Cooperative Education (Co-ops)

What is a co-op?

Approximately 6 months of full-time work in a position related to the Student’s studies. This can take many forms, including consecutive semesters, alternating semesters, or working full-time in the summer and part-time during the fall and spring semesters.

Can a student get credit for their co-op?

Students can get approved for up to 3 free elective credits. This is determines by the Faculty Co-op Advisor. These credits and tuition are applied the semester of return. Students may also choose to forgo credit.

Who is eligible for a co-op?

Undergraduate Students with a minimum GPA of 2.0. They must have second semester sophomore status and have at least one semester at Mines remaining after their co-op.

Why should a student work with the Career Center regarding their co-op?

Going through the Mines Cooperative Education Program allows the Student to maintain their status as a Mines Student. This defers any financial aid the Student has, maintains access to their Mines accounts, and provides the opportunity for a Student to seek credit. They also receive additional support from faculty and staff throughout their co-op if they work with the Career Center.

Policies

Are you participating in a co-op this semester? Be sure to check out the Mines Co-op Policies to better understand what is required of you before, during, and after your co-op. Click here for the link to the full policy document.

Cooperative Education Program

The Colorado School of Mines Cooperative Education Program (CSM Co-op Education Program) is an opportunity for undergraduate students to connect experiential activity relevant to a declared Mines major to academic coursework to earn elective credit. Because this credit (up to 3 credits of free elective) must be reflective of the standards of Mines, careful consideration and planning is required before committing to the co-op. The academic program of the CSM Co-op Education Program is an agreement between Student, Student’s major department, and the Mines Career Center. Permissions and verifications must be in place before beginning a co-op. The work assignment of the program is a contract between Student and Employer.

Specific requirements of a co-op:

• Student must be in good disciplinary and academic standing, with a minimum 2.0 GPA, and have completed a minimum of 3 semesters at Mines (2 semesters for transfer students). Student must time the co-op in such a way that the on-site interval of the co-op and return to Mines occurs at least one semester prior to graduation. Credit (and tuition) is applied the semester of return.
• Employer and Student must commit to an employment agreement equivalent to a minimum of 6 months full-time work; this may be structured in a variety of ways:
  • Full-time six-month interval, including summer and one semester off-campus;
  • Alternating semesters between work and school until completion of required time of service;
• Student must complete all paperwork and acquire signatures for approval for the co-op before the work assignment has begun. A “Co-op 340” designation is put in place to maintain the active status of Student.
• Student must maintain personal health insurance during the time of academic activity off-campus; this can be through the Mines Student Health Insurance Plan.
• Student must submit interim paperwork and evaluations to the Career Center according to the schedule noted in this document, with all paperwork completed prior to the semester of return.
• A technical report follows completion of the work segment, completed to the satisfaction of the academic department by mid-semester; an appropriate letter grade is submitted by Faculty Co-op Advisor at semester end.

Additional Considerations & Advising Guidance:

• If Student is considering a parallel program, student must work full-time (40 hours/week) during the summer, in addition to part-time (≤ 20 hours/week) during the academic year. (This is for local co-ops only.)
  • If the Student is enrolling in courses at Mines during the academic year, it is advised that the Student takes ≤ 6 credit hours.
  • Please note, that if the Student has loans, the Student must take 6 credit hours to defer payment on these loans.
  • Additionally, if the Student receives Financial Aid, the Student must consult their Financial Aid advisor, as enrolling as a part-time student may impact their Financial Aid.
• If Student is taking a full-time six-month co-op, it is advised that the student avoid concurrent enrollment in courses until they return to campus as a full-time student.

Prior to committing to a co-op, Student must:

• Plan coursework for remainder of degree completion (please note that not allcourses are offered every semester and Student needs to be aware that pre-requisites and course progression may affect both scheduling and, ultimately, the date of graduation.)
• Create relevant learning objectives, based on the job description to be performed and with the help and acknowledgment of the Faculty Co-op Advisor – these learning objectives must be submitted before student’s departure. If Employer changes Student’s assigned tasks, learning objectives are to be rewritten and re-submitted to the Career Center.
• Receive signatures of prior approval from Faculty Co-op Advisor, Employer, and Career Center Co-op Coordinator.
• Clarify/complete any health insurance or financial aid arrangements.

While at the co-op jobsite, Student must:

• Ensure that Employer submits a required mid-term evaluation. Student must contact the Career Center if problems arise affecting the successful completion of the co-op experience.
• Register on Trailhead for courses to be taken during the return semester (allow for 3 hours for Co-op340
  which will be added as a departmental 340 course; tuition/fees will be assessed accordingly).
• Plan for the technical report with notations, photos, etc.

On return to Colorado School of Mines, Student must:

• Provide the Career Center with Employer’s Final Evaluation form and complete an “Exit Interview” with the Career Center Co-op Coordinator.
• Submit the technical report to the academic department.

Forms

All students participating in a co-op must complete a co-op application through DiggerNet. Download and complete these forms. Upload the completed forms to your DiggerNet co-op application.