What Is a Cooperative Education Internship? 

Cooperative Education (Co-Op) internships create educational partnerships among Montana State University Billings, the business community, and students.

This unique academic program allows students to earn academic credit, and often a wage, while combining classroom learning with practical work experience. 

Why participate? Because internships: 

• Expose students to real-world work in their major before they graduate, and returns them to the classroom with an enthusiastic, "I-want-to learn-more" attitude.
    
• Connect you with employers, linking you with possible opportunities for grant development, guest speaking, and sources of research information.
    
• Give employers one convenient point of contact on campus, which they say they prefer.
  

• Offer access to leading-edge information and in-depth observations of current practices in the industry you can share with students.

In 2011-12, 241 students earned 904 CE credits; paid interns earned $11.92/hr, on average.

Please review Workers' Compensation & insurance guidelines for employers hiring student interns.

Earl (second from left), Diesel major
Interning Spring 2010
MT Dept of Transportation