Kettering University

Kettering University students alternate three-month academic terms with three months of full-time work for their co-op employers. This schedule ensures that students don’t lose sight of the relationship between what they are taught in the classroom and what they learn on the job.

This rotation schedule continues until the senior year, which is typically spent on the job, as students complete their thesis project.  The project, which has been developed jointly by the employer and the student, tackles a challenge faced at the worksite and culminates in the preparation of a published thesis.  Employers find that the senior thesis project is an invaluable addition to the professional development of their co-op student and can often result in large savings for their organization.

The Calendar

Kettering's academic year begins in July. The student body is divided in two sections, referred to as A and B, of roughly equal size. While A-Section students are on campus taking classes, B-Section students are working for their co-op employer. This pattern alternates every three months.

This schedule enables students to complete all graduation requirements within the expected four and a half years and to gain up to two and a half years of progressive work experience along the way, which results in a significant reduction of on-the-job-training time after graduation. This pattern also allows companies to employ students year-round by hiring students in pairs.