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About Co-op

What is Co-operative Education?

Co-operative education is an educational model that formally integrates academic studies with relevant work experience. Co-op students alternate terms of school and work in appropriate fields of business, industry, government, social services, or the professions. Work terms are usually four months long. When you're finished your degree, you'll have the same number of study/academic terms as a non-co-op student, plus up to two years of work experience.

Why choose co-op?

It helps you to:

• Clarify your career plans and preferred working style so you can pinpoint the type of job you want after graduating.
• Apply theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom.
• Continuously improve your interview skills and learn how to confidently promote yourself to an employer.
• Gain up to two years of relevant work experience.
• Learn workplace etiquette.
• Improve your organizational and time management skills.
• Earn a salary to help finance your education.
• Develop a professional résumé with a solid work history.
• Get hands-on experience with the latest tools or methods in your field.
• Build business contacts to assist in finding employment upon graduation.
• Set yourself apart from the rest of university graduates - you will not only have a degree from the most highly regarded university in Canada, but nearly 2 years more work experience than your peers.
• Be constantly challenged by something new because of the mix of school and work.
• Try working in your chosen field without a long-term commitment.

How long does co-op take to complete?

In most programs, co-op takes about five academic years to complete. That’s because you may have up to six, four-month work terms included in your curriculum. At first glance, an additional eight months as a student may seem long, but you’ll see how fast the time goes by when you’re on work term and acquiring incredible new skills and knowledge. In particular, the work experience you gain through co-op will give you a distinct advantage in your employment search when you graduate. The little bit of extra time spent in co-op is definitely worth it.

The table below shows three of the most common study/work sequences. There are other sequences and these differ by program, some incorporating double work and study terms. The Undergraduate Calendar contains the complete listing of study/work sequences.

* = work term


How many students take part?

More than 16,000 students are enrolled in the co-op education program at Waterloo. About 60% of the full-time undergraduate population at the University is in co-op. 

How does co-op work?

Prepare a concise résumé. It is best to do this before coming to campus. For help with your résumé once you are in co-op at Waterloo:

• Review the résumé section of the Career Development eManual.
• After completing the résumé module in Co-op 101/PD1/GENE 010 you can make an appointment to have it critiqued.

Take the online course "PD1", or if you are in Engineering, a combination in-class and online called "Co-op Fundamentals for Engineering."
This required course for co-op students prior to the first work term will help you to understand the co-op employment process and how it fits with your career development. Read the posted job openings in JobMine and apply to those that interest you.

Take part in interviews with employers who select you based on your résumé and record.

Rank the interviews you had in order of preference - a computer will try to match you with one of the jobs for which you had an interview and were selected as suitable for employment.

Continue the application and interview process if you are not matched until you secure employment.

Complete your work term, during which you will write an analytical work report. You are required to work full time for the four consecutive months of your work term. If your work term begins late or ends early for reasons beyond your control, the minimum work term length must be not less than twelve weeks (full-time employment).

What types of jobs do co-op students find?

Students from some faculties and programs are more likely to get certain jobs. The lists of typical jobs should not be considered conclusive – you are encouraged to apply to any job for which you feel qualified and which will be acceptable to your faculty as a co-op credit.

Applied Health Sciences
Arts
Engineering
Environment
Mathematics
Science

You must be flexible. Flexibility is important. Be prepared to apply for jobs in different locations as well as those that may not be exactly what you are looking for, even if this means going to another part of the province or Canada.


How much are co-op students paid?

Last year, the average weekly salary on a first work term was $575..

Co-op pay varies by program of study and generally increases with experience. CECA prepares a salary survey once a year. You can view the survey which contains average salaries by program and work term level. Employers are not bound by the salary survey, and the amount you are paid on your work term is determined by your employer. There is no guarantee that you will earn a specific amount of money during any work term.

How much does co-op cost?

The co-op fee, including the Tatham Centre building construction contribution fee, is currently $609 per academic term (including the final term on campus). This is not a job "placement" fee. Depending on your plan, you may not be assessed co-op fees until your second year of university. Please see the complete fee information at the uWaterloo Finance office web site.

The co-op fee covers about 20% of the total costs of operating the co-operative education program at the University of Waterloo.

The cost of operating the University as a co-op institution consists of three parts:

• work term administrative related costs
• academic delivery costs (extra course offerings to accommodate different streams)
• additional costs for year-round operation
  

Does every co-op student find a job?

