Celebrating Our Success, Propelling the Future
History of cooperative education in the College of Engineering, 1909-2024
Co-op’s impact connects our Northeastern community
Cooperative education—our premier experiential learning program—is what set Northeastern University on a path of innovation. Since 1909, starting in the College of Engineering, the co-op program has transformed the lives of students across the university, defined co-op excellence as a nationwide top-ranked program, and fueled the expansion of experiential learning to include an ever-growing myriad of opportunities. With co-op at its core and grounded with a global and growing network of partnerships, today Northeastern is renowned for providing an experience-powered education.
1909 - 1926
Earning while learning
The College of Engineering was the first of Northeastern’s colleges to offer a co-op program. In 1909, the Evening Institute of the Boston YMCA began offering engineering courses with co-op in the Polytechnic School. The YMCA established the second co-op program in the United States; the first was at the University of Cincinnati three years earlier. The program created in Boston was influenced by what worked in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati program was conceptually rooted in modernizing apprenticeships and adjusting them for the industrial age.
BOSTON YMCA
This building was built in 1882, but burned down in 1910.
Frank Palmer Speare, the educational director of the Evening Institute and the man who would later become Northeastern’s first president, never cited a reason for pursuing a co-op program. Given the YMCA’s noted academic experimentation in the 1900s, however, he likely wanted to try out new programs to determine whether academia and hands-on technical training could be combined for a more cohesive learning experience. While evening vocational departments already existed at the Evening Institute, this was the first foray into full-fledged day work. As such, the school which housed these new programs was named the Day School of Cooperative Engineering.
The Day School’s first cooperative engineering courses were launched with eight students enrolled in a four-year daytime program, which consisted of one week alternating periods of academic study in the classroom and hands-on work on the job. To clearly convey the program’s mission, the slogan, “earning while learning,” was conceived. This slogan reflected the first major phase of co-op, which considered the program as a financial model for the university to help students finance their education.
Only four companies were available for employment: the Boston Consolidated Gas Company, Boston and Maine Railroad, Boston and Albany Railroad, and Boston Elevated Railway Company. Two students were employed at each of these companies, and they maintained this employment throughout all four years. Each student earned a wage of 10 cents per hour, which increased by two cents per hour for each additional year in the program. Dean Hercules W. Geromanos directed and oversaw the Day School.
Frank Palmer Speare developed a co-op program at the Evening Institute of the Boston YMCA , which became the Day School of Cooperative Engineering. He served as president of Northeastern University from 1917 to 1940.
Hercules W. Geromanos, dean of the Day School of Cooperative Engineering
Co-op students work in the drafting, designing engineer’s office of Boston and Albany Railroad, one of the first co-op employers.
The first few years of the Day School of Cooperative Engineering immediately demonstrated significant growth. In 1910, student enrollment increased to 30, and curricula in civil engineering and mechanical engineering were introduced. It was also during this year that Carl S. Ell, a graduate student at MIT, started teaching part-time for a surveying course. Ell was one of seven members of the teaching staff and was named head of the Department of Civil Engineering in 1912. By the 1912-1913 academic year, curricula in electrical engineering and chemical engineering was added. By this point, there were 70 enrolled students, 18 faculty members, and 10 companies involved in the program. When the original class of eight students graduated in 1913, there were 110 students enrolled.
1910s
Demand for these first co-op student employees was high. The combination of this demand and the reward of experiential learning continued to facilitate growth. These early years were still highly experimental, but the successful graduation of the original class provided reassurance and showed that co-op was here to stay.
In 1914, Ell assumed the role of assistant dean of engineering; three years later in 1917, he succeeded Geromanos as the dean of the Cooperative School of Engineering. Ell immediately had a massive impact on the program, nearly doubling its size the year he took over as dean from 165 to 230 co-op students and 27 to 42 cooperating companies. Northeastern College was incorporated in 1916, and the academic program officially became the Cooperative School of Engineering. The YMCA’s pre-existing schools, including the Polytechnic Evening School, were made a part of this incorporation.
Two mechanical engineering students at American Schaeffer & Budenberg Corp, 1914
Carl S. Ell, dean of the Cooperative School of Engineering, 1917-1940
Co-op student turning machine valve parts at Sanborn Engineering Co., 1914
Mechanical engineering co-op students conducting tests at General Electric, 1919
Cooperative Engineering School’s Class of 1916
COOPERATIVE
Practice and theory coordinated
1920s
Chemical engineering student on co-op at Lever Brothers, analyzing soap, 1922 1927- 1950s
Despite the heavy tensions laid by World War I, the Cooperative School of Engineering, now a part of Northeastern College, flourished. During the war, it was activated by the government as an SATC (Student Army Training Corps) and Navy unit. Philip C. Nash joined in 1919 as professor of civil engineering and was later made director of engineering practice until 1921. In March of 1920, the Massachusetts General Court certified Northeastern to grant bachelor’s degrees in civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. Winthrop E. Nightingale succeeded Nash in 1921 and later became director of the Department of Cooperative Work until his passing in 1953. In 1925, Ell assumed the role of vice president alongside his duties as dean of the Cooperative School of Engineering.
