• Employer Agreement Form
• Benefits of Cooperative Education
• Participating Departments
• Co-op Schedule
• Evaluation Process
• Recruiting Procedures
• Salary Options

Northwestern University's Cooperative Education Program follows guidelines set by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In order to establish a mutual understanding of what our Program involves, please read the following guidelines and sign below. By signing this agreement you, the employer, agree to abide by these policies.

1. While admission of students to the Cooperative Education Program is the responsibility of the Walter P. Murphy Cooperative Education Program, the employer agrees to inform the co-op office of a student's work arrangements. These include hiring, discharge, evaluations, changes in schedule, etc.

2. A minimum of four work terms (quarters) with the same employer is required (assuming suitable performance, availability of budget/relevant work, and student not changing major). This minimum should be fulfilled with a combination of three- and six-month work terms. Since co-op is an academic program, start and end dates of work terms must follow academic quarters.

Co-op work periods are roughly designated as follows:
Fall quarter ......... September - December
Winter quarter ......... January - March
Spring quarter ......... March - June
Summer quarter ......... June - August

Changes to the student's schedule must have the consent of the work-place supervisor and the co-op advisor.

3. The employer agrees to provide a minimum of twelve months of institution-monitored, full-time equivalent employment, based upon suitable student performance and availability of budget and relevant work (and assuming student does not change major).

4. The work provided to and expected from co-op students must be relevant to their academic programs, increasing in complexity and/or breadth as each student progresses through successive work terms.

5. The employer will submit an evaluation of student performance to the co-op office at the end of each work period, based on learning objectives established by student and supervisor at the beginning of each work term. Supervisors should discuss with the student their evaluation.

6. Northwestern will recognize the co-op status of only those students whose work experience is monitored by the co-op office.

7. No student will be required to sign any agreement that in any way restricts his or her ability to work for any other organization after graduation from Northwestern University.

8. The University acts in accordance with all federal, state, and local regulations regarding provision of equal opportunity in employment and education, insofar as those regulations pertain to Northwestern. Northwestern prohibits and will act to eliminate discrimination and segregation on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, handicap or disability, or sexual orientation. The services of the co-op office are available only to employers whose employment practices are consistent with this policy and are similarly non-discriminatory.

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Company Name (please print)
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Co-op Student's Name (please print)
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Company Representative Name
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Company Representative Signature
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Telephone                                                         
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Date