Forbes recognizes value of the
Cincinnati Co-op
UC's cooperative education opportunities help improve work readiness for graduates
The University of Cincinnati’s leadership in the area of cooperative education or co-op has been recognized by Forbes magazine for improving work readiness for college graduates.
UC invented cooperative education in 1906 and has remained a leader in experience-based learning ever since. UC ranks No. 4 in the nation for co-op, with Cincinnati’s hands-on classroom extending to nearly every corner of the globe, from Fortune 500 companies to trailblazing experiences in places like China, Tanzania and South America.
UC students earn a collective $75 million annually working for thousands of employers including GE Aviation, Disney, Toyota, Kroger, Procter & Gamble and many more. UC has nearly 2,000 global partners for the co-op program with students participating in over 7,500 co-op opportunities each year.
“As the global founder of cooperative education...UC provides thousands of students valuable real-world education through co-op experiences...on-the-job and in the classroom.”
— Neville G. Pinto | UC president
Leadership at UC understand the value of co-op.
"As the global founder of cooperative education — established 116 years ago — UC provides thousands of students valuable real-world education through co-op experiences — where students rotate semesters — on-the-job and in the classroom,” UC President Neville Pinto explained in his State of the University Address earlier this year.
“We operate one of the nation’s largest co-op programs, which is consistently ranked in the top 5 nationwide by U.S. News. Annually we typically make 3,500 co-op placements with more than 2,000 employers in 46 states and 22 countries. We continue to expand the co-op model to all students, with the goal of providing experience-based learning opportunities to all students who desire these.”
UC students on co-op with ArtiCure. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Marketing + Brand
Isaac Smitherman knows first-hand how valuable co-op can be — he’s currently finishing his fifth co-op experience. The fifth-year environmental engineering student has plans for law school and hopes to someday practice environmental law.
Smitherman, undergraduate student body president at UC, has completed co-ops at Cincinnati law firm Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL, Duke Energy and through UC’s leadership program and its experiential explorations program designed to assist students when COVID-19 limited co-op experiences nationally.
“It is an opportunity to learn what you want to do, and you get a chance to see what it actually looks like in the field with a co-op experience.”
— Isaac Smitherman | UC undergraduate student body president
UC Student Body President Isaac Smitherman. Photo provided.
“As a future engineer, I really liked the science co-op experiences, but my time in student government showed me I do like public policy as well,” says Smitherman. “When I did co-op what I really enjoyed was looking up policies and determining why we do the things the way we do them.”
“It is an opportunity to learn what you want to do, and you get a chance to see what it actually looks like in the field with a co-op experience. I listened to my older brothers talk about their work experience and I am thinking I am so glad you experienced all these wonderful opportunities, but I experienced all these things during my sophomore year of college.
“I feel like I have a lot of professional development that my brothers didn’t get in college, but they are getting it now and doing well now. I just got a head start.”
Learn more about co-op opportunities at UC.
Beyond the Classroom
UC invented cooperative education more than 100 years ago, and we continue to innovate all aspects of experience-based learning, including internships, service learning, virtual co-ops, community projects and industry partnerships.
Featured image at top: UC students on co-op with Messer Construction Company. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Related Stories
Small device, big impact on saving lives
January 14, 2025
A team of University of Cincinnati researchers invented a lightweight, portable and cost-effective alternative to traditional ventilators with support from the 1819 Innovation Hub.
UC researchers to study overdose hot spots in Cincinnati
January 14, 2025
A federally funded study by UC criminal justice researchers and the Hamilton County Office of Addiction Response is taking a new approach to help combat the growing overdose crisis in the region.
UC names new engineering and computing education department head
January 13, 2025
John Weidner, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, has announced the appointment of Joel Alejandro (Alex) Mejia, Ph.D., as the head of the Department of Engineering and Computing Education, effective January 1, 2025.
Transatlantic student exchange fosters global learning
January 13, 2025
The Kao Corporation’s innovative partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub has expanded globally, thanks to a unique student exchange program involving top academic institutions in the U.S. and Germany.
CCM hosts Moveable Feast gala fundraiser on Jan. 24, 2025
Event: January 24, 2025 12:00 AM
UC College-Conservatory of Music hosts its Moveable Feast fundraising gala live and in-person on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. Presented by CCMpower, a dedicated volunteer group of friends, advocates and alumni, Moveable Feast 2025: A Tempo generates essential support for the next generation of performing and media artists at CCM.
Makerspace boot camp fast-tracks training for student co-ops
January 13, 2025
In a groundbreaking collaboration, the University of Cincinnati's Ground Floor Makerspace and the visionary minds at Kinetic Vision combined their creative forces to pioneer an immersive makerspace bootcamp — tailor-made for UC co-ops destined to shape the future.