The STEM workforce needs to be well-equipped with knowledge and competencies to ensure our nation’s global competitiveness. Experiential learning experiences like cooperative education (co-op) offer an apprentice-style approach to preparing the next generation of engineers and STEM professionals. Understanding how these authentic learning experiences fundamentally shape students’ learning and professional development is essential. This project will investigate how cooperative education (co-op) experiences influence engineering students’ readiness for the workforce by comparing various types of co-op experiences from the lens of transformative learning theory. Grounded in Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, this research will examine how first-time co-op experiences change students’ perspectives, learning gains, behaviors, and sense of professional identity. A variety of co-op experiences will be investigated – industry-drive, research-based, international, remote or virtual, etc. This research will be conducted at the University of Cincinnati, who is an institutional leader and nationally recognized for co-op experiences that engineering students integrate as part of their academic and professional journey. As part of this research, data will be collected from over 1,200 engineering students who participate in a variety of co-op experiences. Co-op pathways will be investigated across a variety of variables, and student comparisons will enable the investigative team t