Cooperative Education: Student Responsibilities
Eligibility Requirements
Students must have:
• completed 32 or more credits (transfer students must have completed 16 credits at Ramapo). Individual
exceptions may be requested from the Director
• A 2.0 or better GPA
• signed an ethical conduct agreement on The Archway
Cooperative Education offers students the opportunity to:
• obtain better direction for academic studies
• enrich academic courses
• earn academic credit towards graduation
• combine theoretical and experiential learning
• gain exposure to specialized facilities and equipment
• work in another geographic area in the United States or abroad
• increase interpersonal skills
• develop confidence, maturity and responsibility
• clarify career goals
• test career choices
• gain professional experience in chosen career fields
• gain a competitive edge over students without relevant work experience
• develop career research, resume writing and interviewing skills
• earn income towards educational costs
• increase the likelihood of higher starting salaries after graduation
• bridge the gap between college and the work world
Credits for Cooperative Education Courses
Employment schedules are highly individualized and may be full or part-time. A Cooperative Education
assignment must be the length of an academic semester. Each Cooperative Education course is worth either
two or four academic credits. See below for hour requirements:
4 credits: a position of minimum 240 hours per semester
Summer: 22 hrs/wk. for 11 weeks; Fall/Spring: 15 hrs/wk. for 16 weeks
2 credits: a position of minimum 120 hours per semester
Summer: 11 hrs/wk. for 11 weeks; Fall/Spring: 7.5 hrs/wk. for 16 weeks
Students may earn up to eight academic credits from Cooperative Education courses in their academic career at
Ramapo College. Students' work is evaluated by their employer and Cooperative Education faculty advisor.
Co-op Conversion
The conversion letter must be on company letterhead, typed and signed by the employing supervisor,
containing the following:
•Job title
•Length of time at current position or start date if new position
•Hours worked weekly
•Salary
•Description of responsibilities for upcoming cooperative education semester
Conversion of this position is subject to the approval of the cooperative education department on receipt of the
above. In order to receive permission to register, you MUST have your resume, conversion letter, ethical
conduct agreement, and the cooperative education learning agreement completed and submitted to the
cooperative education department BEFORE schedule adjustment for the fall/spring semester or BEFORE the
first day of Summer Session I for the summer semester.
Cooperative Education Position Approval Guidelines
Cooperative education positions, whether developed or converted, will be approved by the cooperative
education department and cooperative education faculty advisors based on the following criteria:
•The work site must have the proper infrastructure to ensure a safe, properly guided learning experience. The
position must provide an on-site work location, which means that the work site may not be in someone's home,
nor can the position be an on-the-road position. The position must provide daily supervision. The company or
agency must be registered with the appropriate Department of Labor. The site must also have a
published/working telephone number and if requested, promotional literature. The following types of positions
will not be approved: jobs based on commission, entrepreneurial positions, telemarketing, or childcare.
• A student may not be permitted to work for a relative.
• The position must provide meaningful work experience related to the student's major and/or career
objectives.
Registration
Cooperative Education is an academic course for which students register with permission from the Cooperative
Education staff. The Cooperative Education staff assists students throughout the year and will guide them
through appropriate registration procedures.
After acceptance of a Cooperative Education/Academic Internship position, students must:
• Meet with your career advisor
• Report a co-op hire on The Archway
• Select a Cooperative Education faculty advisor
• Schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor to determine your learning objectives and academic
assignment
• Electronically sign the Cooperative Education Three-Way Learning Agreement after it is sent to you
• Receive “Registration Permission”* from your Career Advisor in order to register
• Complete the appropriate form with Academic Advisement if the Pass/Fail option is selected.
• If an international student on a J1 or other visa, must obtain authorization from the international advisor
and fill out the appropriate paper work
• Students must register through the “Self Service” link on “My Ramapo” to add the Cooperative Education
course
* Note* (Registration authorization only gives permission to take the course).
Grading and Evaluation
At the completion of the Cooperative Education placement a three-way Evaluation takes place:
• Students are evaluated by their employer supervisor
• students' learning is assessed by their Cooperative Education faculty advisor who assigns a grade based on the
quality of related academic assignments and the employer evaluation
• Students are given the opportunity to evaluate their completed Cooperative Education experience
• Students are also required to attend mandatory orientation and reflection sessions facilitated by the Cahill
staff.
Conversion
If students are already in positions or have recently acquired a new position on their own for which they wish to
convert to Cooperative Education they must:
• Not have been in the position more than two years, or
• Demonstrate that new learning is taking place with expanded duties and responsibilities, new projects, etc.
• Submit a current resume
• Present a job description of previous duties as well as a job description on company letterhead of expanded
duties while participating in Cooperative Education
• Present this information to the Cooperative Education staff, who, with a Cooperative Education faculty
advisor, will determine the suitability of the job for Cooperative Education. If approved, you must follow the
registration steps outlined above
If a student wishes to remain at the same site for another Cooperative Education semester, he or she must
submit a new letter from a work supervisor listing new responsibilities. This new learning will also be described
on the Cooperative Education Learning Agreement. The student must then continue with the required
registration procedures.
Sample Employers
Today, more than 62,000 corporations world-wide employ Cooperative Education students. Building upon a
strong domestic corporate base, Cooperative Education at Ramapo has been expanded to multinational
companies abroad. These are some of the firms where Ramapo students have worked:
• BMWNA
• Nets Basketball
• CNBC
• Konica Minolta
• EMI Capitol Records
• KPMG
• Ernst & Young
• Oasis
• Essex County Juvenile Detention Center
• Orange & Rockland Utilities
• The Feminist Press
• Rolling Stone Magazine
• Global Alliance for Women's Health
• Senator Loretta Weinberg
• Global Business Dimensions
• Sirius Satellite Radio
• Mahwah Museum
• Sharp Electronics
• The Margaret Sanger Papers Project
• United Parcel Service
• Meadowlands Environmental Center
• Universal Music
• Mercedes Benz USA
• Walt Disney World
• Merrill Lynch
• West Bergen Mental Health Center
• MTV
Sample Positions
• Assistant Controller
• Jr. Accountant
• Audit Intern
• Legal Assistant
• Budget Analyst Intern
• Legislative Intern
• Community Resource Counselor
• Market Researcher
• Computer Programmer
• Media Planning Assistant
• Copy Editor
• Public Relations Assistant
• Customer Service Representative
• Research Laboratory Assistant
• Graphic Designer
• TV/Video Production Assistant
• Historical Researcher
• Urban Marketing Intern
• Human Resource Assistant
• Web Applications Programmer
In this economy finding a job can be extremely difficult, especially if you don't know where to look.
Ramapo's new online database, The Archway, can help students and alumni in the search for jobs by simply
registering and posting a resume. The Archway can also be used to find cooperative education internships
and we encourage students to use this great resource. Also visit the Cahill Career Development Web Page,
http://www.ramapo.edu/cahill and click on “Career Planning Resources and Programs” on the left and then
click on “Internet Resources”.
P:shared/cahill/co-op/Eileen/Student Responsibilities Cahill web page eq
06/10/2015