Co-op & Experiential Learning
Cooperative Education
Cooperative Education (co-op) is an educational model providing undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to alternate between periods of academic study and full-time employment to gain hands-on, professional experience in their field of interest, and build personal connections and contacts. With hundreds of employer partners in Boston, across the country, and around the world, civil and environmental engineering co-op students graduate with not only a degree, but also invaluable connections and proven experience in their chosen field.
Advantages of Northeastern's Co-op Program
- Generally competitively paid, full-time positions where the student is integrated with an employer partner and working on real-world projects.
- Longer duration than a typical summer internship. Co-ops are six months in duration for undergraduate students, while graduate students have optional 4, 6, or 8-month opportunities.
- A dedicated team of co-op coordinators coach students through the co-op search process and support them through their co-op experience.
- Co-op coordinators maintain relationships with employer partners to provide students with robust co-op opportunities.
- Provides a holistic learning model including preparation (introduction to co-op course), work (full-time co-op employment), and reflection (interpreting the experience).
Building on Her Co-Op Experiences
Carrie Tam, BS, Civil Engineering & Architectural Studies, applied her co-op experience at Walker Consultants to the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition, bringing the Northeastern team to the national finals.
Civil Engineering Co-op Experience
Jude Arbogast, BS, Civil Engineering, has done two co-ops at Suffolk Construction—one in scheduling and staffing, and the other in the field where he found his love of construction management. He says co-op allowed him to put his knowledge to the test and find out what he really wanted to do.
Environmental Health Hands-On Experiences
Anna Walsh, a fifth year student with an independent environmental health major, studies a variety of environmental contaminants. She describes two projects, one on air sampling and the other developing a framework for passive samplers for water samples. She did a co-op at Stockholm University in an environmental department getting significant experience.
Student Clubs and Global Experiences
Engineers Without Borders
Engineering without Borders (EWB) is one organization at Northeastern that allows students to travel to countries such as Uganda and Honduras to address their need for potable water. Since 2004 this student group has designed and constructed water projects in six communities, directly affecting over 2,000 individuals. Northeastern’s experiential philosophy allows students to become real world engineers while they are still learning in the classroom.
Dialogue of Civilizations
One example of a Dialogue of Civilizations is Sustainable Waste Management: European Practices for Resource Recovery and Environmental Protection led by Teaching Professor Annalisa Onnis-Hayden. Students travel to Cagliari, Italy and immerse themselves in the Sardinian and Italian culture while sailing the Mediterranean Sea, and learning about the rich history and traditions, while enjoying the crystal-clear water, white sand, and the mountains of this special island.
Student Experiences
From PhD Student to Professor: Dian Indrawati to Join UNJANI Faculty as Professor in Climate Science and Hydrology
A future doctor turned engineer, Dian Indrawati just defended her PhD at Northeastern and is heading home to Indonesia as a tenured professor — using AI to help the flood- and drought-prone archipelago build climate resilience.
Environmental Engineering Student Uses Global Co-Op to Protect Coastal Groundwater in Australia
During her co-op at the University of Western Australia, Emma Collins, E, environmental engineering, analyzed decades of environmental data to help protect coastal groundwater systems from climate change.
Sustainable Development Through Engineering Experience
Olivia Ciaravino, E ’25, environmental engineering, currently works full-time at Bohler. Through classes, co-ops, research, and Dialogues of Civilizations, she has built the skills and experience to pursue a career centered on sustainability and community development.
Engineering for Good: A Commitment to Environmental Service in Wastewater Management
Caleb Hagner, E’27, environmental and chemical engineering, works part-time at Practical Applications, Inc. while serving as an undergraduate research assistant. Through mentorship and hands-on experience, Hagner is committed to tackling pollution challenges at the regional level.