Co-op at a Glance

Co-op Placement


  • Full-time work for around 8 months
  • Fully paid by employers
  • Credit Earned
  • Extensive & all-round training, professional matching
  • Implemented by University
  • Forms part of students' transcripts

Internship


  • Full-time or part-time, shorter period
  • Paid or unpaid
  • Can be non-credit bearing
  • Provide experience related to a particular major
  • Not necessarily associated with or overseen by University

What's the difference?

Co-op Placement vs Internship

Core course

Explore classroom learning with practical work experience to achieve your goals!
COOP3001
COOP3002
COOP4001

COOP3001 (1 Unit) - Unlocking Employability Potential and Personal Branding

▪ Understanding Self – Personality Dimensions
▪ Elevator Pitch, Story Telling and Career Planning
▪ Defining and Crafting a Personal Brand
▪ Establishing Executive Presence 
▪ CV Review, Creating LinkedIn Profile and Professional Portrait Shooting
▪ Coaching and AI Mock Interviews

COOP3002 (2 Units) - Developing Workplace Professionalism

 
Lectures by Professional Speakers (Topics may vary)
▪ Creativity and Innovation 
▪ Handling Change and Turning Criticism into Catalyst for Success
▪ The First 30 Days of Your Role
▪ Data Analytics – Get Control, Strategy & Insight
▪ Digital Economy, Information Security, and Innovations
▪ Hong Kong Legal System

COOP 4001 (1 Unit Per Term; A Total of 2 Units) - Work Placement and Continuous Assessment

▪ Exposure to real-life work context
▪ Identification of one’s core competencies and areas of improvement via assessment tools
▪ E-Learning courses for skill acceleration (2 courses per work term)
▪ Workplace reflection paper
▪ Testimonial videos at workplace

Extended Courses

COOP1001 (1 Unit) - Greater Bay Area Field Trip
COOP2001 (2 Units) - Asia Field Trip

  • Corporate Visits – First-hand insights from senior executives and company tour
  • Cultural Visits – Understanding of the local working culture
  • School Visits – Opportunities to exchange thoughts with local instructors and students

Recent Field Trips:

GBA Field Trip – Shenzhen / Dongguan / Zhuhai (27 – 30 Dec 2023)
GBA Field Trip – Guangzhou / Foshan / Macau (20 – 23 May 2024)
Asia Field Trip – Ho Chi Minh City (31 Dec 2023 – 5 Jan 2024)
Asia Field Trip – Osaka* (11 – 19 May 2024)

*Field Trip was partially subsidised by Funding Scheme for International Youth Exchange, co-organised by Home Affairs Bureau and Youth Development Commission  (Assurance Report)

Co-op Schedule

Plan ahead for Success!

Co-op placement which lasts for 6 to 8 months will start in summer session each year until the first term of the next academic year. Unlike internship which requires students to apply for suspension of study, Co-op participants’ student status will remain unchanged during the placement terms. Other than the Co-op placement and assessment course (COOP4001), participating students will not be able to sign up for other courses and will earn one unit for each of the placement courses while enjoying the welfare and benefits as CUHK students.

To complete Co-op placement, students admitted in their final year ought to defer their graduation for at least a semester. Hence students will have to strategically formulate the study plan especially for their last two semesters if there is a need to extend their study period.

** Subject to different study schedules

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The vision of Co-op@CUHK is to cater for the unmet needs of the evolving new economy and bridge the knowledge gap between ‘text-book’ theory and ‘real world’ practices.

Professor Alan K.L. ChanProvost of CUHK

Apply to Co-op@CUHK

Give us a ring, send us an email, or better, pay us a visit! We are right where you need us.

(852) 3943 0621

coop@cuhk.edu.hk

Visit our officeGet to know us.