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Your Co-op Experience

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  • Your Co-op Experience
  • Become a Co-op Employer Partner

The Steinbright Career Development Center Website

Drexel's innovative model of learning combines world-class academics with real-world experience, providing our Dragons the opportunity to see first-hand how the knowledge they gain in the classroom is being used every day in the field. 

Our renowned cooperative education program — also known as co-op — allows students to take this even further by integrating up to three six-month, full-time professional work experiences into their academic schedule. Each co-op included in your schedule provides new opportunities to not only explore potential career paths and build a larger professional network, but to also gain additional experience and build a more impressive résumé before you graduate. You can also choose to participate in more specialized co-op opportunities to further enhance your experience, including an International, Research, or Entrepreneurship Co-op.

Our co-op program prepares students to excel, and we offer a variety of academic calendars that allow students to participate in up to three different co-op experiences:

Understanding Co-op
Since 1919, Drexel's world-renowned cooperative education (co-op) program has prepared our students for the future. Drexel Co-op provides professional employment experience, giving students the opportunity to explore and build a career before they enter the workforce.

Three Co-op Option (Five Years)

Available to most majors and programs, this option includes three individual six-month co-op experiences beginning in the start of a student's second year, providing an additional 12 months of professional work experience.


Fall Winter Spring Summer
Year 1 Classes Classes Classes Vacation
Year 2 Co-op 1 Co-op 1 Classes Classes
Year 3 Co-op 2 Co-op 2 Classes Classes
Year 4 Co-op 3 Co-op 3 Classes Classes
Year 5 Classes Classes Classes

One Co-op Option (Four Years)

Students who choose the One Co-op Option will begin a single six-month employment experience in their junior year over the fall/winter or spring/summer terms.


Fall Winter Spring Summer
Year 1 Classes Classes Classes Vacation
Year 2 Classes Classes Classes Classes
Year 3 Co-op 1 Co-op 1 Classes Classes
Year 4 Classes Classes Classes

We encourage our Dragons to include as many co-ops as possible within their academic plan. By maximizing the number of your co-op opportunities, you will further expand the scope of your education and become a more valuable asset to potential employers. If you elect our Five-Year Program, you can integrate two additional co-op experiences into your academic calendar — for the exact same tuition price as our Four-Year Program. Even better, the majority of co-op positions are full-time and paid, and those that are carry a median six-month salary of over $19,000.

Additional Co-op Options

A limited number of academic majors offer specialized co-op schedules beyond the fall/winter and spring/summer options listed above.  A No Co-op option is also available for a select number of majors. The specific co-op options offered in a major are available with our Undergraduate Program listing.

The Same Tuition Cost

The total tuition cost for the 5-year and 4-year programs is the same; however, living expenses and fees will differ considering the length of the 5-year program. It is important to note that students pay tuition only during terms they are enrolled in academic classes; students do not pay tuition when on co-op.

View more information about costs and financing

Select Co-op Employers

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Amazon The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Comcast Corporation Drexel University Estee Lauder/Northtec
Exelon Corporation Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Google
Independence Blue Cross Johnson & Johnson Lockheed Martin
PJM Interconnection LLC SAP America Susquehanna Int'l Group LLP
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital University of Pennsylvania Vanguard Group

Co-op Locations

Co-op employers are located in 33 U.S. states (plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico) and 28 countries. Many organizations eagerly embrace and nurture the fresh perspectives, drive, and dedication that are typical of a Drexel student. This chart provides the location distribution of last year's students.

Geographic Distribution of Co-op Employment

Number of Students

Pennsylvania

3,980

New Jersey

540

New York  152 

Delaware

100

California

92

Maryland

62

Massachusetts

27

Multiple Locations

16

Other countries (such as Vietnam, India, Turkey, Ghana, and Italy)

120

Preparing Students to Succeed
The 2017 Cooperative Education Awards, presented by the Steinbright Career Development Center, recognized eight Drexel students for their exceptional effort in fulfilling the goals and ideals of cooperative education.
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