In 1921, when a total of 433 engineering students were enrolled at Northeastern, a fifth curriculum for administrative engineering was established before being revised in 1928 as industrial engineering. Also in 1928, the Department of Cooperative Work was established to better assist students with co-op placement. Throughout the decade, Northeastern continued to experiment with the format of co-op. Fiveweek alternating periods of academia and co-op were tested out, as well as an increase in the program length from four to five years. In 1927, a new slogan, “practice and theory coordinated,” was used for the first time in Northeastern’s course catalog.
As co-op grew in popularity at Northeastern and elsewhere, the first professional co-op organization was formed in 1926. Named the Association of Cooperative Colleges, the original formation included 16 schools and six industry representatives. In 1930, the ACC was renamed the Cooperative Education Division (CED) as part of the American Society of Engineering Education, or ASEE.
Co-op student working at Edison Electric Illuminating Co., 1922
Winthrop E. Nightingale served as director of the Department of Cooperative Work, 1928-1953
Officers of the Student Army Training Corps, standing from left to right: 2nd Lieut. Haynes; 2nd Lieut. Haltermann; 2nd Lieut. Berg; 2nd Lieut. Ferris. Sitting from left to right: 1st Lieut. Ayer, Capt. Merry, Dr. Andrews
Electrical engineering student takes readings on a machine line on co-op job, 1930
1930s
RENAMED COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING 1936
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY CORPORATION 1935
By the 1930s, co-op had expanded beyond engineering to the College of Business Administration in 1922 and the College of Liberal Arts in 1935. The Northeastern University Corporation was established in 1935 to make the university independent from the YMCA. The following year, the Cooperative School of Engineering was renamed the College of Engineering.
Classes were offered in three buildings: the Main Building (YMCA), the Laboratory Building (now Cullinane Hall), and the Huntington Building. Northeastern’s first laboratory was housed at the bottom of an elevator shaft, but by 1938, sufficient funds had been raised to build and open Richards Hall, named after James L. Richards, which housed additional engineering laboratories. The next year, the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development, or ECPD, accredited the civil, mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering programs. Once an additional laboratory building was constructed in 1941, the chemical engineering program was also accredited. The experimentation of the co-op format continued with the beginning of a 10-week rotation schedule.
Dedication of Richards Hall during construction, 1937
FUTURE SITE OF RICHARDS HALL
Electrical engineering laboratory, 1936
Co-op students calibrate precision condensers at General Radio, 1938
1940s
WOMEN ADMITTED TO NORTHEASTERN 1943
FIRST NORTHEASTERN RESEARCH GRANT 1945
The first six Day College women on registration day, May 1943. From left to right: Stephanie Sydoriak nee Chopek, liberal arts; Kathleen Danzer, liberal arts; Mary H. Taylor nee Bigelow, liberal arts; Mona L. McLaughlin nee Kennedy, liberal arts; Alice Linehan, engineering; and Helen L. Culbertson nee Yates, business administration
The start of the 1940s saw Ell leave his position as dean of the College of Engineering and replace Speare as Northeastern’s second president. William C. White took his place until 1945, when he was replaced by William T. Alexander. In 1943, women were admitted into Northeastern for the first time with a class size of six female students and 206 male students. Between the six female students, four studied liberal arts, and one each studied engineering and business administration. The co-op program was suspended during World War II, enabling some students to complete their studies in half the usual time by using co-op work periods for studies.
Throughout the 1940s, the university began to expand the breadth of its research opportunities. In 1945, Northeastern’s first-ever grant-funded research contract, a $10,000 project for the Office of Naval Research, was initiated. Three years later in 1948, the College of Engineering began its participation in sponsored research programs. This step forward was led by the Department of Electrical Engineering, which had four projects with support from the Air Force Cambridge Research Center. To more effectively guide and manage these projects, the university hired Dr. SzeHou Chang, its first full-time research professor. As research funding grew for the Department of Electrical Engineering, additional grants were received from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. 1948 also saw the College of Engineering’s first venture into graduate level courses. For the first two years, these courses were not attached to a specific degree, but this was expanded in 1950 to incorporate programs which made Master of Science degrees attainable.
