The UMass Lowell (UML) Undergraduate Professional Cooperative Education program is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with work experience. Commonly known as “co-op”, this valuable experience is an academic program designed to complement a student’s formal education with paid practical work related to the student’s academic major.
What is Co-op at UML?
A full-time, paid work experience with an industry partner, usually for 6 months.
A program for undergraduates that alternates a semester of on-campus academic study with a work experience in industry.
A three-phase sequenced series of courses incorporating a pre-co-op preparation course, the co-op work experience, and a post-co-op reflection seminar.
A structured, selective, voluntary program for full-time undergraduate students in the Francis College of Engineering, Kennedy College of Sciences, Manning School of Business, Department of Economics, and Pharmaceutical Sciences major, and Applied Biomedical Sciences major – Clinical Science option
Meet Caitlyn, a Talent Acquisition Coordinator at Commonwealth Financial Network, who is passionate about supporting early career talent. Caitlyn graduated in 2023 from UMass Lowell with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Marketing & Management. While in school, she gained hands-on industry experience through a co-op at Franklin Templeton Investments (formerly Putnam Investments) from January to June 2022. Now working on the other side of the hiring process, Caitlyn shares her perspective on what makes students stand out and how they can successfully transition from co-op roles to full-time positions.
You finished your co-op search, accepted a job offer, and have an official start date. You are eager to dive into the professional world, but are probably experiencing some first day jitters too. Whether it’s your first job or you …
Undertaking a Co-op is a wonderful opportunity provided here at UMass Lowell. Here at the Career & Co-op Center, we actively work with academic departments to share the benefits of this experience, but we aren’t the only ones. Joe Hartman, …
By Rae Perry
Rae PerryDirector, Cooperative Education and Experiential Learning
Engaging in a cooperative education (co-op) program during college is a valuable opportunity for students to gain practical, hands-on experience within their chosen field. Not only does it provide a solid foundation for building a professional network, but it also …
