Find a Co-op or Internship

Helpful Resources: Use these resources to search for internships and Co-op opportunities, connect with career advisors, and prepare for the application process.

• Use Handshake to search for and apply to internships specifically offered to the Montclair State community!

• LinkedIn Internships: A helpful internship finder that uses the power of LinkedIn to help you take the first step in your professional career.

• Idealist.org: Posts internships for those who want to make the world a better place.

Once approved, you can begin to search and apply for co-ops and internships.

We also recommend requesting an appointment with your Career Services office to discuss how to go about finding a position and how to receive credit for it. You may need to set up a second appointment once you have found a co-op/internship in order to enroll in a co-op course.

Request a new appointment:

1. Sign in to Handshake using your NetID and Password.
2. Click Career Center in the upper-right corner of your screen or below the banner image on your homepage.
3. Click on Appointments, located under Montclair State’s logo
4. Click Schedule a New Appointment
5. Select the category that best applies

Once you have found a co-op/internship, you must request a New Experience in your Handshake account.

• Sign in to Handshake using your NetID and Password.
• Click Career Center in the top right corner of your homepage
• Under the section What Can We Help You Find?, choose Experiences
• Click the Request New Experience button
• Find the correct Experience Type based on your college/school and/or program of study
• Complete the co-op/internship application in its entirety, then Submit.

After your experience is approved, you may need to schedule a career counseling appointment to enroll in a co-op course. When scheduling your appointment, you must notify your counselor in the notes section of the request form that you already have an approved experience for the term.

Registration and Enrollment

• Once you accept an employment offer, submit your experience in Handshake, and receive approval from Career Services, you must obtain a permit from your Career Services office and register for the Co-op course before the last day of the Add/Drop period.

If you accept employment and wish to receive credit for the co-op/internship experience, you are required to enroll in a Co-op course. If you decide not to register for a Co-op course, you must notify your Career Services office immediately so that they can update your experience in Handshake as needed.

After You Register:

After you have enrolled in a Co-op course, you will meet with your Co-op Faculty Advisor to decide the terms of the learning agreement.

New Co-op/Internship Approval Process:

All credit-bearing co-op/internships are managed through Handshake. If you are seeking credit for your co-op/internship experience,  once you accept an employment offer, submit your experience in Handshake, and receive approval from Career Services, you must obtain a permit from your Career Services office and register for the Co-op course before the last day of the Add/Drop period.

If you accept employment and wish to receive credit for the co-op/internship experience, you are required to enroll in a Co-op course. If you decide not to register for a Co-op course, you must notify your Career Services office immediately so that they can update your experience in Handshake as needed.

After You Register:

After you have enrolled in a Co-op course, you will meet with your Co-op Faculty Advisor to decide the terms of the learning agreement.

Fall 2026

• August 28 - First day of the Co-op term.
• Sept 7 - Learning Agreement due. The signed agreement should be submitted to the course instructor after being completed with the internship supervisor
• October 20 - Midterm evaluations will be sent to supervisors via Handshake. Students will be notified via email that midterm evaluations must be completed
• October 27 - Midterm evaluations due to course instructor
• October 30 - Site visit period begins. Students should work with their site supervisor and course instructor to schedule. These can be conducted in-person or virtually
• December 2 - Final evaluations will be sent to supervisors via Handshake; Students will be notified via email that final evaluations must be completed. Student self-evaluations do not impact the course grade. They are used by Career Services for reporting and data purposes
• December 15 - Final evaluations due to course instructor; Student Self-Evaluation in Handshake due. This does not impact the course grade but is used by Career Services for reporting and data purposes
• December 16 - Last day of the Fall 2026 Co-op term.

Spring 2027

• January 15 – First day of the Spring 2027 Co-op term. 
• January 25 – Learning Agreement due. The signed agreement should be submitted to the course instructor after being completed with the internship supervisor
• March 8 – Midterm evaluations will be sent to supervisors via Handshake. Students will be notified via email that midterm evaluations must be completed 
• March 15 – Midterm evaluations due to course instructor.
• March 18 – Site visit period begins. Site visit period begins. Students should work with their site supervisor and course instructor to schedule. These can be conducted in-person or virtually
• April 19 – Final evaluations will be sent to supervisors via Handshake; Students will be notified via email that final evaluations must be completed. Student self-evaluations do not impact the course grade. They are used by Career Services for reporting and data purposes
• May 2 – Final evaluations due to course instructor; Student Self-Evaluation in Handshake due. This does not impact the course grade but is used by Career Services for reporting and data purposes
• May 3 – Last day of the Spring 2027 Co-op term.