Co-op and Experiential Education

Co-operative Education for Philosophy Majors

Northeastern is perhaps best known for its Cooperative Education program, or “co-op” as we call it. The "co-op" program integrates periods of paid, full-time work with the traditional periods of academic study that make up a college education. Co-op for philosophy majors plays a different role from the role it plays for many other Northeastern students. For students in professional majors like business, engineering or pharmacy, co-op functions as a pre-professional apprenticeship. This kind of apprenticeship is not available for philosophy majors.

Instead, co-op is a general education opportunity for philosophy majors. It gives students a chance to supplement their traditional academic study with work opportunities. By learning to adapt to work in different kinds of settings, students can explore particular types of careers and develop their skills in critical thinking, working with people, and communicating effectively. Since all students will eventually be looking for jobs, co-op participation gives students experience in how to be an effective job-seeker by providing assistance in effective resume writing, job searching, and interviewing. In addition, after returning from a co-op job, guided reflection can help to maximize the learning from the work experience.

What do philosophy majors do on co-op? This varies, depending on their interests and skills. Philosophy majors with computer skills have done computer work; those with good language skills have worked for publishers; students interested in law and politics have worked for law firms or in government agencies.

Students can do as many as three six month Co-ops during their 5 year program (or two on a four year plan). Ideally, Co-op is developmental over time, ranging from entry level jobs to more substantive experiences, depending on a student's background and abilities.

The co-op coordinator helps students to find appropriate jobs and to learn from these experiences. For further information, feel free to contact William Wray, the co-op advisor for philosophy majors.

Other Experiential Education Opportunities

In addition to co-op, students have other opportunities for experiential education:

Study Abroad: The Department encourages students to explore options for study abroad with the study abroad advisors in the Arts & Science Dean’s Office. International co-op opportunities are also available.

Internships: There are also opportunities for students to get course credit for work with individual professors as teaching interns or research interns.