1. Experiential Learning at Work Fact Sheet for Employers
“I was able to finish a project that had been on my
list for a long time with absolutely fabulous help.”
– Kelly Largey,
Chief Marketing Officer, Fish & Richardson
Contact the co-op office
Ellen Stoddard, Director
e.stoddard@neu.edu
Stephen Rando, Assistant Director
s.rando@neu.edu
R. Kelly Cameron, Assistant Director
rk.cameron@neu.edu
Katie Webber, Assistant Director
k.webber@neu.edu
Grow your organization’s intellectual capital
Congratulations! You’re about to make a smart investment in the intellectual capital of your organization. By partnering with the Experiential
Learning at Work (EL at Work) program at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies (CPS), your business or nonprofit stands to gain
as much from the experience as the graduate student who works or volunteers for you. The program is open to graduate students who want to
do a project for an organization where they already work or volunteer. Upon completion, students can earn credits toward their master’s degree.
Why let your student do a co-op on the job?
Through EL at Work, our students gain valuable new professional experiences; you get a cost-effective infusion of new ideas and completion
of a key business project. Northeastern is known for its hands-on approach to learning and its devotion to cooperative education. Our staff is
experienced and our program time-tested. EL at Work makes sure students directly apply what they learn in the classroom to real initiatives.
Here’s why EL at Work is a good investment in your organization’s future:
Benefit from new energy: Take advantage of the new ideas and fresh perspectives the student can bring to your organization.
Tackle a specific project: Let the student—mentored one-on-one by a Northeastern faculty member—address a key business need in your
organization that you haven’t had the time, knowledge, or resources to tackle.
Learn and innovate: Leverage Northeastern’s cutting-edge programs and resources by allowing the student to learn and share with your
organization industry leading skills.
Accelerate degree completion: Students who earn credits at work are more likely to finish their degree programs faster, and bring new
knowledge and skills to their work sooner.
Strategically position your organization: Build your brand on our campus and across Boston.
Retain your best talent: Our graduate students are highly motivated and hard working.Through this program, they feel reinvigorated about
their work, excited to take on more responsibility and leadership roles.

2. Experiential Learning at Work
How do we get started?
Getting an EL at Work project started is easy.We’re happy to review any job or project that would be helpful to your organization, whether
it’s in the private, public or nonprofit sector. Once you and your student agree on a draft project proposal and a project sponsor at your
organization, contact us. We’ll walk you through the process and support you every step of the way.
Examples of Past Projects
• A volunteer training program to expand services of a nonprofit to client base
• A quality control improvement program for a global science company
• An annual fundraising training program at a college
• A process improvement project designed to increase customer satisfaction while reducing costs
• A change management project focused on realigning divisional structures to a team-based, customer-focused orientation
What are my responsibilities as an employer?
Your main responsibility is to ensure that the student is given the chance to contribute something new to your team. You can expect the
project to consume approximately 5 hours per week and last 3 to 6 months. Project work is done in addition to regular employment or
volunteer responsibilities.Your organization is not expected to provide extra compensation as a condition of participation in the program.
However, support in the form of release time for the student to focus on project development might be appropriate in certain situations.
In the tradition of Northeastern’s experiential learning approach, we require that our students are given a challenge that meets their skill
level and career goals.The objectives of an experiential learning project must connect with one of our degree programs (MS/MA/MEd) to
ensure that students are showing up prepared to do the work you need done. Ideally the project should be outside of the current scope
of the student’s job or volunteer work and may be sponsored by someone other than his or her current manager.
Join the EL at Work Network
As an EL at Work partner, you’re joining a prestigious network of organizations. Our roster includes some of the most forward-thinking
businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies in the Boston area.You already have great people on your team, now help them learn
and grow—and become an even better asset to your organization.
Fact Sheet for Employers
109577
Contact us at cpscoop@neu.edu
“The NEU program provided an aggressive structure that was also flexible enough to allow me to work my full time job. The professor bestowed valuable
insight into my writings which challenged me to consider other philosophies.
The project I chose for the program was closely aligned with my employer so much so they were excited to see the progress. This is by the far most challenging
and engaging course during my program at NEU.”
– Christine Hoffmann,
Experiential Learning at Work participant