Students may earn up to 16 elective units, transferable to California State University (CSU). Each CWE course may be paid or unpaid advancing student’s educational, career, and personal development simultaneously.
General Cooperative Work Experience
Supervised employment which is intended to assist students in acquiring desirable work habits, attitudes and career awareness. This work experience does not have to be related to the students’ educational goal.
Occupational Cooperative Work Experience
Supervised employment extending classroom based occupational learning at an on-the-job learning station relating to the students’ educational or occupational goal.
Student Benefits
As a student, Cooperative Work Experience can help you:
- Gain valuable work experience skills before graduation
- Opportunity to receive financial reward while learning
- Earn transferable college credits to CSU
- Apply classroom concepts to a real-world learning environment
- Personalized career guidance through individualized learning objectives
- Develop and expand valuable work habits and skills
- Test career choices to pursue
- Build and expand resume
- Increase employability and advancement in workplace
- Increase higher earning power
Cooperative Work Experience Units
Students may earn one unit of Cooperative Work Experience college credit for each 75 hours of paid work, or 60 hours of volunteer/non-paid work per semester, with a maximum of four units per semester, and 16 units total.
| Number of Units | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minimum Required Hours for PAID positions | 75 | 150 | 225 | 300 |
| Minimum Required Hours for UNPAID positions | 60 | 120 | 180 | 240 |