The College of Sciences and Health Professions is proud to support the concept of engaged learning. Through hands-on application of knowledge, students are able to more fully master classroom concepts. In addition, active student involvement improves the climate of the classroom by promoting more questions and more dialogue between the student and the instructor. And, of course, students who gain hands-on experience while still in school are more likely to find employment quickly, and command higher starting salaries. 

Students in the College of Sciences and Health Professions have the opportunity to get involved in a number of ways. Many majors are required to do some sort of research or field experience as a part of their curriculum. For other programs, students have the option of participating in cooperative education or internships for academic credit. Still others choose to gain experience by assisting faculty with their own research interests.  

Cooperative Education and Internships

Students have the opportunity to participate in a number of structured hands-on experiences with local employers and agencies. These include:

• Cooperative Education (Co-ops): typically defined as alternating semesters of classroom study and paid professional work
• Internships: typically defined as paid or unpaid experiences spanning the duration of one semester
• Clinicals: professional experience required in many health-care or licensing programs
• Service Learning: community service related to classroom concepts
• Practicum: practical application of theory in the form of a special project
• Student Teaching: professional experience required by state licensing standards
• Fieldwork: research conducted outside of the classroom setting

Through the Career Service Center, students majoring in science or math have recently obtained co-ops with prominent employers and agencies including (but not limited to):

• Center for Dialysis Care
• Center for Disease Control
• Cleveland Bio Labs
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• NASA
• Northeast Ohio Sewer District
• Sherwin Williams
• Sterling Jewelers

For more information regarding the services offered by the Career Services Center, or for details regarding participate requirements for the cooperative education program, please visit the Career Services Center web site. 

Research Opportunities

As a student in the College of Sciences and Health Professions , you have access to faculty members who are actively conducting their own research. Many faculty are well-known in their fields, and are conducting cutting-edge research right here at Cleveland State. For students, this presents an excellent opportunity to get hands-on experience, as well as to dig deeper into a particular topic. If you are interested in participating in faculty research, contact your departmental advisor. 

Available research opportunities outside of the university are posted through the Career Services Center.

Students may also get involved in social organizations that are related to their areas of study. See the Student Organizations page for more information.