The Proof is in the Promise
Co-op

For over 100 years, UC’s cooperative-education (co-op) program has helped students graduate with a career already waiting for them.

The University of Cincinnati invented co-op more than 100 years ago and we continue to innovate all aspects of experience-based learning.

Today, our approach to experience-based learning is embedded through the Bearcat Promise — our commitment to provide the people, tools and experiences that ensure every Bearcat graduates on time with both a degree and a resume.

This promise delivers true educational ROI: real-world experience, career readiness, and a lifelong advantage as a Bearcat.

What is cooperative education?

Cooperative education, or co-op, is an educational model that connects academic learning with paid, career-relevant workplace experience. These experiences are intentionally aligned with a student’s major so classroom knowledge is applied to real projects, teams, and challenges.

At the University of Cincinnati, co-op refers both to the students who participate and the professional experiences they complete. UC co-op students work with partners across industry, government, nonprofit organizations and the university while continuing to make progress toward their degrees.

Through co-op, students build professional skills, expand their networks and contribute meaningfully to today’s workforce, graduating with experience that sets them apart.

Your Next Starts Now

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Education
that Pays
for Itself

A University of Cincinnati co-op student works on an Architectural improvement co-op project at Union Terminal

Pipeline
for
Talent

A University of Cincinnati co-op clears the dust from a large model car concept

Results that Fuel Your Future

Behind every dream is proof that it’s possible. Our numbers show how pathways, outcomes, and opportunities add up — giving you the confidence that your future is built on results.

1700+

co-op employee partners

$94M

in student co-op earnings

$11,220

avg student earnings per semester

The Student Co-op Experience

Meet Sami
Fashion Design Co-op
Asics | Boston, MA

Meet Keller
Biomedical Engineering Co-op
Kinetic Vision | Cincinnati, OH

Meet Anusha
Computer Science Co-op
Levi's | San Francisco, CA

Stories of Co-op Impact

1

UC alum making historic waves

January 23, 2026

Christopher Bak is a UC Lindner alum making history. His gold at the 2025 World Championships was his third win and fifth time medaling overall. Bak’s achievements put him in the running for World Rowing’s Men’s Crew of the Year, a competitive award with only three nominees across the globe. Winners will be announced at the World Rowing Awards hosted at Switzerland’s Olympic Museum on Jan. 24. Not only is Bak in the running, but his coach, a UC faculty member, is nominated as well. Mark Oria, assistant professor of research at the UC College of Medicine, is one of four finalists for World Rowing’s Coach of the Year. The two have been working together since Oria joined the coaching team at UC back in 2017.

2

UC Nursing senior part of interdisciplinary team winning health policy challenge

January 20, 2026

A University of Cincinnati College of Nursing senior is part of the interdisciplinary team that won the 2025-26 Health Policy Challenge, hosted by UC’s Portman Center for Policy Solutions. The team’s winning proposal — which reimagines methadone accessibility through remote monitoring to expand treatment for patients in rural or underserved areas — will go on to represent UC at the Policy Challenge Super Bowl at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics in February 2026.

3

Light the way for students: Celebrating the supporters who make CCM shine

January 16, 2026

UC's College-Conservatory of Music is thrilled to honor longtime supporters Patti Myers and Alan Flaherty, and celebrated alumnus Scott Coulter at Moveable Feast: Illuminate on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. CCM’s signature gala event raises essential funds to support student scholarships, creative projects and immersive learning experiences that shape the next generation of artists.

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