Cooperative
Education
Founded over a century ago, our co-op program is one of the largest and most innovative of its kind in the world. Through cooperative education, students are able to develop professional skills, meet valuable contacts, and explore one or more career paths.
For over 100 years, Northeastern has been a world leader in cooperative education (co-op), the University’s cornerstone experiential learning program.
By alternating semesters of academic study with periods of full-time work, students are able to transform work across academic and professional contexts. Co-op provides students the opportunity to explore or refine potential career paths, make valuable industry connections, broaden perspectives, and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to succeed —all while learning and growing outside the comfort zone of the classroom.
All Northeastern students can participate in the co-op program. Undergraduates must first complete three academic semesters and alternate periods of academic study with six-month periods of work experience in their field(s) of interest. Transfer students are eligible to start co-op after completing at least one academic semester at Northeastern.
Co-op advisors help students plan up to three co-ops while staying on track for graduation in 4-5 years.
The program starts with a mandatory preparation course and required reflections, both during and post co-op, to help reinforce learning. Reflections can be completed as part of an expo, poster presentation, essay, video, or meeting.
Students gain up to 18 months of professional experience and may work in world-renowned health care institutions, neighborhood health clinics, with multinational biotechnology companies, as well as nonprofit research labs. Students develop impressive resumes and many receive offers of employment from their co-op employer.
Most co-ops are full-time, paid positions with the co-op employer. Students do not pay tuition while on co-op, although they are still considered full-time students with no change in benefits. Students who complete the co-op program also receive a notation on their college transcript.
Northeastern works with more than 3,100 employers across the United States and in 136 countries around the world.
Discover our co-op employers
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Clinical Research Student Assistant | Boston Children’s Hospital Genetic Counseling Assistant | Commonwealth of Massachusetts C.O.R.I. Unit Intern | Harvard Medical School Research Assistant (Fishell) |
| Italian Home For Children, Inc. Residential Counselor | Liquiglide Inc. Coatings Engineer | Massachusetts General Hospital Research Assistant | MIT Lincoln Laboratory/strong> CO-OP Student – Science Writer (Req 25384) |
| Novartis AG Medicinal/Organic Chemist | Partners Healthcare Research Assistant (Center for Nervous System Repair-HMS) | The Boston Beer Company Inc Boston: Sensory, Research & Development Lab Co-op | The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc Machine Intelligence Co-Op |
| bluebird bio, Inc. Vivarium Co-op | Brigham and Women’s Hospital Laboratory Research Trainee | Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. Co-op: Belfer Center | Harvard Medical School Research Assistant (Crickmore) | |
| New England Aquarium Corp Penguin Husbandry Co-op Aquaristry | Peapod Digital Labs Data Science | MPro Sports Orthopedics, Inc Medical Assistant | ||
| The Boston Consulting Group/strong> Global Learning and Development Co-op | WGBH Educational Foundation Human Resources Co-op | Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover Research Co-op Co-op |
| bluebird bio, Inc. Stem Cell Research – 1119 | Harvard University Organ-on-Chips Co-op | Indigo Agriculture Microbial Analytics and Quality Control Co-op | Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Solar Incentive Fellowship |
| Merck KGaA Explorative Cancer Research Co-Op | Moderna Therapeutics Co-op, Analytical Development (JT) | New England Baptist Hospital Operating Room Attendant | Partners Healthcare Therapy Aide |
| Tarveda Therapeutics Formulations & Analytical Co-op | Tufts Medical Center Student Nurse Technician- Medical-Surgical |
| Acceleron Pharma Inc. Regulatory Affairs Co-op | Alnylam Pharamaceuticals Analytical Sciences, Stability Co-Op | BlueWave Solar Operations Intern | Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Genomic Variant Curator |
| Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary Research Assistant | Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Commercial Clean Heating and Generation Fellowship | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Assistant | Merck KGaA Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies Co-Op |
| New England Baptist Hospital Human Resources and Medical Staff Office Co-op | Roslindale Pediatrics Medical Assistant | Surface Oncology Protein Biochemistry Co-Op | The Marine Biological Laboratory Cephalopod Co-op Aquarist |
