Co-op in the College of Science

Stand Out From the Crowd

Are you working in a lab? Fact-finding in the field? Co-op can be any paid, full-time experience related to your major. Get an industry internship, conduct research in an academic or industry lab, or gain experience in a health care setting. No matter how you co-op, people will notice.

Statistics

12th

RIT Ranking for Co-op or Internship Programs

U.S. News & World Report, 2022

$19.69

Median Average Hourly Salary

Across All Science Co-ops

44th

RIT Ranking for Undergraduate Research

U.S. News & World Report, 2021

6 Reasons Why Co-ops Launch Science and Math Careers


Gain Career Expertise Early and Often
Science and math majors can begin co-ops as early as the summer after their first year. Begin applying your practical skills early in your college career, broadening your knowledge and connecting your class work to real-world applications.


Explore Science and Math Careers
Work in a diverse range of positions and industries, from top tier universities and national labs to government and industry. College of Science students gain practical experience while exploring what they love to do.


Earn Money
Co-ops are full-time, paid experiences that can be used to support your tuition, help offset college expenses, or set you up for financial independence after graduation.


Deepen Your Research Expertise
Co-ops can include paid research opportunities in academic or industry labs. Opportunities like Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) allow science and math students to develop their skills conducting research, preparing for a career in discovery. Events like the annual National Labs Career Fair can get you started on the right path.


Connections That Lead to Success
While on co-op, you’ll interact with experts in science and math, explore work environments, broaden your hands-on knowledge, connect with professionals and alumni, and apply your skills in real world settings. You’ll amass solid, career-focused experience that sets you apart from other graduates in your field.


Develop Your Soft Skills
RIT will teach you the technical and analytical skills that make you a knowledgeable scientist. But the soft skills–leadership, decisiveness, conflict-resolution, etiquette awareness, professionalism–those are the competencies that truly set you apart, and the skills that can only be learned on the job.

Science and Math Co-op Positions

Co-op in the College of Science can be any paid, full-time experience related to your major. Here are just a sample of positions our co-op students have held:

  • Data analyst
  • Research assistant
  • Technology intern
  • Integrated Quantum Photonics Intern
  • Actuarial intern
  • Software engineer intern
  • Laboratory technician
  • Quality control chemist intern
  • Junior data scientist
  • Bioinformatics analyst/programmer
  • Field researcher
  • Image science intern
  • Park ranger student trainee
  • Production/formulation worker
  • Undergraduate researcher
  • Lab services assistant
  • Security research intern
  • Organic Farm Seasonal Support Team Member
  • headshot of Ali Cala

    “It was a 10-week-long experience over the summer and I ended up applying to work in that lab as a graduate student, and that's where I'm working now. This was the experience that led me to definitely want to pursue plant pathology."

    — Ali Cala
    Biotechnology & Molecular Bioscience

  • headshot of Spencer Richman

    "I participated in an REU at Boston University the summer after my second year. We were each assigned to a lab where we completed a research project and we were given the opportunity to present at the conference."

    — Spencer Richman
    Bioinformatics

  •  

  • headshot of Evan Donohue

    "As a physics student doing software engineering, my work has greatly enhanced my education at RIT. There are many things that can't be taught about working in the 'real world'."

    — Evan Donohue 
    Physics

  •  

  • headshot of Rakshit Kothari

    "My work largely involved coding up new Machine Learning-based algorithms and ideas. If all goes well, our work will be published soon."

    — Rakshit Kothari
    Imaging Science

  • headshot of Kamrul Hasan

    “I worked on two different projects to design an optimized deep neural network for better transfer learning applications.”

    — Kamrul Hasan
    Imaging Science

  • headshot of Camille Sisto

    “I collected data from commercial vineyards in the finger lakes as well as a research field on Cornell Agritech campus.”

    — Camille Sisto
    Biotechnology & Molecular Bioscience

  •  

Science and Math Hiring Partners

RIT’s science and math students complete co-ops at world-renowned companies and organizations. And these companies seek out our students for their knowledge, know-how, and innovative spirit.

  • "We enjoyed our student's work ethics and resilience in dealing with difficult or unknown subjects. Their work was one of the key foundational pieces in our company growth in biological data analytics and research."
  •  
  • Cellaria
  • "We were excited to have our co-op student come back for a 2nd stint as a summer temp/co-op student. He picked up on QC Testing protocols rather quickly and did an exceptional job of meeting the job requirements."
  •  
  • International Flavors and Fragrance
  • "Our co-op student is an exceptional researcher and worker, showing great initiative and critical thinking skills rarely seen at the undergraduate level."
     
  • Simulated Inanimate Models LLC

Here are just a few of the places around the world where you might find yourself doing a co-op:
 

  • Amazon
  • Apple
  • Boeing
  • Cleveland Clinic
  • Epic Pharma LLC
  • Google
  • L3Harris
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Mass Mutual
  • Microsoft
  • MITRE
  • NASA
  • National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
  • Raytheon Technologies
  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  • Sherwin Williams
  • Tufts Medical Center
  • Vaccinex Inc.
  • Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Services


Learn more about RIT’s Outstanding Co-op Employers

Finding a co-op takes time, preparation, and teamwork. It’s important to connect with your Academic Advisor regarding degree requirements and The Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education to explore job opportunities. Some co-ops also require approval from the head of your department. Whether you're starting your search or found a co-op and are ready to report it, you have help at RIT!

Co-op Pre-Approval FormFind Your Co-op | Report Your Co-op