This course provides Economics majors and minors practical experience applying the knowledge and skills acquired in formal course work. As you would expect, for work experience to count towards Econ 391 credit, it must involve some application of economics.
The focus of Economics 391 is long-term supervised work experience—the course requires two-semesters work commitment and is closely monitored by staff from you Employment and Cooperative Education office. If you wish to continue with the same employer or with another employer after the co-op ends, you may repeat the course one more semester, for a maximum of 3 semesters. Of course, continuing with the same employer depends on both faculty and employer approval.
If you are more interested in a short-term commitment with less supervision you should enroll in Econ 390, the Internship for Economics course.
Prerequisite: A 3.0 GPA or better is required. You must also have successfully completed Econ 300 and 301 and have at least two semesters remaining before graduation.
Finding a Position: You should visit the Student Employment and Cooperative Education website to search for Co-op openings. Econ Co-op jobs must involve the application of economics to be approved by the Undergraduate Advisor. You can also visit the Econ department's Intern Position web site where information is posted about job openings.
Enrolling in Econ 391: You must use a co-op permission form available from the SECE office (2600 Campus Road #113 phone 956-7253) or from the Economics Department-Undergraduate Advisor, Gary Kikuchi.
You may enroll in Econ 391 for up to 3 credit hours. The number of credits should be choosen in consultation with your faculty advisor. Ideally, you should pick a position, a faculty advisor, and obtain approval of the position and academic coursework from your faculty advisor and the undergraduate Economics advisor before the start the semester. You may enroll in Econ 391 only after obtaining an approved position. The latest you can enroll in 391 is the regular add/drop deadline for that semester.
Coursework: Two short papers and one oral presentation to the Econ Co-op Seminar are required. The first paper serves as your Co-op proposal and outlines your goals and objectives for the internship. This proposal is due during the second week of the semester, should be 1-3 pages long, and should describe:
the position that you are taking,
the contact information of your supervisor at work,
the days and hours of work,
the pay-scale of your position,
your goals and objectives during your internship,
and what you hope to learn from the internship. Your second paper (3-5 pages long) will be presented to the Econ Co-op Seminar and is due the last week of classes. This paper should describe:
your accomplishments during your co-op.
your progress towards meeting your goals and objectives?
any lessons you learned during your internship (both positive and negative);
the relationship between your internship job and the Economics knowledge and skills that you acquired at UH;
In addition, you are expected to keep in contact with your faculty advisor regularly throughout the semester and keep your advisor apprised of your progress. The SECE will regularly contact your employer and monitor progress (minimum 10 hours per week completed, job performances, etc.) through e-journals.
Professional Appearance/ Courtesy: Econ internships involve interaction with professional's outside the casual campus atmosphere at UH. Student intern's represent both the Economics Department and the University and must conduct themselves professionally. Be prepared to honor all of your commitments during the semester.
You may want to contact the Student Employment and Cooperative Education office (2600 Campus Road #113 phone 956-7253) for advise on how to produce a resume and a cover letter. The SECE office can also help you develop interview skills and other job skills.