Performance of Student Trainees in a Co-operative, Education-Integrated Six-Year Engineering Degree Program
1Alejandro R. Manderico and 2Hernani G. Samson
ABSTRACT
ÌýÌýÌý Cooperative Education or Co-op is an immersion program which allows engineering students to gain professional work experience while still in college. Co-op work experience provides students with the opportunity to explore career interests and goals, use the workplace as their classroom, and gain professional development.Ìý This paper describes how the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ College of Engineering Six Year Engineering program integrates Co-op education into its curriculum. This paper is intended to give the description, mechanics and evaluation of the impact of the six-year degree program herein referred to as the Co-operative Education Program. Co-op Education students are allowed to enroll in this engineering program by selection criteria of top (20) percent of the class. Overall student evaluating Co-op experience was 47.78 percent (good). The six-year engineering curriculum and teaching approaches are aligned with and responsive to the needs of the industry.
Keywords: Co-operative Education (Co-op), curriculum, engineering program