Purdue Office of Professional Practice

The Office of Professional Practice oversees various undergraduate and graduate experiential learning programs. The 3 most popular programs facilitated by the office are: Cooperative Education program (Co-Op), Global Professional Practice Programs (GEARE), and Interns for Indiana (IFI). CO-OP: The Co-Op program offers many benefits for students looking to gain real world experience before they graduate. Co-Op students gain anywhere from 12-22 months of practical experience prior to graduation, while earning a competitive salary while on their work sessions. Unlike other co-op programs around the nation, the co-op programs at Purdue require a minimum of 3 work sessions to be with the same employer. This allows students to gain a relationship with their employer, work on more projects, and take on increasingly responsible roles in their work sessions. Students that complete a Purdue co-op program are highly sought after they graduate and are distinguished from other recent graduates. GEARE Work Abroad, Study Abroad: The Global Professional Practice programs offer a number of work and research opportunities around the world. Ranging from study abroad experiences to internships abroad, we have programs for everyone looking to broaden their horizons. GEARE offers unique development of culturally aware global engineers through internship and educational opportunities around the world. IFI: The Interns for Indiana Program connects entrepreneurially-minded Purdue students to Indiana startup and second-stage companies in order to promote economic development, enhance student success, and provide professional opportunities to high performing students with the goal of keeping them in Indiana after graduation. Through a mutual selection process, companies are matched with students from a wide variety of STEM and non-STEM disciplines. If you have any comments or suggestions on how we can serve you better, please let us know at propractice@purdue.edu or (765) 494-7430.