, you will review and sign a Co-op learning contract and supervise the student's work.
  • At the end of 15 weeks, you will be asked to complete a two-page evaluation of the student's performance and professional growth.
  • You may also encourage your current employees to earn credit for their on-the-job learning through UMUC's Co-op program. Your UMUC Co-op representative will provide assistance upon request.
  • You may e-mail us a request for resume referrals to fill positions in your firm.

What to Expect

Employers can expect the following from a UMUC Co-op Student:
  • Carefully outlined learning objectives, developed with the supervisor's agreement.
  • At least 12 hours of work each week (for 3 study hours of Co-op credit or 20 hours of work each week for 6 study hours of Co-op credit) dedicated to the learning objectives for a period of 15 weeks.
  • Better management of time and resources by the student, leading to better overall performance.