Cooperative Education and Internship Programs

Career Services and academic departments at the University of West Florida share a similar mission: to prepare our students for meaningful and productive careers beyond UWF. Experiential Learning Programs that allow students to apply knowledge and information acquired from their academic program of choice is crucial for student development and career marketability.

Career Services assists students with searching for internship and Cooperative Education opportunities and we work with employers in developing programs that are intentional in enriching their experience and coursework.

Non-profit, community service agencies may develop Experiential Learning programs that are volunteer-focused like Field Study or Service Learning experiences.

Internships: An internship is most often a one semester experience that may or may not be for academic credit. It may also be paid or unpaid, but employers should comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Students typically seek internships in their junior and senior years in college. If seeking credit, you should meet with your academic advisor to discover if you are eligible to pursue an internship. Schedule an appointment with Career Services to develop a strategy for finding an internship.

Cooperative Education (CoOp): Cooperative education programs (CoOps) are multi-semester experiences that are always for course credit and always paid. Students may experience two forms of CoOps: parallel or alternating. A parallel CoOp student works and goes to school at least 3 semesters in a row, averaging 15-25 hours a week at work and 9-12 academic credits. An alternating CoOp student alternates between workplace and school semester by semester, working 40 hours a week during work terms and going to school full time during academic terms.

To become CoOp eligible, students should attend a CoOp Information Session. Students can call Career Services or check “Career Events” in JasonQuest for details.