Cooperative education in a physical therapy curriculum

Cooperative education is an educational strategy in which students alternate academic periods with periods of paid employment in their field of study. Research involving students in various majors shows that students, faculty, and employers benefit from cooperative education. Graduates of cooperative education programs have higher levels of interpersonal skills, clearer career goals, and more realistic job expectations than their counterparts without cooperative education experience. This article describes cooperative education and its goals, objectives, and benefits; presents one model of cooperative education; and suggests how cooperative education may benefit a physical therapy curriculum.