Mechanical engineering majors are encouraged to participate in cooperative education (co-op program). In this program, a student completes the B.S.M.E. degree requirements in five years but at the end of that time the student has a B.S.M.E. plus four terms of industrial experience as a mechanical engineer.

The typical mechanical engineering co-op student goes to school the first two years just as a non co-op student does. At the end of the sophomore year the student goes to work and works through the summer. The student is back in school in the fall and out to work in the spring. Thereafter, the 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. The summer after the junior year may be either school or work as needed. Many students work through this summer thereby completing a full calendar year on the job.

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

Co-op students in mechanical 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 are some of the companies that have employed mechanical engineering co-op students in the past. If a student wants to work for a company with which we do not have a co-op relationship, the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education will contact that company and attempt to establish a program. The requirement to qualify as a legitimate co-op employer is that the company has to provide a mechanical engineering opportunity for a prospective engineer that is relevant to the student’s education and chosen profession. Some of the companies who hire UE mechanical engineering co-op students are listed here:

The real value of the co-op program is the experience that it provides. A co-op job can be a financial benefit, but the net income from 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 look at a company and gain some experience before entering the work force 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 25 percent of mechanical engineering students participate in the co-op program.

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