UMN Engineering Co-op Program Student Application
THE SPRING APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2021 at 5:00 PM
This job posting is the application to the Engineering Co-op Program. If you are accepted into the Engineering Co-op Program, you will then be permitted to apply to any of the Co-op positions listed in Handshake by the 40+ employers in our program who will be hiring for summer and fall 2021 co-op positions. You can read more about the timeline on our website:
If you are hired for one of those co-op positions, you will then be required to register for a required online course during each of your work assignments to earn technical elective credits while you work. You can read more about the courses on our website: http://co-op.umn.edu/content/working-students
If you already have found a co-op position on your own and want to participate in our program to get credit for your work experience, please see our website at: https://co-op.dl.umn.edu/content/student-found-or-direct-hire-co-ops
When to Apply
Students from eligible majors are encouraged to apply to the Co-op Program late in their sophomore year. Students applying during their junior or senior year may need to extend their graduation to accommodate their Co-op work sequence.
Applicant Requirements
- Be an undergraduate CSE student in one of the majors in the Co-op Program.
- Graduate students are not eligible for the Co-op Program.
- Be in upper division/admitted to your major OR be within a semester of being accepted into CSE upper division/your major, meaning you are applying for upper division/admission to your major during the same semester you are applying to the Co-op Program.
- You may not register for the first Co-op course, or begin work as a Co-op, until you are officially accepted into upper division/your major.
- Biomedical engineering students have to be officially accepted in their major before they can interview.
- Be in good academic standing Students on academic probation will not be admitted into the Co-op Program.
- Be in need of technical elective credits
- Have at least two semesters remaining after acceptance into the Co-op Program
- Must commit to at least two semesters of working as a Co-op student.
- Major-specific information can be found on our FAQ page.
Cumulative GPA Minimum Requirements by Major
Biomedical: No minimum GPA required but the student will have to have completed the junior year and have completed all 3xxx BME classes before beginning work.
Aerospace: 2.5
Chemical: 2.5
Computer Engineering: 2.4
Electrical Engineering: 2.4
Industrial & Systems: 2.5
Materials Science: 2.5
Mechanical: 2.5
Sophomore/Lower Division with intention to major in Chemical Engineering or Materials Science: 3.2 Technical GPA
Sophomore/Lower Division with intention to major in Mechanical, Industrial, Computer, or Electrical Engineering: 2.8
Transfer Students
Transfer students must have completed one full semester in CSE (which includes at least one CSE course) with a reported UMN GPA before applying to the Co-op Program. This applies to students transferring from another school or from another college within the University of Minnesota.
Applying Multiple Times
Students may apply and interview no more than three semesters. Students that have not been placed with an employer after three interview periods should focus on completing their degree and will not be allowed to interview for a fourth time.
Application Documents
There are multiple documents needed to apply to the Co-op Program. Click on the Handshake Apply Button to submit them. Please note: If accepted into the Co-op Program, you will also submit all items listed below to any Co-op jobs you apply to after being accepted into the program.
1. You will need to create and update your Handshake profile.
- In your profile, please list your current GPA, your major, and your standing (sophomore, junior, etc.)
2. CSE Engineering Co-op Application Additional Information and Essay
- Find this document listed at the bottom of this page under "attachments"
- After completing the questions and essay, Save your application using this title format: Your LastName_FirstName_SemesterYear_Application
- (example: Doe_John_SP21_Application.pdf).
- Upload your completed PDF to your application to the Co-op Program in Handshake.
3A. Current Unofficial Transcript.
- If you have trouble requesting your unofficial transcript, make sure you have your popup blocker turned off. (This has caused problems for students in the past.)
- The transcript should be a PDF file.
- Name your transcript in the same way as you did the application (example: Doe_John_SP21_Transcript.pdf)
- An official transcript is not necessary.
- If you would like to redact your birth date or ID number on your transcript, you may do so.
3B. Transfer Student Transcripts
- Transfer students need to submit their transfer school transcripts, however Handshake will only accept one transcript document. You need to merge them with your unofficial U of M transcript (you can use the free PDF Mergy on Google Drive) with your U of M transcript first. Please redact (black out) any information you don't want potential employers to view.
- Remember, transfer students need to have completed one UMN CSE semester before they can apply to the Co-op Program. See the Eligibility page for more information.
4. Current Resume. This is an important document for making a good first impression with the potential employer. See the Resume Writing Tips page if you need assistance. The Co-op Program will not be providing feedback on resumes, although the CSE Career Center does.
- The resume should be current and must be submitted as a PDF.
- Name your resume in the same way as you did the application (example: Doe_John_SP21_Resume.pdf).