<p>About the Co-op program:</p>
<p>The first year at Northeastern is traditional year (two semesters of academics and then a summer vacation). In the spring semester of the second year, the class basically splits into two groups (depending on major). Half the class will start a paid internship in their field while the other half will be in classes (the schedule becomes more of tri-mester type). The following period, the half that was interning will be in classes while the half that was in class will be interning. The classes basically rotate in and out of internships and until senior year. I know that this sounds somewhat confusing but it’s not. Here is a typical five year schedule:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.admissions.neu.edu/sample.html[/url]”>http://www.admissions.neu.edu/sample.html</a></p>
<p>Note that there is also a four year schedule available for most majors which also include a co-op (one co-op instead of three). Co-op is also optional for students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) but most CAS students choose to participate anyway so that they can get some experience in their field and earn some $$$. The average Northeastern student earns about $50k over the course of three co-ops. Since students do not pay tuition during co-op periods, the money earned on co-op can be used to defray tuition costs or cover living expenses or just buy stuff. I know a few students who were on full scholarship who just invested the money in stocks (smart idea). </p>
<p>The highest paid co-ops are in engineering, computer science, health sciences (nursing, pharmacy etc.), business, architecture, and some of the hard sciences. The employers include Fortune 500 companies (Microsoft, EMC, Raytheon, etc.), investment banks like (Merrill Lynch, Fidelity etc.); accounting firms, major newspapers (Boston Globe, NY Times etc.), government agencies (NASA, Dept. of State, and Homeland Security etc.), branches of government (Congress, the White House), major hospitals, and start-up companies (these are great if you can get stock options). There are a total of 2000 employers in the program worldwide and the program itself is nearly 100 years old. The program is run by a Wharton Grad and has its own building on campus and a multimillion dollar budget. </p>
<p>Co-ops explained:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/articles/plan/majorsExcerpt.asp[/url]”>http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/articles/plan/majorsExcerpt.asp</a> </p>
<p>A Northeastern Alum</p>