![Two students converse in a computer lab](/~/media/Drexel/Core-Site-Group/Core/Images/academics-education/SIG_01_2016-cropped.jpg)
Cooperative Education
Through this innovative program, our Dragons are given the opportunity to test-drive potential careers as they take full-time positions with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit pioneers, innovative startups, government agencies, and other industry leaders. These experiences not only allow our students to apply their knowledge in real-world environments while learning alongside the leaders of their fields, but they also provide the chance to explore different paths and discover what they want to do (and don't want to do!) after graduation.
Shaping the Leaders of Tomorrow — Today
Serving as the cornerstone of experiential learning at Drexel, co-op enables students to gain up to 18 months of work experience and build an impressive résumé before they graduate that will set them apart from their peers. Each co-op experience is unique and serves to broaden the scope of a student's learning, allowing them to return to their classrooms with an enhanced contextual understanding and perspective they can share with their professors and classmates. Even better, the majority of undergraduate co-op experiences are full-time and paid, and those that are both carry a gross median six-month salary of over $20,000.
But, most importantly, co-op helps our Dragons to develop as leaders able to make real contributions to the organizations they work for. It gives them the chance to turn their ambition into action, to connect with and learn from new mentors, to develop relationships with influential companies and organizations, and to build professional networks composed of industry experts from around the globe. By taking advantage of everything co-op has to offer, our students graduate and enter the workforce as much more than aspiring learners — they do so as experienced professionals prepared to make an impact the moment they arrive.
Choose the Plan That's Right for You
Most majors and programs allow students to choose a Three Co-op Option (Five-Year Program) that will allow them to maximize the benefits provided by Drexel Co-op. A One Co-op Option (Four-Year Program) is also available.
Empowering New Leaders for a New Workforce
Shane Nelson (College of Arts and Sciences) speaks about his cooperative education experience, including Co-op 101 and working alongside industry professionals, and how it has prepared him to excel.
A Program Built to Yield Results
Co-op presents a chance to learn from a mentor, travel the world, or pursue a passion. This experiential approach to education nurtures driven graduates who are ready to make a real, dramatic impact in their field from day one — and their accomplishments are recognized and valued by all those around them. In fact, nearly half of all Drexel graduates receive a job offer from a company where they went on co-op, according to surveys of exiting seniors.
of co-op participants working full-time had received a job offer from a former co-op employer.
*Data from academic year 2021–2022 co-op data