What is ProTrack Co-op?

Short for “cooperative education” or “cooperative learning,” co-op is the combination of traditional classroom learning with practical, usually paid, work experience. Students enrolling in a co-op program traditionally alternate semesters of full-time study with full-time work over the course of their undergraduate degree curriculum.

Florida Tech's ProTrack Co-op combines the proven benefits of traditional university cooperative education with a one-of-a-kind, student-centered approach. Our unique 3-in-4 curriculum structure allows both U.S. and international engineering students to complete three semester-long paid work experiences related to their major and career interests while still earning a bachelor's degree in four years. With ProTrack, students graduate on-time and ahead of the curve.

ProTrack also gives you the opportunity to: 

  • Explore up to three different positions related to your major and career interests before graduation
  • Put classroom knowledge to use in real-world problem-solving scenarios, preparing you for advanced coursework and exciting careers of the future
  • Get ahead financially, both in the short and long-term; Co-op earnings can be used to pay for tuition or living expenses and students graduating with co-op experience typically earn higher starting salaries
  • Gain insight into your professional strengths, making you better able to assess personal career interests and goals, and to confidently pursue them
  • Build valuable workplace experience and hone transferable professional skills, making you a hot prospect in the eyes of future employers
  • Get your eyes and hands on the technologies and trends of the future in industries that will set the standards for tomorrow's cutting-edge
  • Expand your professional network by making important industry contacts and building relationships with renowned leaders in your field
  • Graduate with your co-op employer's name and record of co-op completion on your official university transcript

Location Advantage

Florida Tech's prime location in the heart of the "Space Coast" is another unique advantage of the ProTrack Engineering Co-op at Florida Tech. Brevard County is home to 72 miles of beautiful Atlantic Coast beaches, the 4th-largest high-tech workforce in the nation, and thousands of scientific and technological companies, organizations and agencies, many of which are in close proximity to our Melbourne, Fla. campus--making Florida Tech the perfect place to learn, work and play.

ProTrack Majors

The ProTrack Co-op program is open to students admitted to any College of Engineering degree program, including:

  • Aerospace engineering
  • Chemical engineering
  • Civil engineering
  • Computer engineering
  • Computer science
  • Construction
  • Electrical engineering
  • Environmental science
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Meteorology
  • Oceanography (available concentrations: biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, coastal zone management, marine environmental science, physical oceanography)
  • Ocean engineering
  • Software engineering

Students enrolled in these programs can also select technical electives to build an emphasis in systems engineering, environmental engineering, nuclear technology, energy engineering and materials science engineering.