Mechanical engineering students on co-op
William C. White served as dean of the College of Engineering, 1940 to 1945
William T. Alexander served as dean of the College of Engineering, 1945 to 1961
Mechanical engineering students in the co-op program observe an experiment, 1950s
1950s
The 1950s were mostly spent further refining and developing projects for which the foundation had been laid in earlier decades. During these years, Alexander remained as dean of the College of Engineering, although Alfred J. Ferretti briefly served as acting dean from 1953 to 1954. In 1959, Asa S. Knowles succeeded Ell as president of Northeastern.
In 1956, co-op was adapted to be compatible with graduate study, allowing for co-op opportunities for students pursuing master’s degrees in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. The format of the program consisted of a two-year schedule made up of four 10-week sessions alternating between daytime classes and co-op. The Graduate School of Engineering was formed in 1958, providing further support for Northeastern’s graduate engineering programs. The process of establishing the university’s first doctoral degrees also began this year.
The decade closed with the renaming of the Department of Cooperative Work to the Department of Cooperative Education, and a new slogan, “learning while earning,” was created. This reinvention of the department saw the appointment of its first dean, Roy L. Wooldridge, who had directed the Department of Cooperative Work since 1953. A new philosophy regarding co-op and academics was developed. Rather than co-op simply being a way to fund students’ education, there was a new focus on the educational value of the experiences. This change marked the beginning of a much larger development, foreshadowing the alignment with academics in the 1960s and beyond.
Alfred J. Ferretti briefly served as dean of the College of Engineering, 1953 to 1954
Asa S. Knowles served as president of Northeastern University, 1959-1975
GRADUATE STUDENT CO-OP 1956
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING 1958
Students perform experiments in a physiology laboratory, 1959
Learning while earning 1960s- 1990s
1960s
Ronald Scott, appointed dean of the College of Engineering, 1961
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND CO-OP
With new projects to come after the revision of the Department of Cooperative Work as the Department of Cooperative Education, 1960 was a year of reflection and remembrance for the university amidst all these changes. On April 21, 1960, an afternoon convocation and evening dinner were held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the College of Engineering and of co-op at Northeastern. At the dinner, members of Northeastern’s faculty, staff, and alumni were honored and recognized for their contributions to shaping the co-op program.
At this time, student enrollment in the College of Engineering was 2,734 and the undergraduate engineering program was the largest in New England. To expand career and economic opportunities for Black students, a pilot program was initiated under a $150,000 grant by Fund for the Advancement of Education from the Ford Foundation. The program enabled 75 Black students from Boston to enroll in Northeastern’s cooperative curricula during a three-year period.
The fall of 1960 was the first semester to fully implement the new master’s program with 10-week alternating periods between classes and engineering co-ops. Also, in response to an October 1960 ECPD accreditation assessment to prepare for future years in engineering education, Northeastern’s administration decided to focus more closely on upgrading research and graduate work.
In 1961, Alexander retired as dean of the College of Engineering and was succeeded by Ronald E. Scott, who served until 1966. After William F. King filled in for a year as interim dean, the position was taken up again by Melvin Mark in 1967, who would remain as dean for over a decade.
Faculty members honored at the 50th anniversary of cooperative education and the College of Engineering, 1960
Recipients of the Ford Foundation for the Advancement of Education grant stand together outside Richards Hall, 1963
1960s
One of the first measures taken to upgrade research and graduate work was establishing doctoral programs in physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering by 1963. Doctoral programs in chemical and mechanical engineering followed in 1964 and 1965, respectively, as well as a doctorate in mathematics in 1965. Positions for more research professors were opened to aid in the expansion of these programs.
In 1965, the Center for Cooperative Education was established alongside the Department of Cooperative Education at the university level. That same year, Thomas McMahon began directing the Department of Cooperative Education before switching to the role of associate dean in 1968. Between 1965 and 1967, the Division of Cooperative Education was created to simultaneously oversee the Department of Cooperative Education, the Department of Graduate Placement Services, and the Center for Cooperative Education.
From left to right: unidentified, Civil Engineering Professor Ernest Spencer, Dean of Engineering Melvin Mark, and unidentified
Co-op civil engineering student land surveying, 1966
Roy L. Wooldridge, vice president of cooperative education (right) discusses work-study college programs with James W. Wilson, a research professor of cooperative education, 1968
Perhaps the largest change of the 1960s came in 1966 when the entire university’s calendar shifted to a quarter system. This resulted in a drastic revision of the undergraduate curriculum to align with this new plan. Co-ops now occurred in seven experiential blocks that were each three months long.
