Engineering Co-ops and Careers

Content goes here.

Attend Career Expo

Each year we hold a spring and a fall Career EXPO. More than 150 companies and hundreds of students and alumni attend, looking for full-time employment and co-op positions.

Career EXPO

Be a Corporate Partner

The College of Engineering continues to be a leader in engineering education because of our relationships with partners like you.

Corporate Partner Program

Post a Job

Interested in recruiting a UToledo engineering student? Let us help you.

Post a Job

 

Sign up for our Employer Portal

Employers may sign up for GradLeaders, our Employer Engagement Portal for Engineering Students. On GradLeaders, you can:

  • Register for Career EXPO
  • Request to come on campus for information sessions, resume reviews and mock interviews
  • Post co-op and full-time positions
  • Complete co-op evaluations on students

For more information, contact our office or visit gradleaders.com/employer-support.

GradLeaders Signup

Meet Daniel Chang

Campus Talent Acquisition Advisor, Cenovus

"We've worked closely with The University of Toledo College of Engineering and remain impressed by their students. Many UToledo students join us for multiple co-ops and internships, and we're thrilled that many continue their careers with us post-graduation. We always look forward to events with UToledo, especially the Career Expo, where we get to engage with motivated and talented students. Go Rockets!"

Read More

About Co-ops

In 1997 the UToledo College of Engineering implemented a mandatory cooperative education program. We are just one of eight programs in the U.S. to require co-ops.

Cooperative education is defined as a semester-long, full-time, paid work assignment that is directly related to a student's major. These work assignments alternate with semesters of on-campus course work. Each successive co-op experience is intended to increase in difficulty and level of responsibility.

Our goal is to provide students with the skills to be successful in the workforce. A high-quality co-op experience allows them to do that.

Each bachelor of science in engineering student is required to complete a minimum of three semester-long work experiences, with an option for two additional semesters of co-op. The first begins as early as the spring semester of the student's sophomore year.

Co-ops are optional for our engineering technology students.

How will my company benefit from the co-op program?

Our program provides you with qualified and highly motivated students. Hiring a co-op student can help reduce costs, since co-op students are generally paid below a starting professional's salary. You also ensure that you are training highly qualified employees. Many of our co-op companies hire their co-op students when they graduate.

We work with businesses to quickly find students to fill cooperative education positions and offer on-campus interviewing.

What can i expect from a co-op student?

Co-op students have varying levels of knowledge and skill, depending on how far along in the program they are and how many co-ops they have completed. We expect them to learn new tasks on co-op and for their job responsibilities to increase as their familiarity in the field improves. Simply put, co-op students should be able to fulfill their assignment as long as they receive the necessary tools and training.

WHAT'S A FAIR CO-OP SALARY?

A student's pay is generally up to company discretion. We offer a few guidelines to determine a fair salary:

  • Students should be paid based on their job responsibilities.
  • Student should be paid according to their value to the company.
  • As responsibilities increase with each successful co-op, salaries should rise accordingly.

Refer to our table to get a sense of what other employers are paying our co-op students.

Hourly Salaries for Engineering Science Students

Program Sample size Minimum salary Average salary Maximum salary
Bioengineering 174 $10.00 $20.70 $26.25
Chemical and Environmental Engineering 179 $10.00 $25.26 $44.30
Civil Engineering 99 $10.00 $18.93 $25.00
Computer Science and Engineering 156 $10.00 $22.25 $38.46
Electrical Engineering 138 $14.00 $22.02 $34.93
Mechanical Engineering 469 $11.00 $22.33 $50.00


Hourly Salaries for Engineering Technology Students

Program Sample size Minimum salary Average salary Maximum salary
Construction Engineering Tech 18 $14.00 $18.75 $33.70
Computer Science and Engineering Tech 23 $15.00 $21.65 $25.24
Electrical Engineering Tech 3 $10.00 $21.25 $23.50
Information Tech 6 $18.00 $18.68 $23.44
Mechanical Engineering Tech 45 $12.41 $23.35 $26.00
Last Updated November 2023


WHAT IF OUR COMPANY IS TOO FAR FOR STUDENTS TO COMMUTE FROM TOLEDO?

Many of our co-op employers are outside of the Toledo region. Some companies have the resources to compensate the student for relocation or have student housing available; but it is not required. We generally ask that a student's wages are able to cover the living expenses in the city in which they will be working.

Flowcharts

Last Updated: 6/6/25