Massry Co-Op Program Connects Students with Regional Employers
ALBANY, N.Y. (May 21, 2026) — UAlbany’s Massry School of Business is expanding hands-on learning through a new co-op initiative that connects future business leaders with Capital Region employers.
This program places students into full-time, paid roles for four to five months during the academic semester, allowing them to gain immersive workplace experience before returning to classes the following term. Students participating in the co-op will work 35 to 40 hours per week and earn a minimum of $21 per hour.
The launch follows the completion of the program’s inaugural professional development course this spring, where students prepared for future placements through resume workshops, networking, interview preparation and career-readiness training.
“Massry’s new co-operative education program is a tangible manifestation of the school’s desire to embed career readiness into everything we do,” said Massry School of Business Dean Paquita Davis-Friday. “For one semester students will be able to focus exclusively on work and how it relates to their studies. Afterward, with earnings in hand, they can return to class with a renewed and undistracted focus on academics.”
Unlike a traditional internship, the co-op places students in full-time professional roles during the academic semester, giving them an opportunity to build deeper workplace experience while developing long-term professional connections with employers throughout the region. The program also helps strengthen partnerships between Massry and organizations seeking to recruit and retain talent in the Capital Region.
Initial employer partners include Albany Medical Center, Broadview Federal Credit Union, BBL Construction Services, EY, UHY, The Research Foundation for SUNY and The Atrium Financial Group. The partnership network is expected to expand as more employers join the program.
Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors, as well as direct admits to Massry, the program prepares students for the co-op experience through career-readiness training. Through the Professional Development for Business co-op preparation course, students focus on interviewing, networking and professional development before applying for placements with participating employers.
During the co-op, students also receive support from both a workplace supervisor and a dedicated advisor through Massry.
The new program is part of a broader push to expand experiential learning opportunities within the Massry School of Business, including the planned opening of a student-run Saxbys at Morris's Café inside the business school building later this fall.
The café will provide additional opportunities for students to gain hands-on leadership and operational experience in a real-world business environment.