Civil engineering majors are encouraged to participate in cooperative education. In the co-op program, a student completes the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.) degree requirements in five years but at the end of that time the student has a B.S.C.E. plus a minimum of three terms of experience as a civil engineer.

The typical civil engineering co-op student attends classes the first two years just as a traditional student does. At the end of the sophomore year the co-op student begins summer work with a private company or government agency. The student attends classes in the fall, then returns to work in the spring. Thereafter, the co-op student alternates between work and school.

Some students who are exceptionally well prepared to enter the work force may begin their co-op period in the summer after the freshman year. This is unusual and most students begin after the sophomore year.

To enter the co-op program students enroll in Co-op Orientation (Cooperative 90). This is a non-credit course which is to be taken during the fall of the sophomore year. This course covers topics such as résumé writing, interviewing and what is expected on the job. During the spring semester of the sophomore year the typical co-op student interviews with prospective employers. The Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education contacts employers and arranges interviews for students. Actual placement in a co-op position is dependent on the outcome of the interview process.

Co-op students in civil engineering have a wide range of employers to choose from. Employers are located in the immediate Evansville area, in the surrounding region of Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois and at various places throughout the country. The companies listed below have employed civil engineering co-op students in the past. If a student wants to work for a company with which we do not presently have a co-op program, the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education will contact that company and attempt to establish a program. To qualify as a legitimate co-op employer, the company has to provide a civil engineering opportunity for a student that is relevant to the student’s education and chosen profession. Some of the companies who have provided coop opportunities to our UE civil engineering students are listed below:

The value of the co-op program is the experience that it provides the student. A co-op job can be a financial benefit, but one term at work does not typically cover the cost of one term in education. The co-op program gives employers an opportunity to look at a student as a prospective employee without making a commitment to long term employment. Likewise, the co-op program gives the student a chance to examine a company and gain some experience before entering the workforce as a working professional.

Co-op students normally get a higher salary offer upon graduation than non co-op students. In many cases the co-op employer provides a long-term employment opportunity for the co-op student upon graduation. About 20 percent of civil engineering students participate in the co-op program. Internships are available to students who would like to gain actual engineering work experience but still finish in four years. Internships are available as full-time jobs during the summer, or as part-time jobs during the school year.

For more information about the University's Cooperative Education Program, please visit the University of Evansville Career Services Website.