Co-op Experiences

Students enrolled in either the Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering major are highly encouraged to take a semester off from college at some point past their sophomore year to take part in the cooperative education program. Companies ranging from manufacturing to healthcare are consistently looking for students to work as co-ops for six-month, nine-month, or summer positions.

Students who have completed a co-op of six months or more can write a paper on their experience to receive credit for IME 497 (Co-op Technical Report). This 3-credit class counts as a technical elective. The format for the paper can be found here.

By participating in the cooperative education program, students receive “real-world” experience that cannot be taught in a classroom. They also are given a chance to see what aspect of their major they would like to focus in after graduation and begin networking with individuals in industry. To access NDSU’s cooperative education website, please click here.

Below are some current students’ thoughts on their co-ops and their decisions for majoring in Industrial Engineering.

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