By: Quy, Nguyen, BS ’24, MSE ‘26 and Melissa Welch, Associate Director of Co-operative Education
Quy Nguyen is an international graduate student from Vietnam currently enrolled in the Plus 1 Master’s in Electrical Engineering Program at UMass Lowell. Quy received her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Francis College of Engineering in May of 2024. As an undergraduate student, Quy participated in the Professional Co-op Program and is currently a Co-op Program Assistant in the Career Services Office, where she assists other students in the co-op search process. In this interview, she shares her experience as an international student and advice she has for other students.
Why did you join the Co-op Program?
“I joined the Co-op Program because I wanted to explore how electrical engineers work in real-world environments and see how the things I learned in class apply in practice. The idea of being paid to learn and gain hands-on experience at the same time was really motivating. It felt like the perfect way to grow both professionally and financially while preparing for my future career.”
Where was your first co-op and what did you learn from that experience?
“My first co-op was at E Ink Corporation, where I worked in a testing team. I learnt how to work in a company environment and how to communicate between different teams. Our work involved supporting engineers and researchers with their testing, so communication and coordination were key to keeping projects on track. That experience helped me understand how engineering teams collaborate in real life and built a foundation for my next co-op.”
What made you want to do a 2nd co-op? Where was that co-op and how was that different than your 1st?
“I decided to do a second co-op when I was a junior, about two semesters before graduation. At that time, I needed to start choosing my technical elective courses, but I wasn’t sure which direction to take since I didn’t fully understand what each area involved. My first co-op was mainly about getting my feet wet and seeing how engineers work in real projects. For my second co-op, I wanted to go deeper and build stronger technical skills. I joined Hologic as an R&D Electrical Engineering Co-op, where I learned a lot more about testing circuits, debugging systems, and understanding how hardware and software come together. That experience really helped me shape my career goals.”
Can you share about the CPT process?
“The CPT process was very straightforward. Working with my co-op advisor and the International Student Office made everything clear and easy to follow. I simply followed their instructions and submitted the required forms on time. It was a smooth process from start to finish.”
Were there any challenges that you faced as an international student during the search process?
“One of the main challenges I faced during the co-op search was related to work authorization. Many of the school’s industry connections are with defense contractors or companies that work closely with the military, and most of them can’t hire international students. This made it harder to benefit from career fairs and co-op connections compared to domestic students. I once spoke with a manager who said he preferred hiring U.S. citizens because he wanted to convert co-op positions into full-time roles, which made sense but was still discouraging.
Interviewing itself wasn’t much different, but resume screening felt more intimidating because of the question, “Do you need sponsorship now or in the future?” Even though co-ops don’t require sponsorship for F-1 students using CPT, not all employers understand that, and I felt like my application was often filtered out automatically. This happened more on LinkedIn, so I’d recommend applying through Handshake instead, it has filters for CPT and OPT eligibility.”
What advice do you have for other international students who may be considering doing a co-op?
“If your schedule allows, definitely do it! The co-op experience is extremely valuable, especially for international students who want to understand the U.S. workplace culture and gain hands-on experience. Not every university offers such a strong co-op program, so take advantage of it at UML. My main advice is to know your goal before starting, whether it’s to explore a new field, gain technical experience, or improve communication skills. Having a clear goal will help you find the right opportunity and get the most out of your co-op.
Also, there’s a lot of support from your co-op advisor and the Co-op Program Assistants to help with whatever you need. Some students need more practice interviewing especially if English isn’t their first language and that support is available for students enrolled in the co-op program.”
For more information on the undergraduate programs who are eligible for co-op, visit Professional Co-op Program – UMass Lowell | Career & Co-op Center. For information on CPT or OPT, contact the International Student & Scholars Office (ISSO) at International Students and Scholars Office | UMass Lowell