Extensive remodeling projects were also taken on, which gave new life to older facilities. New laboratory spaces, such as a wind tunnel, a soils laboratory, and an analytical computer lab, were created for the five major undergraduate engineering departments, including civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering. In 1967, the Dana Research Center, notably the university’s first exclusive research building and named after Charles A. Dana, was established with support from a grant from the NSF.
Chemical engineering student on co-op, American Cyanamid, 1968
DANA RESEARCH CENTER 1967
Co-op student in command module, MIT Institute lab, NASA, 1968
Right from the start, the 1970s marked many changes at an administrative level and within the student body. In 1970, Wooldridge assumed the role of vice president of the Department of Cooperative Education while also continuing as dean of the department. McMahon’s time as associate dean of co-op also ended this year, and Paul Pratt became assistant dean and director for co-op. In 1973, Pratt took over as acting dean of co-op and then in 1975 dean of the department, while Wooldridge continued as vice president until the close of the 1980s. Also in 1975, Knowles retired as president of Northeastern; he was succeeded by Kenneth G. Ryder. In 1979, Mark retired as dean of the College of Engineering and became a Northeastern provost; Thomas E. Hulbert stepped in as acting dean until 1981, when Harold Lurie succeeded him.
1970s
After the boom years of the late 1960s, engineering enrollment dropped from 3,943 in 1969 to 2,362 in 1973. Around this time, the federal government also cut back its research allotments to the university. To address these difficulties, the College of Engineering directed its focus toward developing computer science and computer engineering programs. For instance, the pre-existing graphic science department, which provided courses in technical drawing, was merged with the industrial engineering department in 1977 to form the Department of Industrial Engineering and Information Systems. Within two years, this visibly paid off, with enrollment numbers increasing to 2,515. The student body was also more diverse than ever before, with 106 women and nearly 60 Black first-year students enrolled. The Black Engineering Student Society student group was established on campus in 1974.
President Knowles at an event with medical technology co-op students and employers, 1971
Student on co-op at Picatinny Arsenal, 1972
Co-op students review a service station layout at Mobil Oil, 1970
1970s
As for institutional changes in the Department of Cooperative Education, the Institute for Experiential Education, later renamed the Institute for Off Campus Experience and Cooperative Education, was incorporated in 1973. The office of the National Commission of Cooperative Education was also established on the Boston campus. Two years later, the Asa Smallidge Knowles Professorship of Cooperative Education was created by the Board of Trustees. In 1976, the Center for Secondary School Work Experience Education was established. Later that year, the Russell B. Stearns Center for Cooperative Education, which housed all the previously mentioned departments and centers, was completed.
By 1975, the population of international students at Northeastern had grown to such an influential amount that the university began efforts to expand its pre-existing international exchange programs. Ryder also took part in international organizations, such as the World Council and Assembly on Cooperative Education, to promote co-op, explore new ways to take it abroad, and develop reciprocal relationships. Around this time, global coops and study abroad programs began their gradual increase in popularity. At the end of the decade, the Office of International Cooperative Education was established.
THE BLACK ENGINEERING STUDENT SOCIETY (BESS) STUDENT GROUP ESTABLISHED 1974
Andrew Bruns, chemical engineering student, developing new uses for treated copper foils, 1972
The first eight students to receive the Cooperative Education Award stand with President Asa S. Knowles (third from the right), 1971
Student on environmental engineering co-op, 1975
STEARNS CENTER FOR COOPERATIVE EDUCATION 1976
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE EDUCATION 1979
from 1979 to 1981
Thomas E. Hulbert served as acting dean of the College of Engineering
Kenneth Ryder, president of Northeastern University, 1975-1989
1980s- present
Global co-op expansion
1980s
AGE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY 1980s
To celebrate 75 years of co-op at Northeastern, a year-long celebration was held, beginning with a kickoff party on October 3, 1984.
The 1980s brought Northeastern fully into the age of computer technology. In the fall of 1984, a complete archive of biographical data about students was made available from a single computerized database. The heavy influence of the computer industry on the electrical engineering field led to the Department of Electrical Engineering becoming the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1982. The College of Computer Science was also established this year. By 1985, the average weekly student co-op salary during the spring and winter quarters was $253.74. Computer science majors earned the most with an estimated average of over $300 per week.
