Co-Op Program

Am I Eligible To Apply?

Undergraduate students of all majors are eligible to apply to the Co-Op Program. You cannot apply if you are graduating this year because Co-Op positions start in summer. Each position has specific eligibility requirements, so read individual job descriptions to determine your eligibility.

How Do I Apply?

Co-Op positions are posted year-round on this website. Check this website frequently throughout the academic year for new positions. Click on the job posting and follow its instructions to apply.

If I’m Not Hired The First Time, Can I Apply Again?

Yes. You can apply to an unlimited number of Co-Op positions as long as you are not graduating this year because Co-Op roles start in summer.

Can I Apply To More Than One Position At A Time?

Yes.

What Is The Time Commitment?

One year, minimum. Co-Op students start their positions in summer and end the following June, with the exception of positions at Catalent. Catalent positions start soon after they are posted during the academic year. Sometimes Co-Op companies offer the student to continue working in their Co-Op position after one year.

Co-Op students work full-time (close to 40 hours per week) during summer and part-time during the academic year. You and your supervisor would determine your schedule each quarter to accommodate your academic schedule. Most Co-Op students work 10-20 hours per week during the academic year.

In addition to working, you will take the required Co-Op course, BISP 182 Cooperative Education and Analysis, during fall, winter, and spring while working at your Co-Op company. This class meets in person three times per quarter during Weeks 1, 5 and 10, and includes weekly assignments.

What Will I Gain?

Co-Op students gain paid work experience for a minimum of one year, as well as course credit for the required Co-Op course, BISP 182 Cooperative Education and Analysis. Through this course and your work experience, you will gain an expanded professional network, a mentor in a leadership role at your Co-Op company, and soft skills, including science communication, leadership, and public speaking.

What Course Do I Need To Take?

Co-Op students are required to enroll in BISP 182 Cooperative Education and Analysis during fall, winter, and spring quarters. You can take the course for 2, 4 or 6 units. The workload complements the number of units. The course has weekly assignments and meets in person on the UC San Diego campus three times per quarter on Weeks 1, 5 and 10, usually Monday at 5:30-7:00 p.m. Co-Op students must plan ahead to fit this course into their schedule.

This course provides an in-depth overview and hands-on application of career development skills, soft skills, and leadership development skills. Topics and assignments include resume and cover letter development, networking, informational interviewing, mock interviewing, behavioral interview skills, science and research communication skills, diversity and inclusion in the life sciences industry, and mentorship. Students will apply the skills learned in this class while working at their Co-Op companies. Students will build community with life sciences industry professionals, UC San Diego faculty and staff, and with Co-Op cohort peers.

Will I Be Paid? Do I Get Course Credit?

Yes, Co-Op positions are paid by the company. Yes, you will receive 2, 4 or 6 units for taking the required Co-Op course, BISP 182 Cooperative Education and Analysis, during fall, winter, and spring.

Can International Students Apply?

Some Co-Op companies hire international students. Each company has a different policy around sponsorship. All undergraduate students are encouraged to apply.

How Can I Strengthen My Resume Before Applying?

Make an appointment with a career coach at the Career Center to review your resume.

How Can I Become A Competitive Candidate?

It is recommended but not required that you take one or more of the following School of Biological Sciences career development courses before working at a Co-Op company:

• BILD 80 Job and Internship Applications, offered every fall: Build a resume, cover letter and LinkedIn, conduct an informational interview, learn where and how to apply to jobs, and have a mock interview with a life sciences hiring manager.
• BILD 81 Interview Skills, offered every winter: Master your behavioral interview skills and have a mock interview with a life sciences hiring manager.
• BILD 83 Business Communications (Soft Skills), offered every spring: Learn and practice soft skills, such as public speaking, science communication, leadership, communication, and problem-solving.
• BILD 84R Career Exploration, offered every fall: Explore the many types of careers available in the life sciences and healthcare industries that you can pursue with any major.

What Will My Company Gain From Joining BioCAP And The Co-Op Program?

Your annual BioCAP membership includes access to diverse, workforce-ready talent from one of the world’s consistently top-ranked universities. Our team will work with you for a personalized, targeted marketing approach where we promote your Co-Op positions directly to the student populations you want to hire. Your brand will gain visibility across campus with your company logo used in all of our program materials. You will be invited to exclusive events on campus to interact with faculty, students, and leaders across the life sciences community.

How Does My Company Join?

Email biocap@ucsd.edu to become a BioCAP/Co-Op partner.

What Are Deadlines And Timelines For Joining?

There are no deadlines to join BioCAP. Your membership covers one year starting when we receive your membership payment. Once you become a member, your company can begin recruiting for Co-Op positions that start in summer. Co-Op partnership means companies will be members for at least two years because the first year covers recruitment, while all of the following years cover recruitment and Co-Op students working at the company.

