Cooperative Education is a powerful educational tool that merges in-class instruction with job-training experiences. The Cooperative Education experience is an arrangement whereby an integral part of the student’s education is actual work experience.
To enter the program, the student must have declared a program area of study, be able to receive a favorable recommendation from the program area instructor, and have successfully completed at least one semester (12 semester hours) within his/her chosen field of study with an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Arrangements with a prospective employer must be worked out to the satisfaction of both the employer and the program advisor.
The student may receive from one to three semester credit hours, depending on the number of hours per week worked in an approved cooperative education experience. State policy permits Gadsden State to award one (1) semester hour of credit for each five (5) hours of work per week. The student should refer to the appropriate portions in the Degree/Certificate Programs and Course Descriptions chapters of this catalog to be certain that cooperative education credits are applicable toward the requirements for his/her degree program.
Students interested in the Cooperative Education Program may visit the Career Services Office located in Administration Building on the East Broad Campus or the Salon and Spa Building on the Ayers Campus. Interested parties may also call 256.549.8605 or email careerservices@gadsdenstate.edu for more information.