Have you ever applied for a job and were told, “You don’t have the right kind of experience,” and your first thought was, “How can I get this experience unless I get a job in my field?”

Cooperative Education is a structured educational strategy integrating classroom studies with learning through productive work experiences in a field related to a student's academic or career goals. It provides progressive experiences in integrating theory and practice. Co-op is a partnership among students, educational institutions and employers, with specified responsibilities for each party. 

Calhoun Community College's Cooperative Education Program affords students the opportunity to acquire on-the-job experience before graduation by combining studies at Calhoun with a related work experience. The program offers two work plans, the Parallel Plan and the Alternating Plan. 

The Parallel Plan

The Parallel Plan allows the student to work on a part-time basis (a minimum of 20 hours per week) in a job directly related to his/her academic major while attending school on a full-or part-time basis. 

The Alternating Plan

Under the Alternating Plan, students alternate semesters of study at Calhoun with semesters of full-time work in business/industry.