Faculty mentoring PHD student

Co-op & Handshake

Although faculty advisors do not have access to Handshake, it is important to understand how your co-op students are using the system to manage their co-op/internship.

Starting the Co-op Process

In order for a student to enroll in a co-op course, they must complete the following steps:

  1. Sign into their Handshake account using their NetID and password
  2. Click Career Center on the top right corner of the student homepage
  3. Under the section What Can We Help You Find?, choose Experiences
  4. Click the Request New Experience button
  5. Find the correct Experience Type based on the student’s College/School and/or program of study
  6. Complete the co-op/internship application in its entirety, then Submit.
  7. Contact the appropriate career services office for enrollment information, should they decide to enroll in a co-op course
  8. Adhere to all program deadlines

Student Developed Co-ops

In certain cases, students will find their own co-ops/internships outside of Handshake and other Career Services resources.  For all placements, whether find on Handshake or through other resources, students will need to complete the Co-op/Internship Placement Form found on Handshake.  Prior to enrollment in co-op, the student’s Career Services advisor must approve the placement and the student’s employer must verify to the placement information provided.

Learning Agreements

Learning agreements are NOT completed in Handshake.  Faculty advisors should work directly with their co-op student(s) to complete the learning agreement by the deadline noted in the co-op calendar.

Mid-term and Final Employer Evaluations

All co-op supervisors are sent an email asking them to complete the mid-term and final evaluation forms through Handshake .  The evaluations ask site supervisors to evaluate the co-op student’s career readiness, as defined through the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) eight core competencies:

  1. Career & Self-Development
  2. Communication
  3. Critical Thinking
  4. Equity and Inclusion
  5. Leadership
  6. Professionalism
  7. Teamwork
  8. Technology