In a further effort to keep up with rapidly changing technologies, two new research centers were created and directed by faculty from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Center for Electromagnetics Research was dedicated in 1984. Funded by the NSF, it emphasized interdisciplinary engineering research. In 1988, the Center for Communications and Digital Signal Processing was also created. As part of the College of Engineering’s 75th anniversary, the George A. and Lorraine C. Snell Engineering Center, named in honor of the largest gift received from an alumnus, was opened in 1984; the building remains the current home of the College of Engineering.
Student on co-op testing printed circuit boards at GE, 1980
Industrial engineering student on co-op at shipyard, 1982
Civil engineering co-op students working at a construction site, 1981
History of cooperative education in the College of Engineering, 1909-2024
Throughout the 1980s, other developments were made to the co-op program, such as offering a four-term option in engineering and computer science as opposed to the typical seven terms. A writing requirement was introduced for all students in 1987. By 1989, Northeastern students were actively engaged in co-op opportunities with over 3,000 employers in various professional fields.
Global co-ops also began to flourish throughout the decade. Robert Vozzella became director of the Office of International Cooperative Education in 1982. It established ties with Austria, Germany, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom in 1982, with Sweden, Holland, and Australia following by 1989. While 42 students worked in global co-ops for the 1983-1984 academic year, that number nearly doubled by the end of the decade.
In 1986, Lurie, who had been dean of the College of Engineering for five years, was succeeded by Paul H. King. Three years later, Wooldridge retired from his position as vice president of the Department of Cooperative Education. Karl Weiss served as interim vice president for co-op until 1991, when Jane Scarborough took his place. In 1989, Ryder retired and was succeeded by John A. Curry, the first alumnus to serve as Northeastern’s president.
GLOBAL CO-OP EXPANSION 1982
Electrical engineering co-op student at work, 1982
Groundbreaking event to construct the Snell Engineering Center. Left to right: Melvin Mark, Northeastern provost and senior vice president; Massachusetts Governor Edward J. King; Northeastern President Kenneth G. Ryder; George S. Kariotis, E’ 44, Massachusetts secretary for economic affairs and chairman of the engineering building campaign; and Harold Lurie, dean of the College of Engineering, 1982
Chemical engineering students working in a laboratory, 1983 (photo by Richard Wood)
Industrial engineering co-op at CR Bard, 1987 (photo by Eric Roth)
Engineering co-op, Shaun Meyer, and supervisor Charles Vecoli, in a laboratory at Integrated Separation Systems, 1987 (photo by Eric Roth)
John A. Curry, whose tenure began in 1989, was the first alumnus to serve as Northeastern’s president
1990s
Student at co-op with laser equipment, 1995
Between 1989 and 1991, a collection of data from 532 student surveys gave hope and promise for co-op. When asked to rate their co-ops as educational experiences on a scale from one to 10, 71.8% of students rated their experience as an eight or higher, 94.3% of students said that their skills had improved, 85% felt that the work assigned to them properly aligned with their skill sets, and 73.4% said they would recommend their co-op to others.
At the time, this hope was needed by the College of Engineering, which had experienced declining enrollment throughout the 1980s. Fortunately, it made a dramatic change for the better throughout the first half of the 1990s. Several faculty members emerged as top researchers in their fields, leading to an increase in the quantity and quality of research. This led to outside research growing by 40% from $6.6 million in 1989 to $10.7 million in 1996. As proof of this growth and triumph, the Richard J. and Maureen Egan Research Center opened in 1996, holding over a dozen laboratory facilities for engineering, chemistry, physics, and computer science research. The center increased Northeastern’s on-campus research space by 50%.
Even after these efforts, enrollment started to drop again around the time the Egan Research Center opened. Overall enrollment was falling, but the College of Engineering took an especially hard hit. To address these issues, the college made greater efforts to attract prospective students such as expanding its outreach beyond New England. The College of Engineering also paid closer attention to first-year students, offering engineering courses to them for the first time. Introductory one-credit courses took a less intense approach and gave first-year students room to adjust to college life while furthering their interests in their chosen field of study. The college also offered more labs and project-based courses.
Charles DiMarzio (right), principal research scientist, Center for Electromagnetic Research, with Donna Olson (left), Engineering ‘92 (photo by Joshua D. Levine)
Students consult list of co-op employers represented at co-op job fair, 1991
The Department of Cooperative Education saw its fair share of changes during the 1990s. In 1994, the Office of International Cooperative Education joined the Division of Cooperative Education. In 1992, Pratt retired as dean of the Department of Cooperative Education, with Vozzella taking the position until 1995. Vozzella then succeeded Scarborough as vice president of the Department of Cooperative Education until 1999, when Richard D. Porter became acting vice president. After Vozzella stepped down as dean of the department, Theresa A. Harrigan became interim associate dean from 1996 to 1997, followed by Kristin R. Woolever as interim dean from 1997 to 1999, when Robert Tillman took the helm as acting dean of the department.
