Work Experience

Center for Entrepreneurship

The CFE is an innovation hub where the ideas, people, resources, and technology meet and create the future. We provide active-learning experiences to all students via ENTR classes and immersive programs designed to translate high-potential projects and ideas into the world. CFE fosters an entrepreneurial mindset by preparing you to identify opportunities, innovate, experiment, build relationships, manage risk, and persevere. You’ll learn to create and communicate via these constructs and become better prepared to lead teams that identify – then act to solve – impactful problems.

Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) website

Talk to a human: [email protected] | (734) 763-1021

Semesters Offered/Recommended: Year Round 

Financial: Aid Available

Cooperative Education

The Cooperative (co-op) Education Program assists students in pursuing an optional program of work while studying in the College of Engineering. Students can find co-op positions independently or by using ECRC resources. A co-op search is the same as any other job search—students apply to organizations and then may be invited to interview.

Students in the co-op program are registered students at the University and will be enrolled in Engineering 400: Cooperative Education Engineering. The student’s co-op work semester(s) are entered on the transcript and become part of the student’s academic record. Co-op students do not receive credit – co-op is zero credit hours and you are not charged for credit hours, but will be charged a fee for enrollment. However, you are considered a full-time student, loans are deferred, email accounts remain open, etc.

Search for co-op opportunities by using the resources below:
Engineering Career Resource Center

Typical Co-op Assignments

A typical co-op assignment is eight months (May through December or January through August) of hands-on engineering experience that will allow you to use the skills you have learned in the classroom and apply those skills to actual engineering projects; you are part of an engineering team! It may only delay your graduation one or two semesters, and you will find the experience to be a wonderful asset when you start looking for full-time employment.

Eligibility

Students may enroll as early as the second semester of their first year. In order to enroll, students must have a GPA of 2.75 or higher. The co-op job duties must relate to the student’s major and students must work 30 to 40 hours per week for a minimum of 6 weeks. It is not available to students requiring CPT (please contact the ECRC for more details).

Work Assignment

While working a co-op assignment, students are subject to the rules and regulations of the employer. Work assignments must be at least 30 hours per week for a minimum of six weeks. Co-op students are also required to complete assignments related to their co-op.

Getting Started

Students interested in the co-op programs should visit the Engineering Career Resource Center website or contact the Engineering Career Resource Center co-op coordinator at [email protected]. Co-op students are registered in ENGR 400 while on a co-op work assignment; registration is by permission only and must be completed through the ECRC.

Engineering Career Resource Center
230 Chrysler Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2192
Phone: (734) 647-7160

Multidisciplinary Design Program

The Multidisciplinary Design Program provides team-based, “learn by doing” opportunities for 950+ students from across the University every year. With MDP, you can: apply what you learn in class to engineering design challenges; gain the technical and professional skills necessary to thrive in engineering research or professional settings; experience how people from multiple disciplines collaborate within a team.

Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP) website

Talk to a human:  [email protected] | (734) 763-0818

Semesters Offered/Recommended: Fall/Winter terms. Some projects have summer work opportunities.

Financial: No Extra Fees, some Paid Experience (summer)

Tauber Institute for Global Operations

The Tauber Institute for Global Operations is a program with the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and College of Engineering, facilitating multidisciplinary education, leadership training and action based learning in cutting-edge operations and supply chain management. Intensive and immersive student-industry team projects are the capstone of the Tauber Institute experience, allowing students to apply their knowledge and teamwork to real-world settings. 

Tauber Institute for Global Operations website

Talk to a human:  

Bethany Williston, Student Experience Manager,  [email protected]

Anne Partington, Managing Director, [email protected]
General Institute email: [email protected] 

Semesters Offered/Recommended: 2-Year Capstone Fellowship Program

Financial: Scholarships available and required internship

Technical Communication Program

The Program in Technical Communication prepares engineering students to communicate, lead, and innovate in an increasingly global and digital environment, ensuring that every Michigan Engineer has the communication skills necessary to succeed in their professional lives – because it’s never just about the tech. Engineers need to share their solutions, motivate their team, persuade stakeholders, and work across their organization, all with the goal of solving complex, messy, and wicked problems. Through its courses, instruction, and mentorship, the TC Program empowers students to succeed in the complex communication responsibilities they will face in their future engineering careers. Students start learning tech comm skills in ENGR-100, and continue throughout their four years in customized courses that integrate communication instruction within each engineering discipline.

Technical Communication Program website

Talk to a human: [email protected] | (734) 764-1427

Semesters Offered/Recommended: Fall and Winter 

Financial: Technical Communication courses are woven into students’ Immersed academic experience, from ENGR-100 to the senior capstone course.