Your Co-op Experience
By maximizing the number of your co-op opportunities, you will expand the scope of your education and become a more valuable asset to potential employers.
Our renowned cooperative education program — Drexel Co-op — allows you to take your education further by integrating up to three six-month, full-time professional work experiences into your academic schedule. Each co-op included in your schedule provides new opportunities to not only explore potential career paths and build a larger professional network, but also gain additional experience and build a more impressive résumé before you graduate. You can even choose to participate in more specialized co-op opportunities, including International, Research, or Entrepreneurship Co-op.
Academic Calendars
Depending on your plan of study, your calendar could look like any of the following examples.
Three Co-op Option (Five Years)
Available to most majors and programs, this option includes three individual six-month co-op experiences beginning in the start of a student's second year, providing an additional 12 months of professional work experience.
| Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year One | Class | Class | Class | Vacation |
| Year Two | Co-op | Co-op | Class | Class |
| Year Three | Co-op | Co-op | Class | Class |
| Year Four | Co-op | Co-op | Class | Class |
| Year Five | Class | Class | Class |
One Co-op Option (Four Years)
Students who choose the One Co-op Option will begin a single six-month employment experience in their junior year over the fall/winter or spring/summer terms.
| Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year One | Class | Class | Class | Vacation |
| Year Two | Class | Class | Class | Class |
| Year Three | Co-op | Co-op | Class | Class |
| Year Four | Class | Class | Class |
We encourage our Dragons to include as many co-ops as possible within their academic plan. If you elect our Five-Year Program, you can integrate two additional co-op experiences into your academic calendar 鈥� for the exact same tuition price as our Four-Year Program. Even better, the majority of undergraduate co-op positions are full-time and paid, and those that are both carry a median six-month salary of over $22,000.
Additional Co-op Options
A limited number of academic majors offer specialized co-op schedules beyond the fall/winter and spring/summer options listed above. A No Co-op Option is also available for a select number of majors. The specific co-op options offered in a major can be viewed on our undergraduate program listing.
The Same Tuition Cost
The total tuition cost for the 5-year and 4-year programs is the same; however, living expenses and fees will differ considering the length of the 5-year program. It is important to note that students pay tuition only during terms they are enrolled in academic classes.