Grad Co-op NewsFlash
January 16th, 2009
Grad Co-op NewsFlash is sent to graduate students activated in the Division of
Professional Practice (DoPP). Any graduate student interested in working as a graduate
co-op or intern who is not receiving this NewsFlash may attend a Grad Co-op
Orientation to be activated or may contact Ken Little in the Grad Co-op Office. Thank
you and enjoy your spring semester!
In This Issue:
1) Welcome to Grad Co-op; Our Hours
2) Graduate Co-op and Internships Defined
3) Mandatory Orientations for Summer/Fall Co-op and Internships
4) Deadline for Registering Summer Grad Co-op/Internships
5) Spring 2009 Graduate Co-op Employers
6) Full Time Registration reminder for International Students
7) OIE Workshops for International Students using OPT
8) Mandatory Health Insurance Reminder for International Students
9) MLK Holiday
10) Work Abroad Offered Through DoPP
11) Stress Management Workshops
1) Welcome to Grad Co-op: The Division of Professional Practice would like to
welcome all the new graduate students to campus. Contact information for DoPP:
Phone: 404-894-3320 Email: gradco-op@dopp.gatech.edu
Web site: www.gradcoop.gatech.edu
Grad Co-op Office Appointments and Walk-in Hours: Students can schedule a
meeting with the Grad Co-op Advisor, Ken Little, via the Professional Practice Division
Database (P2D2) or come in during walk-in hours:
Monday and Wednesday, Ken Little, Assistant Director: 10-11:30AM
Tuesday and Friday, Patricia Bazrod, Director: 10-11:30AM
2) Graduate Co-op and Internships Defined: The Graduate Co-op Program is
available to masters and doctoral students in all majors. It provides students the
opportunity to include work experience related to your graduate studies as a part of your
academic record.
What is the difference between Co-op and Intern?
Any student may find an internship. Internships may or may not receive
academic recognition. A Co-op assignment requires the student to receive
approval from the academic department, register for a non-fee based course that
allows you to continue as a full-time Georgia Tech student while you work, and
the work assignment is listed on your transcript.
Undergraduate co-op and internship programs have different requirements, but
all graduate internships and co-op assignments need to be coordinated with your
academic department in order to supplement your education, not impede it.
Therefore, we strongly encourage all graduate students seeking related work
experience to register internships for credit as Graduate Co-op Work
Assignments.
International students should note that all co-op assignments count as part of
your academic curriculum, therefore qualifies for Curricular Practical Training
(CPT). This allows you to delay using your Optional Practical Training (OPT)
until you graduate.
NOTE: International students on F-1 and J-1 visas must be registered in a
graduate co-op course to receive CPT in order to receive work authorization to
work off campus.
3) Mandatory Orientations for Summer/Fall Co-op and Internships: DoPP offers
orientations for all graduate students planning to work as graduate co-ops or interns.
These MANDATORY sessions last up to one hour and are necessary to activate you in
the DoPP software called Professional Practice Division Database (P2D2). DoPP
orientations do not replace the need for International students to attend OIE’s orientation
for CPT and OPT.
All Grad Co-op orientation sessions are held in the Student Success Center – Clary
Theatre. Remaining sessions this semester are:
JANUARY
Thursday, 1/29
11:00 AM – Noon
FEBRUARY
Tuesday, 2/10
11:00 AM – Noon
Monday, 2/16
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday, 2/25
11:00 AM – Noon
MARCH
Friday, 3/6
11:00 AM – Noon
Monday, 3/16
11:00 AM – Noon
Tuesday, 3/31
11:00 AM – Noon
4) Deadline for Registering Summer Grad Co-op/Internships: In order to be
registered as a graduate co-op for the summer 2009, all academic department approvals
and offer letters must be submitted to the Grad Co-op Office by May 8, 2009.
NOTE: F-1 visa holders must provide five business days to receive I-20 forms from the
Office of International Education before the may start co-op and internship work
assignments
5) Spring 2009 Graduate Co-op Employers:
Adaptive Flight, AE
Air Force Research laboratory, MSE
Apple Inc., ECE
Bay Area Soil Products, Inc., ARCH
Cooper Carry, ARCH
Custom Engineering, ECE
Eastman Kodak Co., COC-HCI
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, ISYE
Georgia Department of Transportation, ARCH
HKS, Inc, ARCH
Integrated Device Technology, ECE
Intel, ECE
Intel Technology India Pvt. Ltd., ECE
Kaneva Engineering, CS
Kimberly Clark, ME
Lord Aeck Sargent, ARCH
Microsoft, COC-HCI
Motorola, ECE
MyFifident Foundation, COC-HCI
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, AE
Niles Bolton, ARCH
Nokia, ECE
Norfolk Southern, CS, ISYE
Perkins & Will, ARCH
Pimsler Hoss, ARCH
Qualcomm, CS, ECE
Quantum Jump Inc., CS
Revenue Analytics, ISYE
Rosser International, ARCH
Sayana Wireless, ECE
Securities and Exchange Commission, ISYE
Siemens Research Corp., ARCH
Sizemore Group, ARCH
Smith Attaway, ECON
Southern Company, MGT
Southern Polytechnic and State University, ARCH
SunTrust, ECE
T-Mobile, ECE
Texas Instruments, ECE
U.S. Government – General Services Administration, CEE
Univ. of Georgia Marine Sciences, CEE
Univ. of Minnesota – ME Department, ISYE
Walt Disney Imagineering, CS
Wiss Janney Elstner, ARCH
World Evolved Services LLC, CS
Yahoo Mobile Platforms, CS
6) Full Time Registration reminder for International Students: This is a reminder
that F-1 or J-1 graduate students need to be registered for and complete at least 12
credit hours to maintain their status. If you withdraw from a course, those credit hours no
longer count towards your registration total. Before you withdraw from a course that will
take you below 12 credit hours, you must have a Request for Reduced Course Load
approved by the Office of International Education in order to be in good student status.
