Co-op vs. Internship: Know the Differences | Best Colleges

The words “co-op” and “internship” are sometimes used interchangeably, as both are hands-on work experiences that students may complete in college. However, there are major differences between these two work-based learning opportunities.

Some colleges require all students or just specific majors to complete an internship or co-op before graduation. And even if there’s not a requirement, experts advise students to still seek out these opportunities with help from career services at their school.

“My advice is, regardless if it’s required for your degree program, it doesn’t matter,” says Maria Richart, director of career services and cooperative education at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. “You could be a journalism student or a biology student. Do something that will expose you to the potential field that you are interested in going in.”

Here’s what students should know about co-ops and internships.

Definitions of a co-op and internship may vary per school, but the most common distinctions include duration, compensation and designated school-employer partnerships.

Internships can be part time or full time and typically take place in the summer, lasting around 10 to 12 weeks. However, some occur in the fall or spring semesters, while students take classes simultaneously. Students may participate in several internships while in college, giving them an opportunity to try various roles.

“The difference between, say, three internships versus two internships is negligible,” says Ryan Willerton, associate vice president for career and professional development at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. “So, what you may hear students talking about amongst themselves is, ‘Oh, I have to have a summer internship every summer. I need an internship after freshman year.’ You do not.”

Instead, he says, “what you do need to do is have some kind of experience, and that could be a landscape job. It could be taking the initiative to learn a new skill. It could be taking the entire summer to just network with people. Service work is something that we push students to consider doing. Just giving back to the community and finding a deeper purpose. It doesn’t have to be, ‘I need to work in a Fortune 100 company with a top-of-the-line tech internship.’ You don’t need that after freshman year. If you want to pursue that after junior or senior year, you certainly can.”

Co-ops, on the other hand, are ongoing work experiences and range from three to 12 months of full-time work. Universities with required co-op programs usually expect students to complete at least two – sometimes three – such practical learning experiences before graduation, experts say. At Drexel University in Pennsylvania, for instance, students in most majors alternate classes with full-time employment every six months.

“Just based on duration, the relationship between student and university employer is different just in that the talent that we are providing is not just future talent,” says Ian Sladen, vice president for cooperative education and career development at Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center. “These are folks that can actually move past the learning curve and begin to make a direct impact on the organization within that six-month period. So there’s more in it for both student and employer in that respect.”

More than three-quarters of graduating seniors reported participating in experiential learning of some type during their college career, and 60% of respondents said they were paid for experiential learning, according to a 2022 report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Depending on the field, internships can either be paid or unpaid, while traditionally most students participating in a co-op are compensated.

Colleges and universities with formal co-op programs often partner with certain employers near campus or even around the world. For internships, the search typically falls more on the student. However, a school’s career center and alumni network may be available to help provide tips or introductions.

By participating in work-based learning experiences, “you really try it before you buy it,” Richart says.

“The work that they are doing for these employers, they are not making copies,” she says. “They are not just doing things that are not meaningful. They are doing things for their specific field. So they’re really getting a taste of what it’s going to be like to be a professional in that specific field.”

Not only can students determine whether the field or specific job is the right fit for them during an internship or co-op, but students also gain valuable career skills. For example, students at Kettering University in Michigan, which has a required co-op program, graduate with two and a half years of full-time work experience, says Enza Sleva, the school’s director of co-op education and career services.

Willerton says co-ops and internships are a “pathway to an opportunity,” as they can lead to full-time job offers. There’s also a post-graduation salary benefit: 2022 data from Strada Education Network shows that students who completed a paid internship in college were working in higher-paying jobs a year after graduation compared to their peers who hadn’t done a paid internship.

Some schools require students to complete pre-work before an internship or co-op in order to learn professional development skills. Students at RIT, for instance, enroll in a course that discusses how to create a resume and cover letter, as well as how to interview.

‘Yes, you are doing the job, but we want you to take it a little bit more,” Richart says. “We want you to immerse yourself in the culture of the organizations that you are working for. … So we really try to give them not just the hard skills, but look at the soft skills as well.”

During the actual internship or co-op experience, experts urge students to network, including talking to people within the organization and connecting with their school’s alumni in that city or region to learn about different opportunities.

It’s important for students to step outside their comfort zone and expose themselves to different experiences and projects, Sleva says.

“Maybe you are going to be faced with a project that’s a little bit more extensive, and maybe it’s a stretch. Be open to it,” she says. “Take advantage of it because that’s how you are going to learn, and, frankly, you are going to accelerate your career.”

Students should also be open to receiving constructive criticism from their manager or peers.

“It’s always hard as at any age, but especially as a young person to receive sort of constructive feedback,” Sladen says. “But the ones that are open to that are going to thrive.”