The Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program places students in a training assignment that will provide exposure to the engineering profession.  Students are able to see how classroom theory relates to practical experience.  The program integrates the student’s academic learning with the actual structured on-the-job experience in one of two formats:

• Parallel Plan – Involves simultaneous work and classroom attendance.
• Alternating Plan – Involves periods of full-time work experience alternating with full-time classroom study.

The average salary is $10.00 per hour; the actual rate depends on the organization and the tasks involved.  Engineering students have worked for the following organizations affiliated with the University of Hawaii Cooperative Education Program:

• Aloha Airlines
• City & County of Honolulu--Department of Transportation Services, HPOWER
• Dick Pacific
• Robert Englekirk Inc.
• Jas Glover Ltd.
• Notkin Hawaii
• State of Hawaii--Department of Accounting and General Services, Department of Transportation
• U.S. Geological Survey
• U.S. Navy—Pearl Harbor, NavSea

In order to qualify, applicants must be enrolled at UH Manoa in a degree-granting program with at least two semesters remaining before graduation.  Undergraduate students must have completed a minimum of 30 credits with at least a 2.0 both in their overall GPA and major field of study.

How to Apply for Co-Op:

To apply, students should contact a Co-op counselor as early as their freshman year, even though they will not be eligible for a Co-op assignment until their sophomore or junior year.  Engineering students may call Arleen Fujimoto-Ikuma of the UH Student Employment and Cooperative Education Office at (808) 956-9264.