1990s
Global co-ops continued to expand further throughout the 1990s, now reaching Indonesia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Egypt. Northeastern’s continued transformation into a research university, however, started to overshadown co-op. A university-wide committee was tasked with conducting a comprehensive study of co-op to figure out how to better integrate co-op with students’ academic experiences. Co-op had become more about securing a job and less about its educational and professional value. Over 100 recommendations were made to improve co-op marketing, make greater use of computer technology, and restructure how co-ops were organized to better fit an academic model. By April 1995, co-op was recognized as an experiential learning credit on student transcripts.
In 1996, the Lowell Institute School, a night school for engineering technology, moved from MIT to Northeastern becoming part of the School of Engineering Technology in the College of Engineering. Also in 1996, Curry retired from his position as Northeastern’s president, and Richard M. Freeland took his place. That same year, King stepped down as dean of the College of Engineering, and Allen L. Soyster succeeded him the following year. Soyster had similar goals to Curry in terms of bridging any gaps between co-op and the classroom. He also observed the wealth of engineering opportunities due to Northeastern’s location in the heart of Boston. During his time as dean, he sought to improve faculty outreach with local industries and businesses. Through this outreach and a deeper focus on research, Soyster helped create the capstone course.
To catch up with the rest of the university’s computer technology at the time, co-op jobs started to become available on the internet in 1999. This also gave students the ability to view their co-op coordinators’ schedules and make appointments with them online.
Jacquelyn Koh, industrial engineering student, training for her co-op with Nynex in Singapore, 1992
Undergraduate engineering students working in microwave lab in Hayden, 1992 (photo by Joshua D. Levine)
The Lowell Institute became part of the School of Engineering Technology in the College of Engineering, 1996
Photo by James Leavitt
Richard M. Freeland was president of Northeastern University, 1996-2006
Allen L. Soyster served as dean of the College of Engineering from 1997-2006, and interim dean, 2011-2012 (photo by Brooks Canaday, Northeastern)
2000s
Student reviewing blueprints at co-op at Skanska, a multinational construction company based in Sweden, 2003 (photo by Len Rubenstein)
The turn of the new millennium marked Northeastern’s switch from a quarter system to the semester system that it still uses today, sparking another major phase in the evolution of co-op, one that brought experiential learning to the forefront. The fall and spring semesters span four months each, with the summer being broken down into two smaller semesters known as Summer 1 and Summer 2. Co-ops adjusted to this change by becoming six months long. Depending on whether students choose to enroll in a five-year program, including an optional plan later known as the PlusOne program, either two or three co-op experiences can be completed before graduation. Completing multiple co-ops with different employers has made it possible for students to more deeply explore potential career paths and acquire a broader skill set.
In 2003, Tillman was succeeded by Doreen L. Hodgkin as senior associate dean of the Department of Cooperative Education. Lynn Wachtel Lyford followed Porter as vice president of the department. Four years later, the Division of Cooperative Education was dissolved and replaced by Central Cooperative Education Services. Co-op student hiring was now handled by each of the colleges; Tillman led co-op for the College of Engineering. This effort was overseen by Joseph E. Aoun,
Northeastern’s seventh and most recent president who succeeded Freeland in 2006. In 2005, the Lowell Institute became part of the College of Professional Studies, and the School of Engineering Technology was phased out by 2010. In 2006, Soyster took a special assignment at the NSF, when Hameed Metghalchi served as interim dean of the College of Engineering until 2007. He was succeeded by David E. Luzzi
To prepare engineers for leadership and business opportunities, in 2007 the Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership, and the Galante Engineering Business Program were founded through the generosity of Bernard M. Gordon and Edward G. Galante, respectively. Preparations for the 100th anniversary of co-op began in 2008, including a weeklong celebration recognizing the accomplishments and commitment of students, alumni, and co-op partners. In 2009, the CED of the ASEE changed to Cooperative and Experiential Education (CEED).
Joseph E. Aoun, Northeastern’s seventh and most recent president begins serving in 2006 (photo by Mary Knox Merrill, Northeastern)
David E. Luzzi serves as dean for the College of Engineering, 2007 to 2011
A co-op student working in a high school biology class, 2009
2010s
The MS in information systems began being offered at the Seattle campus, 2014 (photo by Benjamin Benschneider)
BIOENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Northeastern’s first campus outside of the Boston area was opened for graduate programs in 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina, followed by the Seattle, Washington, campus in 2012. That same year, Nadine Aubry became dean of the College of Engineering. Two years later, the MS in information systems was offered in Seattle. By 2015, another campus opened in Silicon Valley in California to focus specifically on STEM. This was the start of Northeastern’s global university system, which as of summer of 2024, includes 13 campuses in three countries—U.S., Canada, and England—and growing.