7) OIE Workshops for International Students Using OPT: The Division of
Professional Practice (DoPP) receives constant questions from international students
and employers concerning questions using OPT – Optional Practical Training. DoPP
approves co-op and internships and coordinates them with academic departments and
the Office of International Education. However, DoPP is NOT your source for OPT and
CPT questions. The Office of International Education is your information source on
campus and provides the following information for your assistance:
Provided by the OIE:
If you are an F-1 visa holder and you plan to work in the U.S. after graduation, please
read the following message carefully so you know how to apply for Optional Practical
Training.
MANDATORY OPT sessions (in Rm. 308 of Savant building) for F-1 students planning
to work in the U.S. after graduating in May 2009 have been scheduled as follows:
Please do not be late as the workshop will begin on time.
January
Monday, 12th at 12pm
Thursday, 22nd at 11am
Monday, 26th at 9am
Friday, 30th at 1pm
February
Tuesday, 3rd at 11:30am
Thursday, 5th at 10:30am
Wednesday, 11th at 12:30pm
Monday, 16th at 9am
Thursday, 26th at 10a
March
Tuesday, 3rd at 12pm
Thursday, 12th at 2pm
Friday, 20th at 9:30am
Monday, 23rd at 11:30am
April
Thursday, 2nd at 10:30am
Wednesday, 8th at 12:30pm
Tuesday, 14th at 9:30am
Monday, 20th at 10am
Thursday, 30th at 9am
May
Tuesday, 5th at 11am
Monday, 11th at 2pm
Thursday, 21st at 1:30pm
Tuesday, 26th at 3pm
8) Mandatory Health Insurance Reminder for International Students: The Office
of International Education reports that all F-1 and J-1 students who register for spring
semester (including co-op) will be billed for the mandatory health insurance plan
provided by Pearce and Pearce.
General questions about the Pearce and Pearce mandatory plan can be addressed at:
www.health.gatech.edu
If you want to apply for a waiver of the insurance plan, please go to:
www.studentinsurance.com/
The waiver deadline for spring semester is February 5, 2009.
9) MLK Holiday: The Division of Professional Practice will be closed Monday, January
19, 2009 due to the national holiday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s
birthday. Dr. King grew up in Atlanta and performed much of his work from his Atlanta
base. He would have been 80 years old this year but his life was cut short when he was
assassinated in 1968.
Please visit http://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm for more information about The King
Center located in Atlanta.
10) Work Abroad Offered Through DoPP: The Division of Professional Practice offers
the Work Abroad Program (WA) for any student interested in co-op or internship
employment outside the U.S. Graduate students working outside the U.S. will still
receive academic department approval and register their co-op/internships through the
Grad Co-op Office, but the WA Office can provide valuable assistance with your job
search and with your preparation.
Contact workabroad@dopp.gatech.edu . Be sure to ask to be added to the “Work
Abroad Weekly Job Update and Events”
11) Stress Management Workshops for Graduate Students: Getting through your
graduate program can be stressful, especially when you add the search for the right
graduate internship in today’s tight economy. The Georgia Tech Counseling Center
offers several workshops that may be of interest.
Stress Management 101
Location: Wilby Room - Main Library Ground Floor
Thu Jan 22: 1100 AM - 1200 PM Presented by Marshall Bruner
Stress Management for International Students
Location: Wilby Room - Main Library Ground Floor
Thu Jan 29: 1100 AM - 1200 PM Presented by Mahlet Endhale, Ph.D.
Overcoming the Stressors off Perfectionism and Procrastination
Location: Wilby Room - Main Library Ground Floor
Thu Feb 5: 1100 AM - 1200 PM Presented by Ken Frontman, Ph.D
Manage your Time; Manage your Stress
Location: Wilby Room - Main Library Ground Floor
Thu Feb 12: 1100 AM - 1200 PM Presented by Nelson Binggeli, Ph.D.
GA Tech Counseling Center
Phone: (404) 894-2575
www.counseling.gatech.edu