Co-op internship students philadelphia

Co-Ops & Internships

At Widener, your inside track to a successful career will be paved with outside-the-classroom, real-world experiences – the kind that will set you apart from the crowd.

Explore Our Co-Op Program

Co-op is full-time, paid work experience relevant to your major. Our co-op program has a wide network of employers across the Philadelphia region and beyond, so you can work for some top organizations. Some students have gone as far as California for their co-op experience. And many employers extend full-time job offers to co-op students after graduation.

You can choose to participate in 4- or 8-month co-op cycles. Engineering and business majors can choose a combination of both to gain up to 12 months of work experience. Computer science majors can select either a 4-month or 8-month co-op. You have the flexibility to create your own co-op schedule. The table below offers a suggested schedule, depending on the academic year you choose to work:

  Summer Fall Spring
Freshman   Study Study
Sophomore Study Work Study
Junior Study Study Work
Senior Work Study Study

 

While on co-op you do not pay tuition. You can choose to live on campus, at home, or even travel for co-op.

We offer a summer-long professional development series before your first co-op that teaches everything from industry-level Excel training to perfecting those all-important oral and written communication skills.

UPS students internship

Employer's Guide to Co-Op

For more than 30 years, our students have partnered with employers as part of our flexible, supportive co-op program. Widener students are career-ready and well-prepared to make meaningful contributions to any organization. And our professional staff provides support for employers and students throughout the co-op process.

Hire Widener

Internships

It’s never too early to start getting real-world work experience. As a Widener student, we encourage you to get an internship as early as freshman year. And when it comes to finding one, we’ve got you covered. Internships are coordinated through academic departments, and your professors, career advisors, and others on campus have an extensive network of local, regional, and national partners to help you find and secure a position that fits your professional aspirations.

And there are tons of internship opportunities being this close to Philadelphia. Just ask Danielle Cardona '18, a communication studies major who had five internships in broadcasting, which helped her land her first job with the Philadelphia Eagles.

To being able to start here, go toward my internships, and then take everything and put it toward a big NFL team, has been phenomenal. — Danielle Cardona ’18

Worried you'll have to decide between a career-building experience you're passionate about and one that earns an income? College of Arts & Sciences students interested in pursuing an internship are encouraged to apply for financial assistance through the Experience MORE! program. 

If selected as an awardee, you’ll receive a stipend to subsidize your work at an unpaid or underpaid internship, meaning you can get both the experience and the paycheck. You’ll also get help honing your cover letter, nailing your interview, and landing an internship that will set you apart with real-world work experience. 

Whether you’re looking to land a summer position at a local arts nonprofit or a congressional internship offering a stipend that stretches you too thin, get in touch to learn how you can Experience MORE! for your work.

Measured. Results.

66% Complete Internships

That's compared to 52% of students at other colleges. Source: National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

100% Graduate in 4 Years

Students who participate in a 12-month co-op graduate in 4 years.

Student outside CHOP

1000+ Organizations

provide experiential learning opportunities for Widener students in co-ops, internships, clinics, or public service in a single year

79%

of employers we surveyed expected students to complete an internship or field project to connect what they learn in class to the real-world

Pride Perspectives

Hear from our students about their co-ops and internships.

Tiernan poses holding a Philadelphia Eagles jersey that reads "gameday staff"

Coach Liberati was the only coach that answered me and gave me an opportunity to play for him. He played a major role in my choice because it showed me that the staff really cared about me.

Tiernan Johnson

Tiernan's Story
Vinny Csercsevits in a lab working with a 3-D printer

Before doing this summer research experience, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I’ve been trying to narrow it down, and this has opened me up to aerospace engineering.

Vinny Csercsevits

Vinny's Story
Alumnus Andrew Proctor stands on the field at the Washington Commanders football stadium

“I didn’t have a clue about the people behind the games and on TV. Widener opened my eyes to the professional positions out there and helped me see that it was achievable."

Andrew Proctor

Andrew's Story
Widener student Ariana Hurtado-Day

Being able to have these internships and experiences outside of the classroom makes me feel happy because not only am I able to build connections, but I’m getting experience and understanding with the career that I want.

Ariana Hurtado-Day

Ariana's Story
Alex Kristeller sits at a table presenting to company leaders during a summer internship.

One thing that Widener did so well was teach me how to adapt to different programming languages and user systems. I definitely was prepared to take on that challenge.

Alex Kristeller

Alex's Story
Adonijah Allsup, wearing a blue fraternity sweater, poses next to a stone marked 1914

It’s really important to me to be involved in setting an image, especially for first-generation students or people who are shy or minority students on campus. I want to use my voice.

Adonijah Allsup

Adonijah's Story

Get in Touch