MGCCC Cooperative Education Program

Earn college credit, work experience and money. How? Cooperative education. It's a great way for you to gain work experience while going to school, plus earn money to help cover college expenses.

At Gulf Coast, you'll find co-op students working jobs in engineering, communications, plumbing, forestry, business administration, welding, electronics, accounting and many other career fields.

Here's how it works. If you have six hours of credit in your field and have a 2.0 grade point average, you're eligible for the program. Then, the Cooperative Education coordinator matches you with a compatible employer.

You can choose the Parallel Plan and work a minimum of 15 hours a week while attending classes. Or you may want the Alternating Plan and work a regular 40-hour week one semester, then go to school the next semester.

You earn academic credit for your work experience, a salary and a reference for future employment. Combining education with practical work experience is a real bonus when you begin to seek a full-time job. You'll have the training and the experience. It's also an opportunity to test career choices, and it's not uncommon for a co-op job to become a permanent job.

For more information, call the Cooperative Education director, at 601-928-6397 or email coop@mgccc.edu.