Co-op Terms & Conditions

Co-op is a real job that counts toward your degree, so a few things here are non-negotiable. These must be read, agreed to, and signed via WITworks. You can’t submit your Report of Hire until you do. 

1. What makes your co-op count 

  • It only counts toward graduation if you are registered for the co-op course on LeopardWeb and have submitted this Report of Hire by the term deadline. 
  • It must be full-time (30+ hours a week), related to your major, supervised by an industry expert, and fall within the academic semester. 
  • You do the job as described in your approved Report of Hire. If the role changes, your Co-op & Career Advisor must approve the change before you make it. 
  • You need a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and must have completed the required pre-requisite coursework to be eligible (Intro to Co-op – COOP2500, and Prerequisite Courses by Major) 

2. Accepting an offer is final. Read this one twice. 

  • Finding and securing your co-op is your responsibility. Your Co-op & Career Advisor and the Co-op Handbook are there to help, but the decision to accept is yours, and once you make it, it is final. 
  • The moment you accept, you’re done searching. Withdraw your other applications and decline any other offers. 
  • Backing out of an offer you’ve accepted (reneging) is treated as a serious professional failure. It can lead to disciplinary action, up to and including failing co-op. 
  • Being terminated by your employer for cause is treated with the same seriousness. It can also mean failing co-op. 
  • If you live on campus and fail co-op, you must move out of university housing immediately. If you’re an international student, it may also mean leaving the U.S. 
  • So before you ever consider backing out of an accepted offer, talk to your Co-op & Career Advisor first. Every term someone gets a more exciting offer a week too late. We can often help, but only before you act, not after. 

3. How you’re expected to show up 

  • If you’re taking classes during your co-op term, make sure you’ve discussed it with your employer and confirmed your schedule works for both. 
  • While you search and while you’re on co-op, you hold yourself to your employer’s professional standards and Wentworth’s code of conduct, and communicate respectfully, with us and with employers. 
  • You monitor your Wentworth email while you’re on co-op. It’s how we and your employer reach you. 
  • Your Co-op & Career Advisor is in your corner the whole way, for any difficulty or question that comes up. 

4. How you pass

  • To pass co-op you have to meet and uphold these terms, write a thoughtful Self-Evaluation, and make sure your employer completes the Employer Evaluation at the end of your co-op. 

5. Housing, if you live on campus 

  • There are no early arrival or late stay requests for co-op reasons, and Housing & Residential Life won’t approve them. On-campus housing runs from the first day of the academic semester to the last day of finals.  

6. Money and budgeting while you’re on co-op 

  • Co-op is a tuition-free semester, but you are still a full-time student, and your e-Bill still has to be settled by the due date for items like health insurance, housing, or the meal plan. All students are billed for the health insurance and must waive out if they have other coverage and do not need additional coverage. 
  • Financial aid including Pell Grants and Student Loans can (and in some cases must) be available during Co-op semester, read the guide here to ensure you understand your options. 
  • If you fail to successfully complete co-op or need to withdraw from your co-op, you could have to repay financial aid. 
  • Being on co-op doesn’t mean you won’t have any expenses. You may need items such as professional clothes, funds to commute, or renting an apartment in a different state if your co-op takes you far away. If you need help figuring out how to pay for additional costs, budgeting, or saving for the future during your co-op, reach out to Student Financial Services. 

7. A couple of consents 

  • You’re letting Co-ops & Careers share your resume and related documents with employers on your behalf, unless you opt out in the privacy section of your WITworks account. 
  • You agree to follow the guidelines in the Co-op Handbook. 

Citizenship

Are you a U.S. citizen or permanent resident?  If not, choose one: 

  • I’ll apply for work authorization through CPT, authorized by Wentworth. 
  • I’ll use my own existing work authorization. 
  • I’m not eligible for work authorization and want to explore unpaid options that fulfill the co-op requirement — I’ll talk to my advisor about this. 

To do co-op on an F-1 visa, you need work authorization in place before you start. Here’s what you have to understand, not just do. 

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) 

  • You need CPT authorization to take COOP3500, COOP4500, and COOP5000 and to keep your F-1 status. 
  • COOP5000 carries one credit, which makes it CPT-eligible, but authorization is not guaranteed and it can complicate maintaining your status. Talk to ISSE before you plan around it. 
  • You apply for CPT for every mandatory co-op, not just your first. 
  • To remain eligible for CPT authorization, you must maintain your F-1 status without any gaps. If you need additional time to complete your program, you must apply for an Extension of Stay (EOS) before the program end date listed on your current I-20. 
  • Using 12 months or more of full-time CPT cancels your eligibility for OPT. Know this before you stack co-ops; it’s easy to use up without meaning to. 

How to apply for CPT — what to submit, the Social Security number step, and timelines — lives with International Student Services & Engagement (ISSE), who keep it up to date: https://wit.edu/about/inclusive-excellence/international  

International Student Visa Compliance 

I understand that beginning work with my co-op employer prior to the start date listed on my appropriate work authorization obtained from ISSE is a violation of my F-1 student visa status and F1 student immigration regulations. I further understand that if I violate my visa status, my SEVIS record will be terminated promptly by Wentworth, that immigration regulations will require me to leave the U.S. immediately and that other additional immigration penalties may apply.