Disney College Program

About The Program

The Disney College Program at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida and Disneyland near Anaheim, California offer college students a one-of-a-kind, paid Disney-designed education and work experience each semester. During the experience, students will live with other students in housing near the Disney campus and will work with other students and professional Disney staff on the Disney premises. The unique experience offers students the opportunity to gain real-world experience, network with Disney leaders, tap into educational offerings on the Disney campus, build transferable skills, enhance their resumes, and live and work with students from across the globe.

ECU Career Services host information session with Disney College Program alumni in the fall and spring semester. Check our upcoming events calendar for information on the next upcoming session. All ECU students are eligible to apply for participation in the Disney College Program and students will be informed when the ECU recruitment period is scheduled.

For more information about the program, please visit the Walt Disney World College Program website.

Students interested in participating in the Disney College Program must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible. Contact Lynn Copeland, for more information. 252-328-6050.

Student Information

Congratulations to those students who have been offered a co-op/internship with the Disney College Program! Whether you have been offered a co-op/internship with the program or are just interested in learning more about the program, you can find important information below regarding academic credit for the program, retaining your student status, completing coursework during your internship, health/medical insurance information, financial aid information, and course registration information.

Academic Credit

To receive academic credit for your internship/co-op work experience, you must consult with your academic department prior to beginning work. Not all students will be eligible to receive academic credit due to course prerequisites, undeclared major, and/or because some academic departments do not offer academic credit for co-op work experience. ECU Career Services cannot issue credit for any work experience.

Some students will be able to take ECU Distance Education courses online while at Disney. Please consult your academic advisor for course availability.

Disney offers collegiate courses accredited by the American Council on Education Please consult your academic advisor on transferability of these courses.

ECU Career Services cannot advise students on registration issues and academic courses. You must speak with your academic advisor regarding any issue related to academic credit, schedule planning, or course registration. ECU Career Services also cannot advise on financial aid or health insurance.

CO-OP

Cooperative Education (CO-OP) is an academic program which alternates periods of academic study with periods of work experience in appropriate fields of business, industry, government, and social services in accordance with the following criteria:

  • Work site is developed/approved by the ECU as a suitable learning environment
  • Student is engaged in productive work rather than merely observation
  • Student receives remuneration for the work performed
  • Student’s progress on the job is monitored by the educational institution
  • Student’s performance on the job is supervised and evaluated by the employer

For questions regarding CO-OP enrollment please contact CO-OP@ecu.edu or call 252.328.6050

Coursework During Your CO-OP/Internship

The amount of credit-bearing coursework that you choose to take during your internship, if any, is a personal decision that depends upon a variety of factors including your GPA, time management skills, motivation, difficulty of selected coursework, etc. The decision is best made in consultation with your academic advisor. Some students choose not to take any credit-bearing courses at all, while others take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours or more. A student whose GPA is lower than he or she would like may want to consider a part-time load of no more than 6 hours. A student who typically maintains a high GPA may be comfortable with 12 or more hours. Students should discuss this carefully with their advisors.

Health/Medical Insurance Information

Students who are participating in the Disney College Program are not eligible to waive in to the student health insurance program while they are at Disney, regardless of receiving academic credit. Students covered through their parent’s insurance will need to contact their insurance company to let them know they are involved in a co-op experience. If documentation is required to confirm that the student is enrolled in a cooperative program, Career Services can provide a letter to the insurance company upon request. If needed, ECU Career Services will be able to provide you with a letter from ECU confirming that you are still considered a student while you are participating in this cooperative internship.

CO-OP Insurance:
Insurance companies may require full-time student status to maintain coverage. Students covered through their family’s health insurance will maintain coverage as long as they are registered through the ECU CO-OP program. Students who purchase health insurance through the ECU Student Health Services office may not be covered during the CO-OP experience. Please contact Student Health Services to discuss your coverage options. Every student registered for COOP 1234/6789 will receive $1 million/$3 million in General Liability coverage.

Financial Aid

Due to the variety of financial aid programs and packages available, students should consult with the Financial Aid Office at 252.329.6610, to determine if they will be able to retain financial aid while participating in the Disney College program.

Course Registration

During your co-op/internship work experience, you will be away from campus during the early registration period for the following semester. You can still register for classes via Banner. Be sure to meet with your academic advisor before you leave for your internship to discuss registration.

Your academic advisor will e-mail the pin number required to register when using online registration to your ECU e-mail account. Check your ECU e-mail account periodically for that e-mail. Your pin number will most likely be sent to you in February or March for the fall semester or September or October for the spring semester. For more information, please visit the ECU Registrar’s website by clicking here.

Keeping Student Enrollment Status at ECU

Students who are enrolled in ECU courses or the COOP will automatically keep their student status at ECU. This will NOT keep your status as a “full-time” student and will NOT ensure your eligibility for financial aid.