The Department of Bioengineering was founded in 2014, offering BS, MS, and PhD programs. The other departments include chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical and industrial engineering. Also offered are multidisciplinary master’s degrees in applied areas of study for technology fields. Named after its primary benefactor, the Michael J. and Ann Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education was founded in 2014. Building a variety of co-ops, the Sherman Center started by offering a venture co-op by 2016 where students are funded to work full time on their entrepreneurial venture for six months for their co-op.
Bioengineering student working in lab, 2014
Nadine Aubry serves as dean for the College of Engineering, 2012 to 2019 (photo by Adam Glanzman, Northeastern)
Students learn about 3D prototyping at the Sherman Center, 2016
Christina Ferrara, chemical engineering student, on co-op at Ocean Spray, 2015 (photo by Adam Glanzman, Northeastern)
Logan Jackson, civil engineering, named Northeastern’s first Rhodes Scholar, 2015 (photo by Brooks Canaday, Northeastern)
To prepare students for the world’s increasingly complex challenges, and allow them more opportunity to personalize their education, this decade began a focus on interdisciplinary academic programs particularly with other Northeastern colleges, such as combined majors for undergraduate students. Renovation of engineering teaching labs and spaces was also a focus, which continues to present day.
Northeastern in 2016 received R1 status by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, ranking it in the “highest research activity” category among U.S. colleges and universities. External university-wide research funding in 2016-2017 rose to $140.7 million. Since 2006, the university had recruited more than 600 tenured or tenure-track faculty, emphasizing joint appointments across colleges and disciplines. Students now had the opportunity to participate in research co-ops, working with faculty conducting research. Northeastern also invested in leadingedge research facilities such as the 220,000 sq. ft., six-story Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, which opened in April 2017 after five years of construction. Construction of a bridge
began the following year (completed in 2019) to make traveling across Boston’s Southwest Corridor and gaining access to the Snell Engineering Center and the rest of campus easier and more convenient. As of FY2023, external research awards reached $282 million for the university overall, including more than $115 million for the College of Engineering.
In 2017, Lorraine Mountain was appointed assistant dean of cooperative education for the College of Engineering. In 2013, there were 12 co-op coordinators for engineering. As of 2024, there are more than 45. Mountain received the 2019 Alvah K. Borman Award from the ASEE. Borman was dean of graduate placement services at Northeastern and the award honors his numerous outstanding contributions to engineering cooperative education including editor of the CEED newsletter. Also in 2019, Jacqueline Isaacs succeeded Aubry as interim dean of the College of Engineering until March 2021 when Gregory D. Abowd became the current dean of the College of Engineering.
Lorraine Mountain is appointed assistant dean of cooperative education for the College of Engineering, 2017 (photo by Matthew Modoono, Northeastern)
The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) opens after five years of construction, 2017 (photo by damian israel shiner, Northeastern)
Jacqueline Isaacs serves as interim dean for the College of Engineering, 2019 to 2021 (photo by Matthew Modoono, Northeastern)
Elizabeth Wig, an electrical engineering student, spent four months on co-op at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center and three months at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2019
(photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wig)
2020 to present
Student Rachel Domb worked on her startup called “Rooted Living” as part of a venture co-op in the Sherman Center
(photos by Matthew Modoono, Northeastern)
Northeastern was ranked number one in Best Co-op/Internship Programs by U.S. News and World Report in its 2020 edition, and as of 2024 has remained in the top position. March of 2020 began another challenge for co-op—the COVID-19 global pandemic. Despite the employment downturn, travel restrictions, and remote work requirements, the co-op program continued, mitigating the impact on hires by implementing remote work opportunities, the option for four-month experiences, and half-time co-op opportunities combined with academic coursework. With these measures and a strong employer partner network, co-op hires fell only 13% in the 2021 academic year as compared to the year prior.
In 2020, the BS in bioengineering and the BS in environmental engineering became Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. accredited—making all eight undergraduate engineering disciplines ABET accredited; the others include chemical, civil, computer, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering. Also in 2020, NUworks replaced NUcareers as the main hub for finding co-op, full-time, part-time, and internship work for students at all levels, including
students and recent alumni.
