How co-op and internship work at Porter
Applied experience is central to a polytechnic education, and most programs either require it or build it in. In a co-op you work full-time (sometimes part-time) in a role tied to your major, usually for a semester or a summer, and you register for a zero- or one-credit course that carries faculty-approved learning objectives so the term counts toward your degree and appears on your transcript. Internships are often shorter and may be part-time alongside classes. Both are typically paid in technical and business fields; a small number in some fields are not, and Career Services can talk through whether an unpaid offer is worth it. A co-op term shifts your graduation timeline by a semester in most plans — your adviser maps that out with you so it does not add a whole year.
Finding one
Start a full semester (better, two) before you want to begin. Career coaches help you target employers, build a résumé and portfolio, practice interviews, and think through competing offers; PorterConnect lists roles from employers vetted by the university, and the fall and spring career conferences are where a lot of hiring starts. Faculty and the department often have direct employer relationships and can make an introduction. Alumni are a strong channel — many are hiring managers now.
While you are out
You stay enrolled in the co-op course and check in with a faculty coordinator, keep a short reflection or log, and at the end your supervisor completes an evaluation that becomes part of your record and a talking point for future interviews. Keep documenting the work as you go — the project write-ups, the numbers, screenshots or photos you are allowed to share — because that becomes portfolio material and résumé bullets. Watch the confidentiality and intellectual-property terms of the role before you post anything.
Why it matters
Students who do a co-op or internship report offers sooner, higher starting pay, and more clarity about what they actually want — and a meaningful share convert their co-op into a full-time offer. It is also the cheapest way to find out a field is *not* for you before you have committed a career to it. Financial aid, visa status (for international students), and athletic eligibility all interact with a co-op term; check with the relevant office before you commit.
Questions?
See the full staff & office directory for any phone number or email. Because this is a fictional parody site, addresses and phone numbers are illustrative and do not reach a real university.