Graduate Co-op
12-16
weeks
10-40
hours per week
Gaining experience is key to moving up in any organization, whether it's a small startup or a large company. At the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, we offer graduate co-op and experiential opportunities that can boost your employability and set you up for success. Typically, they last 8-12 weeks during the summer.
Our faculty will ensure that you're well-prepared to work on projects that are business-critical and deliver valuable work that makes an impact. You'll come away with the skills, confidence, and network you need to boost your career and leave a lasting impression on future employers.
Program details
Build experience
Gain real-world experience executing a project. You'll gain confidence, a new perspective on business issues, and a head start on your professional network.
Experience company culture
Work directly with company leaders and team members, building your cultural awareness and sampling what work is like at the company or startup.
Own a project
Apply classroom knowledge to projects at top companies or startups. Your project may stand alone or continue on a larger, ongoing project begun by previous graduate co-ops.
Dedicate your summer
Take a break from your classes in the summer to complete your co-op. This gives you the chance to build your resumé, earn professional references, and begin your full-time job search.
Once you've completed two semesters of coursework and maintained a minimum grade point average in the following programs, you'll be eligible to apply for a graduate co-op:
If you're an international student with F-1 immigration status, you're eligible for a graduate co-op using Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization. CPT authorizes experiential learning opportunities that are completed before your program ends and integral to your Northeastern University academic curriculum.
Curricular Practical Training authorization
F-1 international students must request and receive authorization to engage in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) before they can begin any experiential learning opportunity. If you are interested in pursuing CPT, Northeastern University's Office of Global Services (OGS) offers resources and advising to help you maintain immigration compliance. F-1 international students must obtain CPT authorization from OGS. Schedule an advising appointment with OGS.
To secure a graduate co-op, you'll need to start early and be prepared for a competitive process. Many candidates will be vying for these opportunities, so it's important to take the time to polish your resumé and cover letter. The Graduate Career Center team offers resources to support you with this.
While some positions are listed on NUworks, you'll often find the most comprehensive listings on employers' websites or job search platforms. You'll start the application process once you identify positions that match your career interests. Remember, landing a co-op is a competitive process and isn't guaranteed.
By the end of my graduate co-op, I had gained confidence, technical skills, and problem-solving abilities I hadn't realized I had. It was truly transformative and reinforced my readiness for a high-level finance role.
Anshika Gupta, MS in Quantitative Finance'25
Previous work experience: Intermediate Chartered Accountant
Graduate co-op: Financial Analyst Intern at Publix
I also completed my undergraduate co-op at Samsung, so it was great to have some established relationships. My time as a business analyst has given me experience in business analytics, problem-solving, and management.
Daewon Yoon, MS in Business Analytics'22
Previous work experience: Undergraduate co-op at Samsung NeuroLogica
Graduate co-op: Business Analyst at Samsung NeuroLogica
Timeline
You have the option to participate in a graduate co-op over the summer, and you'll be ready to make an impact right away. After completing two semesters of rigorous STEM-designed quantitative curriculum and benefiting from career coaching from our Graduate Career Center advisors, you'll be ready to hit the ground running for your host firm.
Employer perspectives
As a graduate co-op at Sanofi, you'll engage in projects that truly matter for our company's growth. For example, our recent graduate co-op completed a thorough analysis of our forecasting process, resulting in substantial time savings and process enhancements.”
Elliott Bowles, Director of Enterprise Analytics at Sanofi
Other previous employers
Hear from our students
For my graduate co-op, I worked in the finance department at CooperCompanies for six months, focusing on financial and variance analysis, reporting, benchmarking, and expense accrual calculations. Courses like Corporate Finance, Investment Analysis and Valuations prepared me to succeed in this role.”
Khushbu Dudani, MS in Quantitative Finance'22
Previous work experience: Audit executive, KPMG India
Graduate co-op: Finance intern at CooperCompanies
FAQs
You can work remotely, in person, or in a hybrid format. You'll find the location and work arrangement expectations in the job description.
No. We encourage you to work closely with your academic advisor to find the co-op that most closely aligns with your career goals.
Yes. Midway through your graduate co-op, your advisor will check in with you and your employer (either in person or virtually) to see how things are going and assess your progress. At the end of your co-op, you'll complete a self-evaluation and receive constructive feedback from your employer.
Graduate co-ops are paid positions. Your employer will determine your pay rate according to your responsibilities. Job postings usually mention the pay for each position.
At D'Amore-McKim, experiential learning is more than a feature. It's the foundation. This immersive, hands-on approach to learning empowers you to connect theory to practice, build critical skills for your resumé, clarify your career goals, and lead with confidence.
Learn how to leverage experiential learning opportunities here.
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