Cooperative education blends theory and practice, and is explicitly concerned with the development of competencies as well as knowledge. Evidence is presented to show that cooperative education in education and the practice of combining working experience with formal study has been in use for some time. The value of such programs has been demonstrated in many academic areas including medicine, dentistry, law, engineering, and business administration. Recently, the value of such programs in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts has been realized. The specifics of the cooperative education program at California State University at Fullerton are outlined with emphasis on how the program meets the educational needs of the students. (JMF)