What’s the Difference Between an Internship and a Co-Op?

Between coursework, extracurriculars and everything else on your plate during college, figuring out how to gain real-world experience beyond the classroom can feel like a lot. You’ve probably heard about internships and maybe even co-ops. But what’s the difference, and how do you know which one is right for you? 

At Cox, we offer both paid internships and co-ops designed to help you build skills, explore your interests and take this important step toward a meaningful career.  

Here’s a closer look at how internships and co-ops work, and what makes each unique. 

The key differences between internships and co-ops 

Internships at Cox are a 12-week, full-time experience during the summer, typically from mid-May through early August.  

“You’ll be working 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday,” explained Olivia Smith, program and partnerships manager for early talent at Cox. “And that work is typically project oriented: you get to work with your leaders and your peers on different projects throughout the summer.” 

Co-ops at Cox are a longer-term commitment where students alternate semesters of full-time work with semesters of study back at school. During one semester, students take a break from classes to work full-time, then return to school the next semester, repeating this cycle for two to three semesters. 

“So instead of the 12 weeks that you get with the internship, you can work for up to a year as a co-op between all the different alternating semesters,” Olivia explained. 

Co-ops can start in any semester: fall, spring or summer. There’s also flexibility to combine back-to-back work terms. For example, you might start a co-op in the fall, return to school in the spring, then work full-time again through the summer and the following fall. Many co-ops stay with the same team throughout, tackling different project-based tasks to deepen their skills while preparing for graduation — and beyond. 

2. Available career areas of interest 

As a family of businesses spanning multiple industries, Cox offers internships that align with a variety of majors. 

“We have journalism majors, psychology majors, finance, business, software engineering, data science,” Oliva said. “We have more than 30 different majors represented in our current intern class.” 

Co-ops, on the other hand, focus on specific business areas, namely finance, business operations and technology, such as IT and software engineering. 

3.  Your year in school and graduation timeline 

The structure and timing of Cox’s co-op program makes it a great fit for students who are open to adjusting their graduation timeline to gain full-time work experience.

“Co-ops are best for students who are open to moving their graduation date to take off a semester or two,” Olivia said. The good news: some schools offer college credit for co-op experiences, so you may still make progress toward your degree while away from campus.

Our university recruiters typically look for rising sophomores who have enough time left in their college journey to complete three work rotations.

A summer internship, on the other hand, offers the opportunity to gain experience without extending your academic timeline. “If you want a great experience that won’t impact your graduation date, an internship would probably be more appropriate,” Olivia said. 

Rising sophomores through seniors are eligible for a summer internship at Cox. 

To be eligible for either an internship or a co-op program at Cox, you have to be enrolled in either undergrad or grad school. Internships and co-ops are primarily based in Atlanta, GA, but there are some additional options nationwide. 

Explore early career opportunities at Cox here and sign up for our Talent Community to stay connected. You can also find us on Handshake.