| Pfizer Inc. Cell Culture Process Development Co-op |
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions Infant/Toddler Teacher, Family Solutions | Cataldo Ambulance Service Inc EMT | Living Proof, Inc. Discovery Co-op | Morphic Therapeutic, Inc. Biology Co-op |
| Northeastern University Assistant Teacher | Oncorus, Inc. Research Associate, Molecular Biology | Ra Pharmaceuticals Target Biology Research Technician | Smart Energy Island Intern |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Co-Op, Analytical Development | Wayfair LLC Business Analyst Co-op (Pricing, Marketing, Comp Intel, Ops, Talent, Finance, Product) |
| Abbvie, Inc, Neuroscience Histology | Best Bees Company Beekeeper and Field Researcher | Boston Medical Center Research Assistant | Brigham & Women’s Hospital Patient Care Assistant – Intermediate Neuroscience (10CD) |
| Cogen Therapeutics, Inc. Molecular Biologist | Cygnal Therapeutics Research Associateher | Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Program Management | Mass. Bay Brewing Company, Inc. QA/QC Lab Technician |
| Ropes and Gray LLP Training Assistant | Shriners Hospitals for Children Clinical Research Assistant |
| Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Wetland and Waterways Co-op | Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Clean Technology Innovation Fellow | New England Aquarium Giant Ocean Tank Co-op | MSPCA Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Angell Veterinary Assistant-Collaborative Care Team | |
| New England Wildlife Center, Inc. Wildlife Hospital Co-op | Northeastern University Ocean Genome Legacy Laboratory Assistant | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Geological Research Assistant | Best Bees Company Beekeeper and Field Scientist | |
| BlueWave Solar Operations Intern | The Marine Biological Laboratory Cephalopod Co-op Aquarist |
| Aircraft Music Library AirCraft / IndieTracks Music Library Intern | Asher Kornbluth MD Medical Practice Undergraduate intern | Massachusetts General Hospital Research Assistant | Merck Research Laboratories uncovering molecular mechanism of non coding rna in intestinal barrier function |
| Translate Bio Co-op for Bioanalytical Chemistry | William James College Junior Research and Evaluation Associate | City of Boston Office of Equity – Undergraduate Co-op | Harvard University Research Assistant (Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorders) |
| WaysideYouth & Family Support Network/strong> Residential Counselor |
| Amgen Inc. Undergrad Co-op R&D (Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience) | Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. CMC- Cell Line Development | Boston University Research Assistant | Codiak Biosciences. Co-op Purification (Downstream Process Development) |
| Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Synthetic/Medicinal Chemistry Co-op | Goldfinch Bio Synthetic / Medicinal Chemist | Biogen Inc. Co-op: Protein and Cell Engineering | Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing (GLOBAL) Biology for Ageing Research Co-op |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP PwC Assurance (Audit) Co-op – Job Location: Hong Kong | ZoomInfo Human Resources and Recruiting Coordinator Co-op | Lockheed Martin Engineering Co-op (Energy Storage) |
| Spinnaker Capital LLC Private Investments Operations Intern | Boston Medical Center Research Assistant | Genentech Data Steward | McKinsey & Company, Inc. Agriculture Research Co-op |
| Octagon Therapeutics Inc Microbiology Research Scientist Co-op | Sanofi Genzyme QC Chemist | Sense Device/Client Support Analyst | Victory Programs, Inc. Assistant Intake Coordinator |
| Camp4 Therapeutics Research Assistant | Harvard University Research Technician (Lee) | Queen’s University Research assistant (Perception and Action research) |
| Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate Co-op Intern | Bose Corporation Global Sales and Marketing Project Manager Co-op | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Wildlife Biologist Aide | Duke University Research Asst., Neurobiology Graduate Program |
| Harvard University Audio Visual/Information Technology Assistant | Homesite Group Inc. Actuarial Analyst Associate | Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. Corporate Social Responsibility Co-op | Tufts Medical Center Clinical Laboratory Co-op |
| US Food and Drug Administration Laboratory Support Technician | WAVE Life Sciences Oligonucleotide Co-Op |
Co-op Advising
Students are supported by their discipline-specific co-op advisor throughout the process and meet their co-op advisor in the Co-op Preparation Course their sophomore year. The course focuses on career exploration, employer research, resume development, and interview preparation. In addition, co-op advisors meet with each student individually prior to initiating a co-op job search to discuss the student’s interests and goals, polish their resume, and address job-search strategies.
