Academics and Experiential Education

Where Academics Meet the Real World

Drexel's dynamic curriculum combines world-class academics with real-world experience, allowing you to build your skills and preparing you to make an impact. This unique model of learning is specifically designed to help you expand the boundaries of your education — and enables you to start right away.

You'll begin by building a strong foundation of knowledge through comprehensive coursework under the guidance of our expert faculty and mentors. You'll then get the chance to apply this newfound learning through immersive experiences and research endeavors to see how these concepts are actively used in the field. Through this intensive combination of preparation and application, you'll not only learn how things work, you'll get to see why they work. This innovative approach to learning has propelled Drexel to become one of the nation's most respected leaders in experiential education.

Our renowned cooperative education program — also known as co-op — now partners with over 1,600 employers from around the globe and provides students with up to three six-month, full-time professional work experiences.

Through co-op, you can build an impressive résumé with industry leaders ranging from Fortune 500 companies and emerging startups to innovative nonprofits and government agencies. Plus, you'll get the chance to test-drive your career and figure out what you want to do and what you don't want to do – all before you graduate. And when you return to class, you'll do so possessing enhanced insights and a practical understanding that can't be found in any textbook, which will both enhance your classwork and allow you to serve as a knowledgeable resource for your classmates and instructors.

Dragons Talk Drexel: Academic Collaboration

Hear about how Drexel's exciting interdisciplinary environment sets the tone for Drexel students to research, study, and learn in.

Dragons Talk Drexel: Co-op and the Classroom

Looking to learn more about life as a Drexel Dragon and what makes our University so unique? Get an insider's look through our Dragons Talk Drexel videos. In this installment, our students talk candidly about how Drexel’s academic model of experiential learning shapes the student experience and prepares them to enter the professional world upon graduation.

Dragons Talk Drexel: Guided by Experts

Find out how Drexel professors and mentors not only provide the knowledge you need to succeed, but also how you can apply this learning in the real world.

Dragons Talk Drexel: Advisors

Looking to learn more about life as a Drexel Dragon and what makes our university so unique? Get an insider's look through our Dragons Talk Drexel videos. In this installment, our students talk candidly about how their academic advisors set them up for success and continue to serve as a valuable resource as they navigate Drexel’s academic experience.

Making the Most of Co-op

Interested in maximizing your educational experience at Drexel? Discover Your Co-op Options

Learn More About Co-op

Drexel Cooperative Education: Shaping the Workforce of Tomorrow.

With the help of our employer partners, the Steinbright Career Development Center is able to produce exceptional results and experiences for Drexel students. We greatly value the relationships developed with our partners, which span all facets of the professional world, as they serve an integral role within our innovative model of experiential learning.

By combining world-class academics with real-world experience, our cooperative education program empowers students to test-drive future career options and effectively work with the leaders of today as they develop into the leaders of tomorrow. View our special video featuring the 2022 Cooperative Education student award winners.

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.

Co-op Fast Facts

While on co-op, you'll have the opportunity to develop relationships with individuals and organizations across our constantly growing community of employers and partners, allowing you to build a robust professional network of your own. Through co-op, you'll graduate not only with the skills you need to succeed, but with the connections that will help you build a career path.

94%

Drexel undergraduate students enrolled in the co-op program.

91%

Co-op students that found their experience relevant to their career objectives.

86.6%

Co-op employers who say they would consider rehiring their co-op student for a future co-op or full-time position.

1,014

Drexel co-op Students employed domestically and abroad.

Drexel Students have worked with

1,603

Co-op Employers

Co-op has Taken Drexel Students to

21Different Countries and33

States (plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico)

$20,000+

The gross median six month salary for undergraduate co-op positions that are both full-time and paid. More than 80% of all co-op positions are paid by the employer. For more detailed information, visit the Steinbright Career Development Center's Salary Guide webpage.

Select Co-op Employers

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Comcast
Lockheed Martin
Exelon
Susquehanna Intl Group LLC
Vanguard Group

University of Pennsylvania
SAP America
Vangaurd Group
Apple
Amazon
Google

Information and Resources

Imagine studying while sipping a latte in Paris, working at a lab in Shanghai, or polishing your language skills with a host family in Chile. Your time as a Dragon will start in Philadelphia, but your Drexel education can take you all over the world! Our Education Abroad programs will encourage you to expand your horizons and experience new countries through study abroad, international co-op, international research experiences, and more.

Honors Program

The Honors Program offers a space in which students can grow as academics, professionals, and people. Through discussion-based courses, the Honors Program allows students to explore diverse topics and perspectives while meeting faculty and students outside of their majors and academic concentrations. With co-curricular events such as Ticket Tuesday, Feel Good Fridays, Workshops, and programming through the Honors Living Learning Community, the Honors Program provides students with unique connections to their peers and their Philadelphia community. The Honors Program also cultivates avenues for self-improvement and leadership development through opportunities like Honors Mentors. Finally, the Honors Program is developing a unique first-year experience focusing on civic education via its Program in Civic Foundations.

Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs (UREP)

Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs is focused on engaging students in the process of intellectual and self-discovery through research, fellowships advising, and enrichment programming. Through our advising and programming, we hope to expose our students to a full spectrum of experiential learning, empower our students to make informed choices, and motivate our students to turn passions into opportunities.

No matter your major, you can engage your passion for performing arts while you're at Drexel. Through the Department of Performing Arts, all Drexel students can take classes in dance, music, and theatre, and you can join a performing ensemble to express and develop your artistic ability.

Performing Arts Virtual Tour Presentation [PDF]

Admitted students with an interest in dance, music, and theater are also invited to audition for a Performing Arts Scholarship. These scholarships are open to all students, regardless of major. Auditions are coordinated by the ensemble directors. View our Performance Scholarships page for more information.

There's no single undergraduate path to professional school. A student who plans to continue on to medical school may major in any number of programs, from the humanities to engineering, while students can make the jump to law school from business, the sciences, history, and even philosophy.

Pre-medical/Pre-health Programs and Opportunities

Already considering entering the health professions once you complete your bachelor's degree? The Drexel Pre-health Advising Program provides students with unique benefits as they pursue careers and educational opportunities within the highly competitive field of medicine (from doctors to physical therapists to dentists and everything in between!). Visit the Steinbright Career Development Center's website for more information on Pursuing a Health Profession.

Pre-Law School Opportunities

Visit the Steinbright Career Development Center's website for more information on Heading to Law School.

The Steinbright Career Development Center is Drexel's world-class resource for career and cooperative education services. Our dedicated career service team works to assist our students in developing meaningful professional skills for a successful future career. Steinbright also connects students to a constantly growing network of industry leaders around the globe through our vast base of employer partners. Our employer partners provide opportunities for our students to gain up to 18 months of real-world work experience before graduating through our renowned cooperative education program, also known as Drexel Co-op.

The University Catalog contains information for all of Drexel's academic degree programs, including majors, minors, and concentrations. The catalog also provides degree requirements, sample plans of study, and course descriptions to help students plan their schedules.

Academics and Experiential Education