In 1906, Herman Schneider,
Dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering,
founded the cooperative system of education, which integrates
course work and professional experience. The cooperative education
program, or "co-op" as the program is now widely known, was an
immediate success and, with adoption at other schools, was often
labeled "The Cincinnati Plan."
The UC Co-op system is
consistently ranked by Civil and Environmental Engineering
undergradutate students as one of the most important aspects of
their education. The following comments written by two students
are typical of reactions to the UC Co-op system.
Like Robert and Amy, today all undergraduate
students in the UC College of Engineering participate in a
mandatory system of cooperative education. Students alternate
quarters of full-time coursework with quarters of full-time
professional practice at an off-site consulting firm, industry, or
government laboratory. At the end of five years, each student
graduates with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering, plus 1.5 years
of full-time experience engaged in the practice of their
profession. This experience, combined with course work, gives UC
students an advantage in the post-graduation job market - not to
mention valuable funds for college expenses!
