Research Website
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~jmain/Welcome.html
Keywords
Cooperative education, personnel selection, engineering
Presentation Type
Talk
Research Abstract
Engineering faculty and advisors emphasize the importance of obtaining industry experience in addition to academic learning. One way universities encourage their students to obtain hands-on work experiences is through cooperative education (co-op) programs. Previous studies have examined the advantages and disadvantages of co-op participation, but the application process for students has not been closely examined. Studying this process will show how academic institutions and companies can potentially enhance the student experience of applying for a co-op position. This study examines student experiences with the co-op application process based on interviews with engineering students at a research-intensive university in the Midwestern U.S. Results indicate that barriers to co-op participation include conflicting offer deadlines established by companies and unclear processes for students in employer matching. Research findings regarding the co-op application and placement process can potentially inform universities and companies on how students use resources designed to help students during the co-op application process, as well as the challenges some students encounter.
Session Track
Health and Education
Recommended Citation
Laura F. Long, Xinrui Xu, and Joyce B. Main,
"A Case Study of Engineering Students’ Experiences with the Co-Op Application Process"
(August 2, 2018).
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium.
Paper 103.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/surf/2018/Presentations/103
Included in
A Case Study of Engineering Students’ Experiences with the Co-Op Application Process
Engineering faculty and advisors emphasize the importance of obtaining industry experience in addition to academic learning. One way universities encourage their students to obtain hands-on work experiences is through cooperative education (co-op) programs. Previous studies have examined the advantages and disadvantages of co-op participation, but the application process for students has not been closely examined. Studying this process will show how academic institutions and companies can potentially enhance the student experience of applying for a co-op position. This study examines student experiences with the co-op application process based on interviews with engineering students at a research-intensive university in the Midwestern U.S. Results indicate that barriers to co-op participation include conflicting offer deadlines established by companies and unclear processes for students in employer matching. Research findings regarding the co-op application and placement process can potentially inform universities and companies on how students use resources designed to help students during the co-op application process, as well as the challenges some students encounter.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/surf/2018/Presentations/103