What If Our Company Already Has An Internship Program?

All companies can join BioCAP/Co-Op Program, even if you already have an internship program.

• Option 1: Internship programs can be rolled into the Co-Op Program, meaning that you would keep your internship program running as is.

  If your company has a summer internship program that you roll into the Co-Op Program, the student would work full-time during summer and would take the required Co-Op course during fall.

  If your company has an internship program that is longer than a summer internship, the student would work full-time during summer and part-time during the academic year, and would take the required Co-Op course during the quarters that they work at your company.

• Option 2: Your company can extend summer internships to last six months or one year. Students would work full-time during summer and part-time during the academic year, and would take the required Co-Op course during the quarters that they work at your company.

  Both options mean that your company would gain all of the benefits to joining BioCAP/Co-Op, including:

  Students you hire will have advanced soft skills training through our required Co-Op course and they will give presentations on the work they do at your company at large-scale symposiums on campus throughout the year

  • A personalized, targeted marketing approach where we promote your Co-Op positions directly to the student populations you want to hire
  • Brand visibility across campus with your company logo used in all of our program materials
  • Invitations to exclusive events on campus to interact with faculty, students, and leaders across the life sciences community

How does our company hire Co-Op students?

Sign up for a Handshake account if you don’t already have one. Post the position on Handshake and then email the link to biocap@ucsd.edu, along with the majors you’d like to recruit. We will promote the position across campus marketing channels, including in newsletters and social media for student organizations and academic units. Your company will oversee the interview and hiring process and will update us at biocap@ucsd.edu when students have been hired.

What Is My Company Investing In?

Your BioCAP/Co-Op Program annual membership invests in UC San Diego students’ professional growth and career development. Your membership supports the BioCAP (Corporate Affiliates Program) and Co-Op Program’s operations and basic program expenses, including staffing, events, communications and programs. The funding also supports programming for courses that are affiliated with the Co-Op Program and School of Biological Sciences career development curriculum. BioCAP and the Co-Op Program are self-sustaining programs that rely on philanthropic giving for support. We are deeply grateful to our BioCAP/Co-Op partners for their support and the hands-on training and professional opportunities they afford our students.

Can My company Join BioCAP If We Don’t Hire Co-Op Students?

Yes, all individuals and companies can support or join BioCAP, regardless of whether or not they hire Co-Op students.

• Option 1: Your company can become a BioCAP member and gain brand visibility across campus with your company logo used in all of our program materials, and invitations to exclusive events on campus to interact with faculty, students, and leaders across the life sciences community.
• Option 2: Your company can provide philanthropic support to BioCAP/Co-Op Program without becoming an official BioCAP member.
• Option 3: You, as an individual, can make a gift to support the BioCAP/Co-Op Program. Your gift invests in UC San Diego students’ professional growth and career development, and supports the BioCAP and Co-Op Program’s operations and basic program expenses, including staffing, events, communications and programs. Your gift also supports programming for courses that are affiliated with the Co-Op Program and School of Biological Sciences career development curriculum. BioCAP and the Co-Op Program are self-sustaining programs that rely on philanthropic giving for support. We are deeply grateful to our donors for their support and the hands-on training and professional opportunities that this support affords our students.

Current Co-Op Students

• Claire Andolina '24 (she/they/their)

  Project Specialist, Informatics at Thermo Fisher Scientific
  Neurobiology major, Computer Science/Engineering and Chemistry minors
  Connect with Claire to learn about her Co-Op experience on Claire Andolina LinkedIn

  Claire is a fourth-year undergraduate who assists with software development and data analytics using primarily Structured Query Language (SQL), Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), and C#. Last year in the Co-Op Program, she worked in the Antibody Conjugation Manufacturing lab at Thermo Fisher as Scientist I, where she performed various methods of biochemical conjugation in compliance with research and development (R&D) policies. As a career goal, they would like to bridge the gap between technology and the sciences as a software engineer for a biotechnology company.

• 

  Manya Awal '23 (she/her/hers)

  Lab Assistant, Quality Control at Catalent
  Human Biology major, Cognitive Science minor
  Connect with Manya to learn about her Co-Op experience at maawal@ucsd.edu or Manya Awal LinkedIn

  Manya is a fourth-year undergraduate responsible for performing experiments for quality control (QC) chemists for drug samples they are testing. Her career goals are to work in the pharmaceutical industry and head her own company.

