Cooperative education (co-op) is designed to provide students with exposure to career-related work. Work assignments are typically paid and consist of multiple assignments. Assignments can be either alternating (alternating semesters of full-time work with a full-time course load) or parallel (balancing part-time work with a part-time course load). Performance is evaluated by the employer and the Center for Career Management on a credit/noncredit basis. Students who enroll in a cooperative education course are recognized as full-time students. Registration in a cooperative education course is for 0 credit hours and does not affect student GPA or count towards graduation. In some departments, a co-op is a graduation requirement.

Internships are typically one-time only assignments which are assigned academic credit by an academic department, and are sometimes unpaid. Students can work in collaboration with the Center for Career Management and the internship coordinators in their respective departments to develop these experiences. Internships typically can be applied toward graduation as elective credits. In some departments, an internship is a graduation requirement.