Co-op Makes the Difference!

The University of Cincinnati has a strong academic tradition, the roots of which go all the way back to 1819. The modern University of Cincinnati is a Research One Institution with strong connections to the professional and industrial community. The success of the University, especially its four historic co-op colleges:The College of Engineering; The College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning; The College of Business; and the OMI College of Applied Science; stems from an ongoing interaction between academia and industry. This relationship was galvanized through Cooperative Education, innovated at UC by the distinguished Dean Herman Schneider in 1906.

Today, the University of Cincinnati works closely with more than 1500 employers by providing students progressive work experience in an industrial environment. The annual participation of more than 3000 students has had a profound impact on the University of Cincinnati as a learning organization. Analysis and creativity are applied to real world challenges, making learning a high impact experience. Theory, combined with a frame of reference endowed by our industrial partners, results in an education that truly makes the difference.

Cooperative education, by definition, is never a completed project. The methodology relies on cooperation between students, academia, and industry. The dialogue keeps all parties abreast of state-of-the-art processes in a rapidly changing environment. The tradition of cooperation, refined over almost a hundred years, is deeply engrained in the professionally orientated culture of the University.

Conclusively, the Division of Professional Practice focuses its investments on both deepening the exploratory approach to the work experience, and on aligning academic curricula with industrial needs. Graduate level cooperative education, undergraduate learning modules, and the development of online assessment systems are concrete examples of our continuous development.

It is well understood that a co-op program provides short term monetary value to both students and industry. The real benefit is, however, strategic. Co-op is an important asset when planning for long term success of both the individual student as well as of an entire corporation. The success of University of Cincinnati alumni and industrial partners give a clear indication of the power of this pedagogic methodology.

Sincerely,

Kettil Cedercreutz
Associate Provost and Director