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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: November 2, 2009
Ed Hamilton
Marketing Manager, Division of Professional Practice
The Georgia Institute of Technology began placing student co-op workers with Atlanta-area employers in 1912. Today, nearly 100 years later, the Georgia Tech Division of Professional Practice (DoPP), through its Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program; Georgia Tech Internship Program (GTIP); Graduate Co-op Program; and Work Abroad Program, places student workers with employers, not only in the Atlanta area, but around the globe.
All four programs require participating students to enroll in tuition-free, non-credit bearing courses, allowing them to maintain full-time student status during their work terms. The Georgia Tech Co-op Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education, and Georgia Tech has been consistently included in the annual U.S. News and World Report listing of Programs to Look For, Co-op and Internship Programs, among all U.S. Colleges.
The Co-op Program gives students the opportunity to validate their choice of a major by working paid job assignments related to their academic program. Co-op students alternate semesters of on-campus study with semesters of full-time employment with the same employer, thereby providing students a better chance of employment at graduation. Students who work at least three planned and progressive work terms receive the Cooperative Plan designation on their diplomas and transcripts. Most co-op students begin the program as freshmen or sophomores.
The Georgia Tech Internship Program (GTIP) was inaugurated in the spring of 2003. The programâs internships are full-time or part-time work experiences usually lasting one semester. Students can work single internships with one employer, or multiple internships with one or more employers. Those who complete at least one internship receive recognition on their transcripts. Students can apply to GTIP as early as their freshman year, but must have at least 30 academic credits before applying for internships through the DoPP jobs database.
The Georgia Tech Graduate Co-op Program was introduced in September, 1984, and is, today, one of the largest such programs in the United States. It is a means for masterâs and doctoral students to develop valuable contacts by working with professionals in their respective areas of study. To participate in the Graduate Co-op Program, students are required to obtain approval from their school to work full-time or part-time for one or more semesters.
The Work Abroad Program was established in 2005 as part of the Georgia Tech International Plan, a four-year program that builds global competence by requiring students to engage in a minimum of twenty-six weeks of international experience related to their discipline; to develop a proficiency in a second language; and to take internationally oriented coursework. The International Plan utilizes existing study, work, and research abroad opportunities available through DoPP and the Office of International Education. The Work Abroad Program gives students the chance to work co-op jobs or internships outside the United States, and enables them to develop their careers for the global job market. Most Work Abroad employers pay students living expenses while the students work in their host country. Georgia Tech Work Abroad students are typically juniors, seniors and graduate students. Last year, Georgia Tech Work Abroad students worked in more than 30 countries around the world.
Additional information about the Georgia Tech Division of Professional Practice and its programs can be found at www.profpractice.gatech.edu.
