Welcome to the PUPR Cooperative Education Program and Placement Office web page. The main objective of our office is to facilitate the integration of your academic education with the work place.

The Cooperative Education Program offers different job opportunities, while you continue pursuing your academic degree. On the other hand, the Placement Office has the mission of helping graduation candidates and graduate students to obtain a professional experience related to their study fields.

We invite you to visit our office, located in the third level of the Main Building. Also you can contact us at 787-622-8000, extensions 279, 268, 267, or 269.

Cordially,

Angie M. Escalante
Cooperative Education Program and
Placement Office Coordinator

Programs

The PUPR students have some alternatives or modalities, to be hired as professional assistants.

These are:

• The parallel modality; where students work during the day, and study during the evening.

• The alternate modality; where students work six (6) months as full time employee and study the next six (6) months as full time student.

• Internship modality; where students work as an employee during a session.

COOP - History and Objectives

The PUPR Cooperative Education Program was created in November of 1989. It has the purpose of acting as a bond between Government Agencies and Private Industries, and the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico alumni. This bond provides a prodessional work experience, insides the sudy field of each person. On another side, the program allows the students to receive economic revenues and the advantage of validate the experience, as an elective course with value of three credits. The COOP Program is directed to students in their third, fourth and fifth year of study that accomplished the minimal requirements for the project.

COOP - Services

• Elective Course COOP 3010, section 39

  • Professional Practice Course offered by some departments. (Refer “department” to the Head for guidance in this matter.

• Orientation

  • How to write a resume.

  • How to conduct a job interview.

  • How to dress for an interview.

  • Salary Scales.

  • Job Fair.

  • Internships.

  • Placement opportunities and Interview Schedules for PUPR students and ex alumni.

COOP - Advantages of the Program

• Helps in the definition of professional objectives and make decisions about professional future.

• Provides the opportunity to prove the knowledge acquired at the classroom, in the professional real world.

• Offers valuable experiences that make the student more competitive in the job market.

• Helps develop skills related to the professional world.

• Provides a salary that helps the participants cover their personal expenses.

COOP - Employer’s Responsabilities

• Develops a work experience program that complements and enriches the academic curriculum.

• Places the student in available positions inside the company, to collaborate as a certain valuable resource.

• Evaluates the student’s performance.

COOP - Basic Requirements

The program is an academic one, so it requires that the student fulfills the following:

• Be a regular student of the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. Maintain an academic GPA of 2.50 or more. (The standard GPA established for certain positions is determinated by the employer.)

• Take a third, fourth or fifth year of study after having a minumum of 90 credit hours passed.

• Genuine interest, enthusiasm and resposability in the learning of new things, and the development of technical abilities and organizational behavior.

COOP - Aditional Requirements

• Keep your resume updated.

• Enroll the course COOP 3010-section 39, when selected for an employment. (COOP 3010 can be the equivalent to the professional practice in a specific area.)

• Be a USA citizen, or a foreign resident with Visa in effect.

• Participate of the professional practice in a company of Puerto Rico or the United States, for a minimum period of three months.

COOP

Placement Office
The PUPR Placement Office has the mission of helping graduation candidates and graduate students, to obtain a professional experience related to their field of study. In addition, it offers a variety of services that will facilitate the acquisition of a work opportunity part-time, full-time, temporary o by contract, after receiving their academic degree.

How employers request the Placement Office services?
Many employers begin the search of graduation candidates or graduate students, by using different recruitment techniques.

Some of these techniques are as follows:

• Interview at campus.
• Resume requests.
• Participation in our Poly Job Fair.
• Filing the Employer’s Application Form.

Placement Office Requirements:

• Being a student or a graduate of the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.
• Fill the Application Form for the Placement Program.
• Keep your resume updated. (In English).
• Demonstrate a genuine interest and responsibility in acquiring new knowledge and the development of technical skill and organizational behavior.
• Participate in several job interviews.

POLY JOB FAIR

The Poly Job Fair is a professional activity, found very attractive by the employers. This is because they have the opportunity of meeting and interviewing excellent candidates, for the available positions in their companies. This activity is an excellent opportunity for the students of the Polytechnic University, to identify possible requirements that must be met in the actual work environment.

At the same time, the college candidates can discuss and share their professional goals and interests with the employers.

CONTACTS

• Maribel Cabrera Cáceres
  Secretary
  Phone: 787-622-8000 ext. 279
  Fax: 787-274-8562
  Email: mcabrera@pupr.edu

• Verónica Santiago Cardona
  Placement Specialist
  Phone: 787-622-8000 ext. 267
  Fax: 787-274-8562
  Email: vsantiago@pupr.edu

• Angie Marie Escalante
  Coordinator
  Phone: 787-622-8000 ext. 269
  Fax: 787-274-8562
  Email: aescalan@pupr.edu

INTERNSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Malcolm Pirnie’s Summer Internship

• Internship and COOP Opportunities available. For more information go to: www.pirnie.com/internships.
• Positions open in Novembre, 2008.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

• Visit www.hsf.net, for more information.

Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation Defense Scholarship for Service Program (SMART)

• For more information and to apply, wisit www.asee.org/smart.

SPECIAL LINKS

• www.jobweb.com/students

Department of Homeland Security

Scholarship and Fellowship Program

• Undergraduate and graduate students.
• US citizenship required.
• Funding available for Fall 2009.
• Full tuition and monthly stipends.
• Includes 10 week summer internships at federal research facilities or DHS Centers of Excellence.
• Application Deadline: January 5, 2009.

Summer Internship Program

• Undergraduate students.
• US citizenship required.
• Funding available for Summer 2009.
• 10 weeks summer research experiences at federal research facilities.
• $500 weekly stipends plus transportation expenses to / from the internship location.
• Application Deadline: January 5, 2009.

NASA

NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program

• Third year student to fourth year student.
• Pursuing Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science & Mathematics.
• Completed applications will be collected electronically through January 16, 2009.