• Annabelle Bode '23 (she/her/hers)

  Quality Assurance Administrative Assistant at Catalent
  Ecology, Behavior and Evolution major
  Connect with Annabelle to learn about her Co-Op experience at abode@ucsd.edu

  Anabelle organizes, files, and archives documentation, including equipment files and lab notebooks, while making sure everything is running in order. She also reviews certificates of analysis and test method packets, and files them in an organized manner.

• 

  Chynna Doremus '23 (she/her/hers)

  Process Engineering Intern at Catalent
  Chemical Engineering major
  Connect with Chynna to learn more about her Co-Op experience at cdoremus@ucsd.edu or Chynna Doremus LinkedIn

  Chynna is a fourth-year undergraduate who assists in experimentation and development activities of active pharmaceutical compounds with the goal of optimizing bioavailability, disintegration, and overall quality of solid oral dosage forms. Her goal is to continue on a career path in the pharmaceutical industry and contribute to creating new medicines for patients around the world, as she believes this is a very fulfilling and fascinating job.

• 

  Lizbeth Hoffman '23 (she/her/hers)

  Cell Therapy Manufacturing Associate I at Excellos
  Biochemistry/Chemistry major
  Connect with Lizbeth to learn about her Co-Op experience at lhoffman@ucsd.edu or Lizbeth Hoffman LinkedIn

  Liz is a fourth-year undergraduate who will graduate in March. She manufactures isolated white blood cell products that are used for cancer immunotherapies at a biotechnology startup. Her responsibilities also include maintaining department records, data collection, assisting with the order and release of critical materials, and adhering to good manufacturing practices in a cleanroom environment. After graduation, her goal is to continue learning as a member of Excellos and further her education with post-graduate studies.

• 

  Alexandra Jeffson '23 (she/her/hers)

  Antibody Manufacturing Intern II at Thermo Fisher Scientific
  Neurobiology major
  Connect with Alexandra to learn about her Co-Op experience at Alexandra Jeffson LinkedIn

  Alexandra is a fourth-year undergraduate who isolates antibodies from a supernatant culture of a hybridoma cell line and refines the final product to concentration and purification standards in a professional laboratory setting. Her goal in the Co-Op Program is to establish professional skills that she can apply in a career in the biopharmaceutical industry to manufacture life-saving treatments for patients with neurological disorders.

• Rochelle Kang '23 (she/her/hers)

  Manufacturing Research Associate I at Excellos
  General Biology major
  Connect with Rochelle to learn about her Co-Op experience at r2kang@ucsd.edu

  Rochelle is a fourth-year undergraduate whose daily and weekly tasks are often variable at Excellos, a biotechnology startup company that specializes in providing unique full-service contract development and manufacturing that pairs the collection of critical human cells and tissues with manufacturing. It has been eye-opening for her to work alongside extremely talented people and seeing the growth of a new company.

• 

  Justin Liang '23 (he/him/his)

  Manufacturing Intern, Next Generation Sequencing at Thermo Fisher Scientific
  Biochemistry/Chemistry major
  Connect with Justin to learn about his Co-Op experience at jul078@ucsd.edu

  Justin is a fourth-year undergraduate whose main responsibility is the formulations of chemical and biochemical reagents that will be used by other departments within Thermo Fisher. His career goals are to find a job that is enjoyable. His career goal is to find a job that is enjoyable and has a measurable impact on the development of cures for diseases.

• 

  Emely Rocha '23 (she/her/hers)

  Lab Assistant, Analytical Development/Pre-Formulation at Catalent
  Pharmacological Chemistry major
  Connect with Emely to learn about her Co-Op experience at emrocha@ucsd.edu or Emely Rocha LinkedIn

  Emely is a fourth-year undergraduate who assists the Analytical Development/Pre-Formulation team in running physical characterization tests using various machines and instrumentation, including Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM). Additionally, she regularly performs lab inspections, prepares solutions, maintains a laboratory notebook, and writes reports that are sent to clients. Her career goal is to work as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry and make an impact in discovering new cutting-edge drugs that will save lives worldwide.

• Nolan Tseng '24 (he/him/his)

  Process Engineer Assistant at Catalent
  Chemical Engineering major
  Connect with Nolan to learn about his Co-Op experience at nstseng@ucsd.edu or Nolan Tseng LinkedIn

  Nolan is a third-year undergraduate who assists in the process of making an oral drug tablet, which includes testing and manufacturing drug tablets onsite. His career goal is to become a process engineer in the pharmaceutical industry. He is also interested in exploring areas such as intellectual property (IP), regulatory affairs and project management.

• 

  Kelly Yeung '24 (she/her/hers)

  Bioinformatics Intern at Thermo Fisher Scientific
  Bioengineering: Biosystems major (June 2024 graduation)
  Connect with Kelly to learn about her Co-Op experience at kyeung@ucsd.edu or Kelly Yeung LinkedIn

  Kelly is a third-year undergraduate and says that the Co-Op Program has provided her with the amazing opportunity to work alongside professionals and further develop her career journeys. Her goal is to continue working at Thermo Fisher after she graduates.