PhD
Gregory D. Abowd becomes the current dean of the College of Engineering, 2021 (photo by Bella Martinez, Northeastern)
Kritika Singh, bioengineering, named Northeastern’s second Rhodes Scholar, 2020 (photo by Adam Glanzman, Northeastern)
Chemical engineering students work in the Unit Operations Lab during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 (photo by Matthew Modoono, Northeastern)
Caitlynn Tov, bioengineering, conducted research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital on the TEAL Bio face mask while on co-op, leading to her authoring/contributing to two papers and three patents, 2020 (photo courtesy of Caitlynn Tov)
First-year engineering students at the London, England, and Oakland, California campuses (London
2020 to present
Continuing its global expansion, engineering research facilities began reaching beyond the Boston area in 2021 starting with the Roux Institute at Northeastern in Portand, Maine, named in recognition of David and Barbara Roux. In 2022, Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships established the AJC Merit Research Scholar Award, funding STEM research co-ops at Northeastern. This same year, the global co-op program was recognized by NAFSA: the Association of International Educators through the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization Spotlight award. Also in 2022, the first-year engineering program was offered in London, England, and then in Oakland, California in 2023. The eight-story, 350,000 sq. ft. EXP building opened in the fall of 2023 to further science, engineering, teaching, and creating. Also in 2023, the College of Engineering implemented a research co-op, where students are funded by the college to work in a faculty research lab for their co-op. In 2024, a multi-university effort began to improve college and career opportunities for neurodivergent students, including using Northeastern’s strength in co-op programming and industry partners. Additionally, the Institute for NanoSystems Innovation, led by College of Engineering faculty, was Northeastern’s first research institute to be based on the East and West coasts.
As of the 2022-2023 academic year, over 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 3,500 employers in 52 countries participated in Northeastern’s co-op program university-wide, including more than 3,300 engineering co-op hires. Most (98%) of undergraduate engineering students participate in co-op, and 91% of them go on two or more co-ops. For the College of Engineering’s Class of 2022, 54% of undergraduate students and 52% of master’s students received a job offer from a co-op employer.
Experiential learning including the co-op program has helped propel growth in the College of Engineering. In fall 2023, total student enrollment reached 10,412, 65% of which were graduate students from around the world.
photo by Suzanne Plunkett and Oakland photo by Ruby Wallau, Northeastern)
Bioengineering student Hannah Kim conducts research on co-op at Northeastern in the Integrated Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Lab, 2023 (photo courtesy of Hannah Kim)
Cooperative Education Awards, 2023 (photo by Bella Martinez, Northeastern)
NEURODIVERSITY ACADEMIC AND CAREER SUPPORT 2024
EXP building in Boston was completed in 2023 to further science, engineering, teaching, and creating.
(photo by Matthew Modoono, Northeastern)
Tesla engineers who are alumni visited the Boston campus for a Women in Engineering networking lunch and panel discussion to share their experiences and to empower women in STEM, 2024
(photo by Bella Martinez, Northeastern)
Electrical and computer engineering co-op job fair, 2024 (photo courtesy of Iraz Medhi, Northeastern)
The future: Large-scale experiential learning
With 115 years of rich history, evolution, and best practices, Northeastern’s co-op program has made a positive and often life-changing impact on students’ lives. It stands as a model for other universities and remains the university’s signature experiential learning program.
Co-op’s success also serves as the foundation for developing new and innovative platforms for large-scale experiential learning. Industry projects integrated into classroom learning. Capstone projects to solve thousands of industry challenges. Students matched with employers to work part-time at companies aligned with their academic program. Lifelong learning upskill and reskill credit and noncredit courses. And, industry practicums where interdisciplinary student teams work full-time on a company challenge for course credit and compensation.
These are just some new and future possibilities of experience-powered educational offerings that can grow and evolve with the support of our global network of partners. Join us on this exciting journey.
Facing page: all photos courtesy of the respective students
References: Northeastern University Snell Library archives, including The Cauldron yearbooks, Northeastern University histories coe.northeastern.edu/coop-excerpts, course catalogs, digitized engineering records, and engineering and co-op photography
Special thanks to Darin Zullo, co-op student, and Alaina Karcher, Dean’s Office assistant, for their contributions in researching and writing this history report.
Managing editor: Janet LeClair
Creative design: damian israel shiner
© Copyright 2024 Northeastern University
Partner with us!
There are many ways to help the next generation with co-op and experiential learning opportunities, from becoming an employer co-op partner to mentoring and philanthropy.
Learn more about the co-op program and how to become a co-op employer partner: coe.northeastern.edu/ coop-experiential
Contact the co-op team: coecoopjobs@northeastern.edu
Make a gift: giving.northeastern.edu/ explore-funds/engineering
Photo by Mariah Tauger, Northeastern
