Co-op education for students
If you are a community member interested in working with a student on your landscape, visit our landscape design with community clients to request services. Employers interested in hosting a cooperative education LAT student, visit our co-op education for industry partners page.
What is cooperative education?
Cooperative education is a nationally recognized program that allows you to earn college credit while gaining valuable on the job experience in your major area of study. For an overview of the program here at PCC visit the Cooperative Education resources page.
The Landscape Technology Program works closely with industry companies and organizations to assist students to obtain practical field knowledge and experience, make informed career decisions, and gain an advantage in the job market.
Cooperative education planning
Cooperative education is required for all the Landscape Technology AAS degrees.
- Landscape Technology and Environmental Landscape Management Technology students are required to take 6 credits of LAT 280A.
- Landscape Design students are required to take 3 credits of LAT 280C or LAT 280A.
- Students pursuing the arboriculture certificate are required to take 3 credits of LAT 280A.
LAT 280A
How many credits of cooperative education am I required to take?
If you are working toward your associate degree in Environmental Landscape Management Technology or Landscape Technology, you are required to take two terms for a total of 6 credit hours of Cooperative Education (co-op). Each credit hour requires 30 hours on the job. Typically students complete 3 credits (90 on the job hours) in their first year and finish the remaining 3 credits in their second year of the program.
Getting started: Setting up your cooperative education experience
- Read through the Cooperative Education Handbook and review the learning objectives and training agreement forms. You will have a chance to go through these documents in detail with your faculty advisor.
- Consider your options.
- Consider your timeline and availability. Ideally, your co-op position will start at the beginning of the new term. Think about how you can accomplish 90 hours on the job.
- Think about what you would like to learn on a job site.
- Develop a list of 5-10 potential worksites/companies that meet your desired criteria.
- Review current job postings in Panther Works (add in email/job board) related to your areas of interest.
- Need help? Contact Career and Jobs Specialist Haydee Goldenberg by email or in person.
- Email your LAT faculty advisor to set up a meeting. During the meeting you will:
- Review your list of potential worksites/companies.
- Clarify any questions about Cooperative Education.
- Discuss potential learning objectives.
- Identify the next steps in your planning process.
- Reach out to potential worksites.
- Work with your new supervisor to draft your learning objectives and training agreement.
- Identify four learning objectives that are in coordination with your employer’s work and detail what activities you will be doing to accomplish that objective.
- (i.e. Objective: Improve my wood construction skills.
- Activity: Assist with building a wooden fence and pergola.)
- Your last objective (Objective 5) will be to write a 2-page reflection paper on your experience.
- Make sure that you and your supervisor sign both forms.
- Identify four learning objectives that are in coordination with your employer’s work and detail what activities you will be doing to accomplish that objective.
- Once you have secured an employer or learning opportunity, contact the faculty advisor for final approval of your training agreement and learning objectives.
- Submit your learning objectives and training agreement to Career and Jobs Specialist Haydee Goldenberg to finalize registration.
- Cooperative Education paperwork is due at least one week before the start of the term in which you will participate in co-op.
- Remember that any hours worked before registration do not count toward your agreement and any unpaid opportunities cannot begin until you are registered and the term has started.
After your registration is complete, you’ll receive the course syllabus.
What to expect during your cooperative education experience
During your cooperative education experience, you’ll work alongside landscape professionals in the schedule you and your supervisor agreed upon. You are encouraged to communicate with your faculty advisor at any time throughout the term. A final reflection meeting will be scheduled with your instructor towards the end of the term. A reflection paper will fulfill one of your objectives for the course. See the syllabus for more details.
Completing your cooperative education experience
Your faculty advisor will organize a final meeting with your supervisor and send them the employer evaluation. You, your employer and faculty advisor will meet at a mutually agreeable time to discuss the experience and your performance. Upon completion of the meeting, the fulfillment of the hour requirements, a satisfactory employer evaluation, and the submission of the written assignment, the faculty advisor will enter a final grade.
LAT 280C (Landscape Design)
How many credits of cooperative education am I required to take?
If you are working toward your associate degree in Environmental Landscape Management Technology or Landscape Technology, you are required to take two terms for a total of 6 credit hours of Cooperative Education (co-op). Each credit hour requires 30 hours on the job. Typically students complete 3 credits (90 on the job hours) in their first year and finish the remaining 3 credits in their second year of the program.
Getting started: Setting up your cooperative education experience
- Read through the Cooperative Education Handbook and review the learning objectives and training agreement forms. You will have a chance to go through these documents in detail with your faculty advisor.
- Consider your options.
- Consider your timeline and availability. Ideally, your co-op position will start at the beginning of the new term. Think about how you can accomplish 90 hours on the job.
- Think about what you would like to learn on a job site.
- Develop a list of 5-10 potential worksites/companies that meet your desired criteria.
- Review current job postings in Panther Works (add in email/job board) related to your areas of interest.
- Need help? Contact Career and Jobs Specialist Haydee Goldenberg by email or in person.
- Email LAT faculty advisor to set up a meeting. During the meeting you will:
- Review your list of potential worksites/companies.
- Clarify any questions about Cooperative Education.
- Discuss potential learning objectives.
- Identify the next steps in your planning process.
- Reach out to potential worksites.
- Work with your new supervisor to draft your learning objectives and training agreement.
- Identify four learning objectives that are in coordination with your employer’s work and detail what activities you will be doing to accomplish that objective. For example:
- Objective: Improve my wood construction skills.
- Activity: Assist with building a wooden fence and pergola.)
- Your last objective (Objective 5) will be to write a 2-page reflection paper on your experience.
- Make sure that you and your supervisor sign both forms.
- Identify four learning objectives that are in coordination with your employer’s work and detail what activities you will be doing to accomplish that objective. For example:
- Once you have secured an employer or learning opportunity, contact the faculty advisor for final approval of your training agreement and learning objectives.
- Submit your learning objectives and training agreement to Career and Jobs Specialist Haydee Goldenberg by email or in person to finalize registration. Cooperative Education paperwork is due at least one week before the start of the term in which you will participate in co-op. Remember that any hours worked before registration do not count toward your agreement and any unpaid opportunities cannot begin until you are registered and the term has started.
After your registration is complete, you’ll receive the course syllabus.
What to expect during your cooperative education experience
During your cooperative education experience, you’ll be working alongside landscape professionals in the schedule you and your supervisor agreed upon. You are encouraged to communicate with your faculty advisor at any time throughout the term and a final reflection meeting will be scheduled with your instructor other cooperative education students towards the end of the term. A reflection paper will fulfill one of your objectives for the course. See the syllabus for more details.
Completing your cooperative education experience
Your faculty advisor will organize a final meeting with your supervisor and send them the employer evaluation. You, your employer and faculty advisor will meet at a mutually agreeable time to discuss the experience and your performance. Upon completion of the meeting, the fulfillment of the hour requirements, a satisfactory employer evaluation, and the submission of the written assignment, the faculty advisor will enter a final grade.