CS Cooperative Education Program

Undertaking a co-op is a unique and rewarding opportunity to gain an excellent career development experience to set apart our Rowan CS students!

The Cooperative Education Program in the CS Department allows our students to gain valuable experiential learning through a full-semester in a technical position at one of our industry partners such as Lockheed Martin, ASRC Federal, RunSignup, and Cooper University Health Care. The CS Co-op Program is continually growing as we develop new partnerships with other corporate members in the area.

In lieu of their Spring semester, students in their junior/senior year would be on co-op starting in January-February through June-August. Participation in the CS Co-op Program would not delay graduation and is completely voluntary. However, all co-op students would be required to coordinate with the Office of Career Advancement to help accommodate their individual financial aid and housing needs, as well as meet with their CS Academic Advisors to refine their plan of study with possible Spring-Summer courses for a timely graduation. 

For more information, contact the CS Internship/Co-op Coordinator - Chia Chien (chien@rowan.edu)

Available Opportunities

In order to be considered, students MUST first be eligible for the CS Co-op Program by meeting ALL qualifications and requirements.

Students may submit their Co-op Student Agreement Form by:

1. Completing the form with their information and signature
2. Emailing signed form to CS Advisor to discuss requirements and possible updated plan of study to accommodate a co-op
3. CS Advisor will email signed form to CS Co-op Coordinator (Chia Chien) to review qualifications
4. CS Co-op Coordinator will email signed form to Andrew Duffy to record at Rowan Office of Career Advancement (OCA)

Before applying for positions in ProfsJobs, students will also need to have an APPROVED resume with OCA:

1. Review resume with guidelines document
2. Log in at www.rowan.edu/profsjobs as Students/Alumni
   1. If first/long time since previous access, enter Rowan email address and click forgot password
   2. Some basic profile information may also need to be updated
3. Choose “Documents – My Documents” to view existing resumes on file
4. To submit new resume for approval:
   1. Select “Add New” to upload new resume
   2. Complete ASAP as approvals may take some time
   3. (if close to deadline) Send email to OCA for status

Upon completing signature forms and approved resume, students may then apply to co-op positions via ProfsJobs:

1. Log in at www.rowan.edu/profsjobs as Students/Alumni
   • If first/long time since previous access, enter Rowan email address and click forgot password
   • Some basic profile information may also need to be updated
2. Find Computer Science: Co-op positions in ProfsJobs
3. Apply to EACH interested co-op position

FAQs

Who is eligible to participate in the CS Co-op Program?

• Full-time, matriculated Rowan University students in good standing at the time of application
• BS in Computer Science or BA in Computing & Informatics majors
• Attained at least 75 total credits prior to their scheduled co-op
• Accumulation of at least 18 credits in CS courses at Rowan University
• Successful completion of Data Structures & Algorithms or Principles of Data Structures
• Preference for Computer Lab Techniques and Software Engineering for some positions
• General minimum GPA of at least 3.0 with some positions having higher requirements
• Fulfillment of a B or higher grade in all CS courses completed
• Maintain Rowan University full-time matriculation status while on co-op
• Return to Rowan after completion of co-op for a minimum of 1 semester

Not necessarily. Undertaking a co-op experience is an excellent career development opportunity, and each student must develop an individual plan of study with their CS academic advisor to ensure a timely graduation.

Do students receive credits for co-op to go towards their degree?

Possibly. Students have the option to recieve academic credits for their co-op experiential learning with a field experience course, if they choose to do so. Otherwise, students could register for a non-academic course to maintain their full-time student matriculation status. However, these non-academic credits would not count towards their degree program.

Can I take additional courses during my co-op?

Co-ops are designed for students to work full-time at one of our co-op industry partners. Students may be eligible to take courses in the Spring and/or Summer semesters, possibly at additional costs. However, students should always consult with their CS academic advisors to determine eligiblity and feasiblity.

When does the co-op start?

Co-op positions are 6-8 months long starting in January-February and may run through June-August.

Do students have to live on-campus during their co-op?

Maybe. Students should review their housing assignments as some contracts are year-long. All students should consult with University Housing as to the best options for their housing assignments if considering a co-op. If students choose to live on-campus, they will be billed student fees and applicable housing costs.

Do students pay tuition/fees during co-op?

Depends. If the student is registered for academic credits, normal Rowan tuition and fees would apply. Otherwise, no tuition costs would be charged for non-academic credits. The student may also incur other costs associated with the co-op, such as travel costs to and from, as well as housing and university fees (if the student chooses to live on-campus). Those students, who choose to live off-campus during their co-op, will have the option to pay university fees to utilize campus resources (such as the Rec Center, Wellness Center, etc.) if they wish.

Can financial aid be applied to tuition while on co-op?

Sometimes. Students must consult with the Office of Financial Aid about their individual eligibility.

Are international students eligible for the CS Co-op Program?

Depends. Students must check with the employer to determine the eligibility requirements of the specific position.

CS Co-op Program Process

Rowan University CS students interested in participating in the CS Co-op Program should observe the following process to be eligible for the program. Please note: following the process does not guarantee a co-op placement.

1. Meet with CS Academic Advisor (any semester)
2. Take (highly-encouraged) INTR 01.488 Career Planning & Development (2nd/3rd semester)
3. Attend CS Co-op Program information session (3rd/4th semester)
4. MUST complete CS Co-op Program Student Agreement Form (3rd/4th semester)
   * Completed forms with all signatures should be brought to the Office of Career Advancement(OCA)
5. Apply to posted co-op job opportunities (4th semester)
6. MUST complete Co-op Registration Form (5th semester)
   * After offer is accepted, students must also meet with their CS Academic Advisor to review their plan of study and discuss registration/schedule to maintain full-time status while out on co-op in the Spring as well as for their returning Fall semester
7. Contact CS Co-op Program Coordinator and/or Field Experience course instructor (5th semester)
8. Start co-op position (6th semester)

While out on co-op, housing and financial aid may be impacted. Students are responsible for reviewing their individual housing and financial aid with these offices prior to accepting offers of employment.

Students that do not follow the outlined process and complete the necessary forms will not be eligible to participate in the program.