Enrolling in the Engineering Co-op Program (ENCO 099/098)

Before you accept a co-op position, please review the Co-op FAQs for information on eligibility, academic advising, housing, financial aid, etc. Once you accept an offer, there are a few steps to enroll as a co-op student.

Starting 7/1/2023, there is a new process for enrolling in ENCO.

  1. Request an employment offer letter on company letterhead.
  2. Submit an Experience request on Handshake ("ENGR ENCO Approval for Co-op/Internship"). Follow the directions outlined in this step-by-step documentNote: please allow 24 hours for review of paperwork before emailing our office.
  3. After you receive an electronic permission stamp, you will be able to register for the 0 credit co-op class (ENCO099/ ENCO098). There is a $78 charge for ENCO 099. Directions will be provided within Handshake/email notifications.

Note: You may be asked to provide proof to Engineering Career Services that your departmental academic advisor approves of your work/study plan if:

  • You will participate in two consecutive co-op semester, OR 
  • Your GPA for the semester immediately preceding the co-op experience is 2.0 or lower.

Acceptable proof of your academic advisor's approval is one of the following:

If you have any questions, you may walk in during our regular hours or make an appointment with an advisor.

Before you accept an internship offer, see ISSS’s website on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for information on eligibility, limitations, procedures and deadlines.  Important notes:

  • ISSS is only able to process CPT work authorization once per student per term (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer).
  • It is not possible to enroll in ENCO or request CPT work authorization for an internship that starts after mid-term grades have been posted.
  • PhD students: If you have already completed your required coursework, you may not be eligible to enroll in ENCO099/098 for the academic component of your CPT.

Once you accept an internship offer, if ENCO099/098: Co-op/Intern Work Experience is the appropriate course for your academic component of CPT, there are a few steps you must follow before you can go to ISSS to request work authorization. Starting 7/1/2023, there is a new process for enrolling in ENCO.

  1. Request an employment offer letter on company letterhead from your internship supervisor. The letter must include ALL of the information as indicated on this sample offer letter for a student requesting CPT.
  2. Submit an Experience request on Handshake ("ENGR ENCO Approval for CPT"). Follow the directions outlined in this step-by-step documentNote: please allow 24 hours for review of paperwork before emailing our office.
  3.  Once the Career Services advisor has given you the electronic permission stamp, you will be able to register for the 0 credit co-op class (ENCO099/ ENCO098). There is a $30 charge for ENCO 098 and $78 charge for ENCO 099. Further directions for applying for your updated I-20 with employment dates from ISSS will be provided within Handshake/email notifications.

If you have any questions, you may walk in during our regular hours or make an appointment with an advisor.


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