One of Drexel's most distinctive features is the cooperative education program. We've been at it since 1919, and the figures don't lie — 46 percent of students accept a job offer from one of their co-op employers. Co-op is much different than an internship. Co-op students gain real work experience with applicable résumé takeaways, which sometimes even pay, and they are also able to explore what they really want to do.
Co-op gets you out of the classroom so you can test your interests right on site. While programs vary with the option of multiple different co-op opportunities, each is valuable. Student Michelle Lanshe's first co-op helped her realize that chemical engineering just wasn't quite her, so she reevaluated her major and employed her strong computer background to switch to the computer engineering program.
Lanshe's second co-op was at SiriusXM Radio. Among other important duties, Lanshe evaluated technology regarding signal reception hardware and performed comparative testing on different hardware configurations to find the best one for consumers. These tasks seemed to click with Lanshe's plans for after graduation.
SiriusXM is a popular co-op spot. Student Andrew Shidel worked on a bitrate mapper (in simplistic terms, a huge digital map) to share Sirius' signal rates across the country. It's the first thing people see when walking into Sirius' lobby in its New Jersey office.
SiriusXM co-ops have taught both students to be versatile. Working on a variety of projects allowed them to test the waters in multiple fields of work. They also collaborated with others to clarify concepts that aren't easily understood, which is an important skill both will take forward into the workplace after graduation.
Our students get to do real, meaningful work during Drexel Co-op, and we wouldn't have it any other way. With over 1,700 co-op employers, visit This Is Drexel and Steinbright Career Development Center to see where Drexel Co-op can take you.