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For students participating in the internships and cooperative education program, benefits include earning a salary, receiving academic credit, testing career interests, gaining valuable employment contacts, developing decision-making skills, and receiving valuable on-the-job experience. For employers, the benefits of utilizing students in internships/cooperative education include developing a pool of potential permanent employees already screened and trained, releasing highly paid personnel for more specialized work, recruiting from a pool of college applicants, providing low-cost training, and an opportunity to teach and observe student development through the assignment.
 

• Sophomore-level status (30 hrs. accrued credit) through graduate level*
• Formally declared major or minor
• Minimum GPA of 2.0-undergraduate**
• Minimum GPA of 3.0-graduate level**

      *  The College of Business requires junior-level status.
      ** Employers may raise minimum GPA requirements for specific positions.

• Students wishing to apply for internships/cooperative education should come to the Career and Internship Services Office, 2nd floor, D.P. Culp University Center and complete the "Student Application" form in order to set up a file.
• The administration of positions dictates that staff and students plan a semester in advance to allow the employer sufficient time to interview applicants and make a selection, as well as give the student time to make future class schedule plans.
• Position announcements are posted in the Career and Internship Services Office. Additionally, position announcements are often posted by academic departments and distributed to faculty for classroom announcements.
• Positions may be advertised as much as a year in advance for particular companies.

• Internships/cooperative education schedules may be arranged in three ways: 1) alternating semesters, 2) consecutive semesters, or 3) part-time schedules. Students must work for an entire semester to receive credit for their placement.
• ETSU students are required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week to earn academic credit for internships/cooperative education. The formula for earning academic credit is as follows:

       Credit Hours                                        Work Hours/Per Week
 1                                                              10-19
 2                                                              20-29
 3                                                              30-40

• Grades for internships/cooperative education students are based on the employer's evaluation and the ETSU departmental academic coordinator.  Depending on which college a student is enrolled, either the A-F system or a P-F system will be utilized for administering grades.

• ETSU students may originate internships/cooperative education placements with the approval of the assistant director of internships/cooperative education and the student's academic department.
• 33 percent of all 1996 collegiate entry-level hires had internships/cooperative education experience.
• Internship/Cooperative education experience is rated one of top ten factors used by companies to select persons for interviews.

The following information guide provides you the initial steps for developing an internship/co-op position, and subsequent procedures to fill your particular co-op/internship opportunity. 

• All employers must provide the internship/co-op education program with a job description that includes 1) a company logo, insignia, or trademark; 2) a brief description of the company; 3) decide the academic major(s) you need at your company; 4) a paragraph or two detailing the basic duties, minimum qualifications, and preferred skills of the student; 5) the academic levels of students you seek (only sophomores and above can participate in internships/co-op; 6) the hourly wages you expect to pay (or range of pay); and 7) employers must declare from the following brackets the hours students will work, on average, the entire semester:

10 – 19 hours per week                                              1 academic credit hour

20 – 29 hours per week                                              2 academic credit hours

30 – 40 hours per week                                              3 academic credit hours 

• Once the Internship/Co-op program receives your job description, the job description is sent to the dean or department head of the academic major you are requesting.  The dean or department head reviews the job description for academically related content and returns the job description to this office for advertising and processing of student credentials.
• The approved job description  is advertised on our website under the specific major(s) requested.  It is also announced in classes by designated faculty, and is posted on bulletin boards in academic departments.
   

• Students have, or will create, specific credentials packets as directed by this office.  Student credentials will include the following: 1) ETSU Internship/Co-op application; 2) full university transcript; 3) resume; and 4) a cover letter from this office designating this student has been screened by our office for “good standing” at ETSU (we do not screen for academic skills or job related qualifications).
• Students will “sign-up” to have their credentials packet FAXED or electronically transmitted to the employer.  Employers will work closely with Internship/Co-op staff to discuss the probable number of students who will respond during the advertising period.
• Employers, upon receipt of student credentials, may call the student directly to initiate a telephone interview; if the student and employer choose, the employer will then ask the student to visit their location for an in-person interview with staff.
• If the student accepts an offer of internship/co-op placement for the semester, the employer and student will notify this office to begin the academic registration process.
   

• Students may work multiple semesters if agreed upon by employer; undergraduates can earn up to a total of 12 course credit hours in their career while graduate students can earn a total of 6 course credit hours in their career.  Students will register in this office each semester they are placed.
   
• Students are required to work a complete semester (vacation, holidays, etc., may be considered by each employer)
   
• Students will present the employers with a Registration Packet of materials the first week of the semester to be processed as instructed by this office.
   
• Students are evaluated for their work performance; the field professional (employer designee) assigns a grade on the Employer’s Evaluation Form.
   
• Internship/Co-op job descriptions have to be submitted and approved only once if that position generally reflects the continued duties of that student or subsequent student placements.
   
• The more advanced notice of upcoming co-op/internships from employers the better.  Students cannot be late added after three weeks into the semester.

East Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution and is fully in accord with the educational and employment opportunities should be available to all eligible persons without regard to age, sex, color, race, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status.  Printed by East Tennessee State University Press.  TBR 260-077-98 3M

For students participating in the internships/cooperative education program, benefits include earning a salary, receiving academic credit, testing career interests, gaining valuable employment contacts, developing decision-making skills, and receiving valuable on-the-job experience. Since faculty members and academic department representatives are sometimes the first contacted by a company representative to discuss an internship/cooperative education position, it is important to understand the process for establishing internship/cooperative education positions and where to direct students and company or organization representatives.

Submitting Your Internship/Co-op Placement Request

• Company/organization representatives contact the assistant director for Internship/Cooperative Education Programs to discuss the procedures for establishing a position.
• If contacted initially, faculty members should forward the company/organization representative to the assistant director to discuss the position and begin the administrative process.
• The assistant director will request a detailed job description from the company/organization which will be forwarded to the appropriate academic department for review and approval.

• Once an internship/co-op education position job description is approved, academic departments, faculty, and the Career  and Internships Office will post the position description.
• Position descriptions are advertised on campus for 30 days prior to applicant review.

• Student applications are screened by the assistant director to insure students have met advertised minimum qualifications.
• Student application credentials are mailed to the company/organization for review.
• Top student applicants will be contacted by either the internship/cooperative education staff or the company/organization for interviews.
• Company/organization representatives will notify the assistant director, or staff, which student (if any) was extended an offer for the internships/cooperative education position.  Departments are notified by the assistant director of cooperative education.

•  Internship/cooperative education student placements occur in fall, spring, or summer semesters.
•  Internship/cooperative education placements may be consecutive semesters, alternating semesters, or part-time assignments (working in the internship/cooperative education position and attending classes).
• Undergraduate students may receive up to 12 hours of academic credit and graduate students may receive up to six hours of academic credit during their college experience.
• Students are evaluated at the end of each semester by the company/organization supervisor. Evaluations are provided to appropriate academic departments for posting internship/cooperative education grades.
• ETSU students are required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week to earn academic credit for internship/cooperative education placement. The formula for earning academic credit is as follows:

         Credit Hours                                     Work Hours/Per Week
   1                                                           10-19
   2                                                           20-29
   3                                                           30-40

• 61% of employers had internship/co-op programs
• 79% of employers converted to internship/co-op students to full-time employment
• Internship/co-op experience rated one of the top three factors used to select persons for interviews
• 33% of all 1996 collegiate entry-level hires had internship/co-op experience.