The University of Toledo
01/07/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/07/2025 02:08
Co-op Program Integrates Industry Experience into Engineering Education
Co-op Program Integrates Industry Experience into Engineering Education
Meredith Harrison is a hands-on learner.
It's a characteristic she's long understood about herself - and, as such, a consideration that she brought to the forefront of her college search as she approached graduation from her high school near Pittsburgh.
Meredith Harrison, left, and Kurt Meiring were among the students to complete a fall co-op at Dana Incorporated. Harrison completed five co-ops at the automotive manufacturing supplier before she graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in December.
The aspiring engineer found what she was looking for at The University of Toledo.
"The integrated co-op program stood out to me," said Harrison, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in December. "I knew it would work well with my learning style. That's really what drew me to the UToledo College of Engineering."
The cooperative education program is a distinctive offering of the College of Engineering, where students benefit from experiential learning opportunities that begin as early as their first semester in the college's state-of-the-art-facilities. The College of Engineering is one of just eight engineering colleges in the country to integrate a co-op program into its academic curriculum, ensuring that engineering science students graduate with a full year of relevant work experience on their resume.
Students alternate on-campus semesters in classrooms and laboratories with at least three off-campus semesters applying what they've learned at a wide variety companies, ranging from glass industry leaders in Toledo to medical technology innovators in Minnesota to multinational manufacturers in Zaragoza, Spain.
"The integrated co-op program is designed to benefit students," said Geoff Humphrys, director of the Shah Center for Engineering Career Development. "Students are exploring their academic interests and learning firsthand how these interests translate to the workforce. They're graduating with work experience that's applicable to their field, which elevates their resumes as they begin to apply for full-time jobs. And because they're paid during their co-ops, oftentimes they're beginning their careers with minimal debt."
More than 85% of UToledo engineering students graduate with no debt at all.
And two-thirds have jobs lined up before their final day on campus, with the average starting salary above $73,000, according to the college's most recent senior exit survey.
The co-op program is administered by the Shah Center for Engineering Career Development, which supports students with professional development resources throughout their academic programs. These resources include interview and resume preparation, educational excursions to local companies and career fairs held each semester with hundreds of top industry employers that recruit for full-time and co-op positions.
The Shah Center counts more than 30,000 students who have hit the workforce through the co-op program in the more than 25 years since the College of Engineering introduced it in 1999.
More than 1,300 students spend a semester on co-op in any academic year.
Dana Inc., the automotive manufacturing supplier headquartered in Maumee, less than 15 miles from UToledo's Main Campus, is one of 20 corporate partners to routinely welcome a cohort of students through the co-op program each semester, accounting for more than 900 co-op placements since 1999.
Dana is one of five corporate partners on the Fortune 500, joining The Andersons Inc., Owens Corning, O-I Glass Inc., and Marathon Petroleum based in northwest Ohio.
"Dana is proud to offer University of Toledo engineering students the opportunity to grow and develop their technical skills by working alongside our engineers on real-life assignments through our co-op program," said Heidi Koedam, a UToledo alumna and director of product engineering and core initiatives at Dana. "This program not only helps students grow professionally, but enables Dana to build a pipeline of talented engineers who are familiar with our products and processes for future careers with us."
Harrison, who credits the integrated co-op program with her decision to enroll at UToledo, completed five co-ops at Dana. She spent one semester in the benchmark lab, two in the mechatronics lab, one in the noise, vibration and harshness lab and one in the gear lab.
"Because I worked in four different departments, I was able to work on a bunch of different projects," she said. "I tore down an inverter to analyze it and benchmark it. That was really cool. But every day was so different. I think that's what I loved the most."
Following a commencement celebration in December, Harrison is set to launch her career as an engineer with a construction materials manufacturer in northeast Ohio in January.
Dana positioned her well for the role, she said - not only in the strength of the resume that she brought to her interview, but the confidence she's bringing to the new challenge.
"Learning how to do something in theory and in practice are very different," she said. "I'm grateful I was able to do both through my classroom and co-op experiences at UToledo."