You can learn by visiting the Northeastern Co-op page .
Cheryl Arruda
Lisa Campagnoni
The Basics of Co-Op
136 countries around the world.
Co-op News
Instagram takeover: Ocean Genome Legacy Center
Become a Co-op Employer
For the employer, the Northeastern Co-op program offers a gateway to enthusiastic employees with developing skills and talents, plus the opportunity to connect and network with future colleagues. In addition, the program provides a cost-effective way to meet human resource needs: no fringe benefits, no recruitment costs. Co-op students are paid as temporary, hourly employees.
Interested in becoming a Co-op employer? Contact [email protected]
Interested in hiring a PhD co-op? Contact Vanecia Harrison, [email protected]
Benefits
- Build your own qualified, trained future employee pool
- Six-month co-op periods allow ample time for students to be productive and valuable employees after they are trained
- Schedule back-to-back co-op periods for full-time coverage or select six-month periods for busy times
- Spring Co-op – January 1 – June 30*
- Fall Co-op – July 1 – December 31*
*Dates are approximate and determined by the employer.
When you become an employer partner of Northeastern University, you work with a dedicated co-op advisor to assist you throughout the process. This expert faculty member works within the structured program to support you and students.
The Co-op Cycle in Six Easy Steps
Ready to hire a student today?
Second-year student Aliyah Jackson did her her co-op at a Boston nonprofit organization called You’re with Us! "I really like how perspective-changing this co-op has been because I think a lot of times people just don’t think about the experience of someone with a disability," says Jackson.
Read more about her co-op experience here
Ellen Smith plans to graduate in May 2023 with a BS in biochemistry. Her recent experience working for CaNCURE reinforced her interest in pursuing research and provided unique opportunities that were formative to her educational experience.
Read about her experience here!
Can brain wave simulation slow down Alzheimer’s disease? Justyna Stukin, a fourth-year behavioral neuroscience major, researched this idea during her co-op experience at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Boston.
“I think that, especially in research, nothing is one dimensional," she shares. "Everything has a ton of applications. And it’s really a good idea to go into the process with an open mind and see everything that you can gather and not just, you know, focus on the one thing that was listed on the job posting.”
Learn more about the experience that lead to these thoughts here.
Rohit Thakur decided to pursue a MS in Operations Research at the College of Science to develop his mathematical thinking. He has completed two co-ops during his time here, at Rue Gilt and Nestle, which have broadened his horizons.
“My classes at Northeastern provided me with the in-depth knowledge and hands-on skills required to excel in my co-ops. The professors are industry experts who keep an outstanding balance between application and theory when teaching any course.”
Hear more on his experience here.
Leilani Potgieter reflects on her experience co-opping for Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: “I’m thankful that this co-op has helped me figure out what I want to spend my entire career doing. It’s really valuable to have a temporary position where I’m able to figure those things out without fully committing.”
Read more here.
“This co-op experience is the reason I decided I want to pursue a PhD in neuroscience,” declares Emma Robinson.
As a cell and molecular biology major, Emma completed a co-op at Harvard Medical School’s Datta Lab during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic altered her time there, Robinson took the changes in stride, and the experience ultimately led her to focus on a new career path.
Read more here.
Marine Biology student Gwendolyn McManus is co-author of a new paper in Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology examining behaviors of the Flamboyant Cuttlefish.
She chatted with our team about her work as a co-op at Marine Biological Laboratory that led to the publication, and her current projects. Hear about it here!
Clara Winguth, a third-year environmental science major, focusing on marine conservation with minors in biology and environmental studies, is currently on co-op as a STEM intern at the International School of Bremen in Germany. This experience combines aspects of her multifaceted identity, connecting her love of science with tutoring skills in her ancestral homeland. Hear about it here!