Cooperative Education Program

• Full-time cooperative education jobs are often called alternating co-op, because students alternate between periods of full-time work and full-time school. Under the full-time co-op model, students work full time and enroll in 0-6 credits at NMSU. The normal length of full-time co-op work assignments is from three to eight months.
• Part-time co-op assignments are often called parallel co-op, because students work 20-30 hours per week and are enrolled full time at NMSU. Full time enrollment in this case is defined as at least twelve credits for undergraduates, or at least nine credits for graduate students.

The Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) is the U.S. Federal Government’s version of Co-op. It is a strong recruitment tool for many Federal agencies to attract diverse and talented students with skills critical to the future workforce needs of the U.S. Federal Government.

SCEP benefits for students:

• Students gain curriculum-related, paid work experience while still in school.
• After completion of their academic degree requirements and at least 640 hours of SCEP employment, candidates become eligible for non-competitive conversion to a permanent federal position.
• Work schedules can be arranged on a part-time or full-time basis, according to the needs of the federal agency.
• SCEP students enjoy an attractive benefits package, including accrual of leave for illness and vacation, and health and life insurance options.

To be eligible for SCEP, students must:
     • Be enrolled as a degree-seeking student in an accredited institution;
     • Meet the minimum age required by federal, state, or local laws and standards;
     • Take at least a half-time academic course load; and
     • Be a U.S. citizen or a national (resident of American Samoa or Swains Island).

Non-citizens may be eligible for employment if they are:
(1) permitted by a federal agency's appropriations act; and
(2) eligible to work under U.S. immigration laws.
However, U.S. citizenship is required for conversion to permanent employment under this program.

How to find a SCEP position:
Many SCEP positions are posted on the U.S. Government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website at: http://www.opm.gov/employ/students/index.htm. Students who are fully registered with the Co-op Office may search and request referrals on the Co-op Job listings, where many SCEP positions are posted by employers. Searching individual federal agency websites or contacting their agency-level human resources offices may also provide information about SCEP openings.