Cooperative Education : Students

Pattern of Attendance, or POA, is the sequence of when a student is in classes or co-op for each semester of their academic plan. The two primary POAs in D'Amore-McKim are Fall (searching in the spring) and Spring (searching in the fall), though students may also participate in a co-op over the summer. Both cycles can provide the same timeline to graduation.

DMSB students will receive their co-op pattern by the end of their first year. Students who transfer into Northeastern will meet with their academic advisor to determine their POA.

Certain degree programs have a specific POA assigned to them:

• All other DMSB majors have equal opportunity to be assigned to either cycle and both cycles have access to similar job opportunities.
• The Business and Law degree requires a Spring/Summer 1 co-op cycle.
• The Cybersecurity and Business combined major requires a Summer 2/Fall cycle.

Once your POA is assigned for your initial co-op, students will have the opportunity to complete an academic planning meeting to ensure the assignment is inline with their academic goals. Once a student completes their first co-op, subsequent co-ops do not need to occur during the same term (e.g., a student whose first co-op was in the spring cycle can participate in a fall cycle co-op a full year later).

Students are eligible to enroll in BUSN 1103: Professional Development for Business Co-op when:

• They are assigned a co-op pattern for the following term (e.g., students may enroll in BUSN 1103 in fall if their POA designates a spring co-op)
• They are not on Academic Probation 1 or 2

Below are the minimum co-op search eligibility requirements. If a student does not meet any of the eligibility statements below, they do not meet the minimum requirements to have their co-op eligibility reviewed by the DMSB Co-op & Advising teams.

• Students must have passed or be enrolled in BUSN 1103: Professional Development for Business Co-op (or equivalent from another college)
• Students must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher
• Students cannot be on Academic Probation 1 or 2.
• Students cannot have a “U” grade for any prior co-ops
• If a student is returning or has just returned from a co-op, they have completed all steps of their Reflection Pathway
• Students cannot actively be on a co-op
• Students cannot be on a leave of absence (LOA/MLOA) and must complete 1 full academic term prior to participating in co-op.
  • International students should work with OGS to determine eligibility following a LOA/MLOA.
• Students cannot participate in a co-op placement in their last academic term (the co-op will not result in their last semester being a co-op term).
  • Students may complete a Spring co-op in Spring & Summer A and complete their final academic degree requirements in Summer B

A co-op advisor will be assigned to each student at the beginning of the semester when the co-op class is taken. It is often, but not always, the instructor of the course.

Students may fulfill the Business Cooperative Education Requirement for their major through one of the following:

• A 4- or 6-month role during the spring or fall cycles
• A 4-month summer role

Roles can be either part-time or full-time. Students working part-time must work between 16-31.99 hours/week and students working full-time on co-op must work at least 32 hours/week. When a student is on co-op, students are enrolled in a zero-credit co-op placeholder course on their transcript.

Co-op positions in the United States must be paid for D'Amore-McKim students. Compensation must be a base rate of at least minimum wage in the state where the student is working, including stipends at the equivalent amount, and students cannot be paid solely on commission. Unpaid co-op positions in the United States are only permitted at registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and in local, state, and federal government organizations. Global co-ops, where the company is not based in the U.S., are not required to be paid.

All Northeastern undergraduate students must complete one form of experiential learning: either co-op (U.S.  or global), a summer internship, or a course that includes a service learning component that qualifies as Integration of Experience.  Although co-op is not required, it is strongly encouraged. Most DMSB students complete two co-ops during their time at Northeastern.

A summer internship in D'Amore-McKim is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a shorter format than co-op (typically 8-11 weeks within the summer period of May-August). The DMSB Summer Internship Program supports students with searching, applying, and registering for summer internship experiences. Students apply to participate in the program, and pending approval of their experience, will receive mentorship, reflection assignments, and guidance throughout their internship. A summer internship fulfills a student's experiential learning degree requirement.