2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Review of U.S. Engineering Cooperative Education Programs: Institutional Characteristics and Pathways to the First Co-op

Presented at CEED Technical Session 3: Experiential Learning, Co-ops & Career Readiness in Engineering

Cooperative education (co-op) is a well-established high-impact practice in engineering education, yet U.S. institutions vary widely in how co-ops are structured, required, and integrated into curricula. Despite its prevalence, little is known about how students access their first co-op opportunity or the institutional models that shape these pathways. This study investigated engineering co-op structures through a review of co-op programs at the top 224 U.S. institutions awarding bachelor’s degrees in engineering. Using structured content analysis of publicly available online catalogs, program handbooks, and career services webpages, this study documented (a) the prevalence of co-op offerings, (b) the proportion of programs requiring co-op participation, and (c) the curricular pathways and timing leading to students’ first co-op experience. Results indicated that most engineering institutions offered co-op opportunities, though requirement status, sequencing, and access pathways vary. Two dominant models emerged, required and elective, with notable variations among required programs in the timing of students’ initial co-op placements. This national mapping of co-op structures, with the focused analysis of 12 institutions requiring co-ops, provides a foundation for comparative research on access, timing, and curricular integrations in experiential learning and contributes to understanding how co-op design influences engineering students’ professional formation and workforce readiness.

Authors

Anne Hong http://orcid.org/https://0009-0004-6909-3388 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Anne Hong is an engineering education PhD student in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science. She holds a BS in biomedical engineering and an MS in health informatics with a focus on data analysis and biostatistics from Rutgers University. Anne has been an instructor at the college level for over 6 years, teaching and facilitating a variety of courses for undergraduate students including physics, biology, and engineering economics. Her research interests are focused on examining how teaching pedagogy and curriculum designs in undergraduate introductory and pre-requisite engineering courses impact performance in upper-level engineering coursework.
Emily Sullivan University of Cincinnati [biography]

Emily Sullivan is a PhD student in the engineering education program within the Department of Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati. She received her BS in biophysics from The George Washington University where her research focused on aerosol particle mapping in dormitory spaces. Additionally, she received a District of Columbia teaching license in physics. She has held educator positions as a high school science teacher and as an introductory, college-level physics laboratory instructor. Her current research interests include student retention and engagement in STEM through experiential learning opportunities as well as improving STEM classroom culture.
Dr. Cedrick Kwuimy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2949-3000 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Cedrick A. K. Kwuimy, PhD, is an Associate Professor–Educator in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati. His work examines how experiential learning becomes transformative and how such transformation expands students’ capabilities and agency across formal and informal engineering education contexts. A Fulbright Scholar and Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program Fellow, Dr. Kwuimy has designed and led capacity-building workshops on engineering formation in both Africa and the United States.
Dr. So Yoon Yoon http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1868-1054 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Dr. So Yoon Yoon is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, OH, USA. Dr. Yoon received her Ph.D. in Gifted Education and an M.S.Ed. in Research Methods and Measurement with a specialization in Educational Psychology, both from Purdue University, IN, USA. She also holds an M.S. in Astronomy and Astrophysics and a B.S. in Astronomy and Meteorology from Kyungpook National University, South Korea. Her work centers on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary engineering education research as a psychometrician, data analyst, and program evaluator with research interests in spatial ability, STEAM education, workplace climate, and research synthesis with a particular focus on meta-analysis. She has developed, validated, revised, and copyrighted several instruments beneficial for STEM education research and practice. Dr. Yoon has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings and served as a journal reviewer in engineering education, STEM education, and educational psychology. She has also served as a PI, co-PI, advisory board member, or external evaluator on several NSF- and NASA-funded projects.
Christine Tonnis University of Cincinnati [biography]

Christine Tonnis is an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati, where she teaches and advises undergraduate electrical engineering students in cooperative education programs. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. Her education‑research focuses on undergraduate engineering education, cooperative education, and workforce preparation through evidence‑based curriculum design and assessment. She has contributed to the development of the Robotics Automation and Mechatronics (RAM) minor and to curricular enhancements that strengthen cooperative education outcomes in electrical and cybersecurity engineering.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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