Graduate Cooperative Education Program
The graduate co-op experience is intended to be an integral part of a graduate student's academic program, providing on-the-job experience that satisfies academic requirements such as a practicum, or allowing students to apply knowledge they have acquired through course work or research as they progress to degree completion. All graduate students may be authorized for co-op if they meet eligibility requirements.
International Students in F-1 status must be authorized for internship/co-op under Curricular Practical Training (CPT) by a DSO in the Cranwell International Center, after the co-op request has been approved by the Graduate School.
- Complete at least one semester of academic work in your program of study
- Add co-op course to plan of study (GRAD 5944 or GRAD 7944 or required practicum course) – recommended for all students; required for international students
- Be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or above
- Submit co-op application no later than Friday before the beginning of a semester/term and at least two weeks before the proposed co-op experience is to begin
- Additional requirements exist for international students based on immigration regulations
- Co-op experience should be related to field of study
- Employment should be full-time, largely overlapping with academic semester, if not in the summer (because co-op is a credit-bearing experience, fall and spring co-ops are expected to be about 14-18 weeks in length; summer co-ops 6-12 weeks in length)
- Must be documented by employment offer letter or contract and approved by academic advisor on co-op request form
- Additional requirements exist for international students based on immigration regulations
- Co-op employment may not overlap with an assistantship appointment
- Co-op engagements are approved for one semester/term at a time
- Additional restrictions apply to international students based on immigration regulations
- Provide an employment/co-op offer letter or standard co-op contract form with the following information:
- The student’s full name
- The full name of the company
- The title of the student position
- The student’s supervisor
- The supervisor’s contact information
- Confirmation that the internship/co-op is fulltime
- Whether the position is paid or unpaid
- The beginning and end dates of the co-op experience
- A job description
- Provide the student with a challenging work experience in an area related to the student’s academic field of study.
- Evaluate the student at the end of each semester or summer term
- Secure co-op employment offer in writing; offer must meet all of the above criteria.
- Complete the Co-op Request Form and secure the signature of your academic advisor
- Submit the Co-op Request Form and job offer letter, and a copy of the department-approved Plan of Study if not yet on file in the Graduate School, to Graduate Student Services (grads@vt.edu)
- GSS will sign off on the Co-op Request Form, and will enroll US citizen/permanent resident students in the appropriate co-op course
- International students will have to take the approved Co-op Request Form to the Cranwell International Center and apply for CPT; the co-op course will be added to their schedule by the Graduate School after the CPT (immigration work authorization for the co-op experience) is approved. Should the CPT request be denied by the Cranwell International Center, the co-op approval will be rescinded as well.
At the end of the co-op experience, the employer must complete the co-op evaluation form; submit the completed for to grads@vt.edu.
