UC continues to expand real-world learning opportunities
College of Arts and Sciences co-op programs near 30, psychology the latest
With UC being the birthplace of co-op education, the university has long offered programs in traditional co-op fields of study, like design, engineering and business.
Over the last 10 years, the College of Arts and Sciences has developed a robust program that offers tracks in nearly 30 less-traditional co-op majors, from Asian studies to chemistry.
Most recently, the college established its first co-op track for psychology students.
Abha Mandrekar was the first UC Psychology student to complete a full time off-campus co-op, at at Cummins Meritor, a business-to-business company that provides components and systems for trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles..
Though Mandrekar went into her degree interested in becoming a therapist, she says that her co-op was made her want to reconsider. There, she gained experience in human resources, an area in which she hopes to translate her skills in psychology to improve workplace culture, wherever her future leads.
UC's first psychology co-op student Abha Mandrekar. Photo/Provided
“I’m so excited that everyone in my program can choose to do this and get some real-world experience,” said Mandrekar. “I was so happy that I could tell my friends and be like, ‘you can do this too.’”
One of Mandrekar’s biggest concerns while envisioning her future, like many college students, was applying her knowledge at the corporate level. What will that look like in a 9-5 setting? Getting to work alongside employees introduces students to the reality of working in the field they are pursuing, eliminating any unknowns that may lead to doubt about their course of study.
“I got to see how the real corporate world works,” said Mandrekar.
A co-op is designed to expose students to different routes they can take using their degree before graduating. They can see qualities of different jobs that they can then use to make an informed and confident decision about their next steps following graduation.
As co-op options become increasingly available to A & S students, they are taking a new form. What was once a semester on-semester off rotation, as seen for majors such as engineering, looks a little different for psychology students.
Students can complete at least one semester of a full-time co-op while receiving academic credit and getting paid by their employer. They also can pursue more co-op semesters following their first experience, whether that be with the same employer, or something new.
By trying on different hats, students meet more people in the industry they are pursuing. These valuable connections bring plenty of resume-building opportunities for students.
“Students get hands on experience, build a network, get really strong reference letters; all of those things come out of having a co-op,” says Loren Papin, director of the A & S co-op program.
A co-op, or a paid, career-oriented experience, can be a stable way for students to support themselves financially through school- helping more students pursue higher education.
“Students are able to reinvest the money they are making back into their education while gaining meaningful, valuable transferable skills while building a network,” says Papin.
Introducing co-op's is a great way for students to be paid nine-to-five salaries for that level of work. When pursuing the program, the effort that students put in is recognized and compensated for.
“It’s always paid, it’s always career oriented, it always is shown on a student’s transcript, and it always requires students to think about and report on their experiences.”
While being the first to do anything can be stressful, Mandrekar was honored to be able to introduce something to her classmates that was so transformative for her.
“It felt amazing to be a part of something so big for psych majors,” said Mandrekar. “It was genuinely awesome.”
Featured image at top: UC student on-site with the co-op program. Photo/Provided
By Emily Widman
Student Journalist, College of Arts and Sciences Marketing and Communication
artscinews@uc.edu
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