How hands-on experience shapes the next generation of IT professionals while driving innovation across campus.
This spring, a new wave of ambitious students joined Northeastern University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) co-op program, bringing new perspectives, fresh academic knowledge, and an eagerness to tackle real-world challenges. What they discover and what they contribute often exceeds everyone’s expectations.
On June 11th, all the co-ops gathered to present their individual accomplishments to their ITS colleagues. An exercise in packaging and presenting tangible results turned into an engaging conversation across the ITS staff, with many departments connecting and learning more about each other’s unique efforts to deliver world-class IT service and digital transformation to Northeastern University. Months of work from our dedicated co-op team culminated in a successful, informative gathering of all the teams here at ITS.
Beyond the classroom: Real impact from day one
The ITS co-op program isn’t about fetching coffee or shadowing senior staff. From their first week, students dive into meaningful projects that directly impact the university’s 50,000+ students, faculty, and staff. They’re building dashboards that save hundreds of administrative hours, modernizing legacy systems that have been in place for years, and creating solutions that will outlast their six-month tenure.
Take the recent group’s accomplishments: students automated enterprise subscription provisioning that previously took days to complete, built comprehensive security reporting dashboards integrating multiple data sources, and led the migration of critical university systems from outdated platforms to modern, scalable solutions.
I was able to harness skills from both sides of my Computer Science and Design combined major in thoughtful ways. It has helped me recognize my strengths and see the different avenues I can take my work in the future.
– Beatriz Luna (’27) – Marketing and Communications Co-op
A laboratory for innovation
he program serves as a unique testing ground where academic theory meets enterprise reality. Students bring knowledge of the latest technologies—AI, cloud automation, modern development frameworks—while learning to navigate the complexities of large-scale IT operations, compliance requirements, and cross-departmental collaboration.
Recent projects have spanned the full spectrum of modern IT:
Artificial Intelligence and Automation: Students have introduced faculty to AI-powered course planning assistants, automated complex workflows, and implemented machine learning solutions for resource optimization.
Cloud Infrastructure: Co-ops have organized thousands of Azure subscriptions, implemented Infrastructure as Code practices, and automated enterprise-level provisioning processes.
User Experience and Accessibility: From redesigning university websites to creating inclusive digital badge systems, students are ensuring technology serves everyone effectively.
Security and Compliance: Co-ops contribute to cybersecurity awareness campaigns, policy documentation, and compliance attestation processes that protect the entire university community.
While working on multiple projects, I learned how to hit deadlines and find the right people to ask questions. I liked that I was given a lot of freedom with my work and had to figure things out on my own and take my own initiative.
– Sriganesh Srinivasan (’27), Salesforce Development Co-op
Skills that transfer anywhere
While students gain technical expertise, the program emphasizes skills that transcend any single technology: problem-solving, project management, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
The diversity of roles reflects the breadth of modern IT operations. In a single semester, students worked as:
- Quality Assurance Engineers testing critical university systems
- Enterprise Architecture specialists mapping complex integrations
- Security Analysts building comprehensive reporting dashboards
- Digital Solutions Engineers automating business processes
- AI Engineers developing intelligent applications
What makes the program particularly powerful is its emphasis on documentation, knowledge transfer, and sustainable solutions. Students don’t just complete projects—they ensure their work can be maintained, expanded, and understood by future team members.
Many students discover new career paths through their co-op experience. A student might enter focused on software development and discover a passion for cybersecurity, or begin interested in data science and find their calling in user experience design.
It was a delight to be able to have three co-op students in Academic Technologies over the past six months. Co-ops provide invaluable frontline service to faculty and TAs in our drop-in hours for Canvas support, directly impacting teaching and learning at Northeastern. Their fresh eyes, intelligence, and drive have been indispensable to AT operations.
– Jason Jones – Assistant Director, Teaching & Learning with Technology
The ripple effect
The program’s impact extends far beyond the individual students and their accomplishments. Each cohort brings new ideas, challenges existing processes, and often identifies opportunities for improvement that full-time staff, immersed in daily operations, might overlook. They serve as bridges between the latest academic research and practical implementation, ensuring the university’s technology infrastructure remains current and innovative.
These students have shared that their co-op experience fundamentally changed their understanding of what IT work involves in a large organization. They learn that modern IT is about enabling others to succeed, solving complex problems collaboratively, and balancing innovation with reliability and security. And they take pride in the fact that their collective efforts impact all corners of the global Northeastern community.
The co-op program is one of our most valuable investments in both talent development and organizational innovation. These students don’t just support our operations—they challenge our thinking with a fresh perspective and bring cutting-edge knowledge from the classroom.
– Jennifer Brant-Gargan, Chief Information Officer
Looking forward
As technology continues to evolve rapidly, the co-op program positions both students and the university to stay ahead of the curve. Students bring awareness of emerging technologies and fresh approaches to long-standing challenges, while gaining the practical experience that makes them immediately valuable in their post-graduation careers.
The program exemplifies Northeastern’s experiential learning philosophy: education that doesn’t just prepare students for the workforce, but actively contributes to solving real problems while learning occurs.
For prospective students considering the ITS co-op program, the message is clear: come prepared to learn, contribute, and be challenged. You’ll leave with more than technical skills—you’ll have gained insight into how technology can transform organizations and the confidence to drive that transformation wherever your career takes you.