Cooperative education at Drexel enables undergraduate students to balance classroom theory with practical, hands-on experience prior to graduation. Students alternate classes with full-time employment through University-approved employers. Generally, students are on co-op for a six-month period, alternating with six months of classroom study. Cooperative education at Drexel is a degree requirement for most majors.
Drexel has responded to the burgeoning global market by providing students with the opportunity to gain international exposure through co-op. International co-op provides students with the experience of working in the global economy and the opportunity to develop relevant cross-cultural skills in an increasingly global society.
For more information, please visit the Steinbright Career Development Center, which is responsible for coordinating the university’s co-op program.
62,685
Average starting salary for engineering graduates with three co-ops
98.7
Percent of engineering students employed on co-op (2016-17)
720
Median weekly salary of paid co-ops
Drexel Engineering Co-ops
The uncertainty of COVID-19 has impacted all areas of the U.S. economy. In 2020-21, Drexel Engineering students had their co-op work experiences change from their prior experiences or even from the role they interviewed for just a few months earlier.
7/15/2021 3:30:13 PM
Julia McCree has found the right co-op for her at one of the country’s largest transportation providers.
7/14/2021 11:47:00 AM
Bryan O’Toole, Meghan Wickersham and Daniel Inglis have found the same employer for their co-ops, but it’s helping each of them achieve a different goal.
7/13/2021 11:28:00 AM
Materials science and engineering major Brennan Coleman is using his co-op experience to expand on research he has already done on campus.
11/11/2020 9:50:10 AM
A co-op at Merck is giving three students an inside look at the long road that vaccines take from conception to patient delivery.
11/10/2020 11:12:27 AM
Brendan Tyrell, a second year mechanical engineering student, is spending his first co-op experience working with a company that hopes to protect millions of elderly people from falls.
10/28/2020 3:38:12 PM
Drexel Engineering students Shannon Simcox and Samuel Vaughan are learning how the Pennsylvania company creates their signature products.
8/4/2020 9:47:40 AM
Computer Engineering student Jui Hanamshet returns to Microsoft Corporation with a work experience turned remote.
8/3/2020 4:35:41 PM
Mechanical Engineering student Sarah Clancy begins her co-op experience launching rockets as an essential employee with Safran Aerospace.
8/4/2020 8:43:34 AM
Mechanical Engineering student Justin Lee channels his passion for automotive racing at BMW’s Open Innovation Department.
7/20/2020 10:46:00 AM
Things have changed in the workplace for many, but work is still needed and the insights are real.
6/9/2020 5:44:40 PM
Environmental engineering senior Marina D’Souza discusses cross-cultural encounters during her time in the Drexel co-op program.
4/15/2020 4:44:16 PM
A student in the peace engineering program talks about her experience in Engineers Without Borders.
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