Co-Op Program Alumni

• 

  Digvijay “DJ” Jani '22 (he/him/his)

  Former Scientist I at Thermo Fisher Scientific (July 2021-June 2022)
  B.S. Chemical Engineering, Biology and Chemistry minor
  Connect with DJ to learn about his Co-Op experience at djani@ucsd.edu or Digvijay Jani LinkedIn

  Digvijay is working as a compliance engineer at Illumina and is a graduate student in chemical engineering at UC San Diego. As a Scientist I at Thermo Fisher, he manufactured and performed quality control assays (TR-FRET, radioactive and protein concentration) on various buffers and reagents for use in analysis kits. He plans on working as a process engineer in the biomedical industry after his M.S. program and is interested in simultaneously learning bioinformatics.

• Duy An “Duy” Le '24 (he/him/his)

  Former Research and Development (R&D) Intern at MP Biomedicals (July-December 2022)
  Bioengineering: Biotechnology major, General Biology minor
  Connect with Duy to learn about his Co-Op experience at Duy An Duy Le LinkedIn

  Duy is a third-year undergraduate who worked on a variety of projects for product development and product management, as well as quality assurance, at MP Biomedicals. He regularly gave presentations on his products to his team. He plans to go to graduate school and his career goal is to become a researcher focused on developing novel therapies for human diseases. At UC San Diego, he is involved with the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA)

• 

  Siara Magee '22 (she/her/hers)

  Former Lab Assistant/Associate Chemist at Catalent (September 2020-July 2022)
  B.S. Human Biology, Chemistry minor
  Connect with Siara to learn more about her Co-Op experience at Siara Magee LinkedIn

  At Catalent, Siara worked on a team of more than 20 scientists to understand and perform analytical development work crucial in early-phase development of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. She was able to learn and become competent in techniques such as spectroscopy, liquid/gas chromatography and data-processing using Empower software. She eventually helped train newer interns. Siara is currently in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at University of Southern California. Her career goal is to become an inpatient pharmacist or medical science liaison.

• Paulina Rosales '22 (she/her/hers)

  Former Quality Control Training Assistant at Catalent (June 2021-June 2022)
  B.S. Human Biology

• Ashley Thai '22 (she/her/hers)

  Former Drug Discovery Manufacturing Scientist I at Thermo Fisher Scientific (July 2021-June 2022)
  B.S. General Biology
  Connect with Ashley to learn more about her Co-Op experience at Ashley Thai Linkedin

  At Thermo Fisher, Ashley gained extensive training on the Baculovirus Expression Vector System that focuses on insect cell culture. This process manufactures specific proteins through cell growth, transfection, infection, and harvesting. In addition to gaining lab skills, Ashley gained experience in inventory management projects, BSL-2 aseptic techniques, presenting scientific research, and team communication. She plans to go to medical school and her career goal is to become a clinician who serves underprivileged communities.

• 

  Melissa Hoon

  Director, Corporate Relations and Professional Development
  Director, Co-Op Program

  mhoon@ucsd.edu

  Melissa supports the School of Biological Science's Co-Op Program and Corporate Affiliates Program (BioCAP) by engaging students, alumni, and industry partners in an effort to prepare students for successful careers and to build a diverse talent pipeline in the life sciences and healthcare industries. She also assists career exploratory and communications courses that focus on soft skills to support students' professional development and career success.

• 

  Dr. Joseph Pogliano

  Professor, Molecular Biology
  Faculty Advisor, Co-Op Program

  jpogliano@ucsd.edu

  Joe Pogliano is a Professor of Molecular Biology and cofounder of Linnaeus Bioscience, Inc. He received B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Honors Biology from the University of Illinois, Champaign. He earned his PhD from Harvard Medical School where he studied cell division, outer membrane stress responses, antibiotic mechanism of action and protein secretion. As a postdoc at UC San Diego, he studied cytoskeletal proteins involved in plasmid DNA segregation. He joined the UC San Diego faculty in 2003 where his research has focused on using cell biological tools to study bacterial cell growth, DNA replication, cell division, outer membrane biogenesis, and the mechanisms by which antibiotics target these essential cellular processes. His lab recently discovered the "phage nucleus," a compartment formed by many bacteriophages that replicate in Pseudomonas. Joe and Kit Pogliano developed Bacterial Cytological Profiling (BCP) technology that provides a rapid method for screening for antibiotics against multidrug resistant bacteria and understanding their mechanisms of action.