No. Co-operative Education & Career Action (CECA) cannot guarantee that you will find employment and there are a number of students every term who do not. So much depends on the effort you put into the job search process, your employable skills, where you are willing to work, the availability of jobs in the field in which you are interested, the economy in general, etc. Most of these are beyond the control of CECA. Historically, final overall employment rates have varied between 86% and 99.9%. Although these rates are positive, they are recorded well into the work term and do not show how many students were still in need of employment at the beginning of the work term. Most of the unemployed students each term are in the junior (first or second work term) level.

CECA continues to search for work positions after the beginning of each work term for those students who remain unemployed.

If you don't find a job, all is not lost! With prior approval you can:

• find your own relevant employment
• return to school for another academic term (certain programs only)
• find unrelated employment (no credit) in order to earn money for the next academic term
  
  

Flexibility and full participation in the employment process are important factors in your success.

You must complete between 4 to 6 work terms (depending on your program) to fulfill your co-op degree requirements.


Can co-op students arrange their own employment?

Yes! Many students have successfully secured their own employment.

You must meet with a career advisor if you haven't yet had a work term, or contact your student advisor if you have. They will ensure that your job meets co-op standards and that the search does not conflict with the department's job match process.

You can arrange an appointment with a career advisor or you can contact your student advisor - their name and contact information are shown on your JobMine profile.

What can I do before getting into co-op?

Depending on your availability, you may consider working full-time, part-time, or volunteer for a company that does work related to your university studies.  Check with your parents and other relatives to see if the organization that employs them does work in your area of study and find out if they have a sons-and-daughters job program or summer job program.  It’s possible the company that hires you for your pre-university summer may have a suitable job for you for your first co-op work term.  Even if they do not rehire you as a co-op student later, the work experience you’ll gain from them over the summer will be an asset on your résumé and will likely give you a competitive edge over other students when applying to co-op jobs. Additional job search info can be found at:   http://www.careeraction.uwaterloo.ca/links/UsefulWeb.asp?priNav=7  (items 14-17, 19, etc.)  You may also consider obtaining an unrestricted driver’s licence (or a licence with minimum restrictions). Some co-op jobs require a driver’s licence.

Where will I live while I am on a work term?

CECA does not arrange work term housing for co-op students. Housing search options include:

• Getting together with other co-ops going to the same work location, then searching for accommodations to share
• Using UW's Department of Housing & Residences' Off Campus Housing web site which contains a good selection of available places to live in major Canadian centres.
• Checking the section of the CECA Co-op Student Reference Manual which provides links to housing web sites..
• Using commercial housing listing sites such as Ezide
• Checking the housing listings at the colleges or universities of the community in which you will be working
• Watching on campus bulletin boards for posters. Many students advertise that they have a sublet available or are looking for a roommate.
• Asking your employer if they know of any place you could live

Academic Integrity and Co-op

Policy 71 (Student Academic Discipline Policy) stipulates that "All members of the community - faculty, students, and staff - are bound to conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, fairness, and a concern for others"

Academic integrity includes any activities that are related to co-operative education. This means that your behaviour and actions as a co-op student when undertaking the job application, interview, and match process, as well as how you conduct yourself on your work terms are all connected to academic integrity.

Conduct that is not becoming of a University of Waterloo student and falling under one or more offences listed under Policy 71, could result in one or more of the penalties listed with the Policy (including having to withdraw from co-op and/or being expelled from UW).

Co-op student comments

"Being in co-op allows you to apply what you have learned in your courses to real life situations. It is an opportunity to discover where your strengths lie and what you really enjoy doing." ~ Michael Gibson

"Co-op will not only give me an edge against graduates from other institutions, but being in the co-op process helps to improve my résumé and interview skills on a continual basis." ~ Megan Gray

"I think co-op is great for those who aren't sure exactly what they want to do with their degree. It gives you 5-6 great opportunities to try working in different fields. You get to live in new cities and learn new ways of life. It opens other opportunities through making business contacts. You can improve your résumé, interview skills, and get a feel for a real life job market." ~ Beth Nordemann

"Co-op has allowed me to explore a variety of career interests and has helped me to choose the path and future most suited to my ambitions." ~ Terri-Lynn Oliver

"Co-op gave me the opportunity to apply everything I learned in class, gave me the motivation to keep plugging my way through school, and helped me to see just how my education will be used." ~ Ginette Taylor

"The co-op system at UW is a fantastic forum for a person to come one step closer to finding their dream job! The magnitude of employers that come through Waterloo offering jobs allows for tremendous choice in searching for that one job that you would enjoy doing for the rest of your life. No other school's co-operative education program comes close to Waterloo's - we're lucky." ~ Brian Mangan

"I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my computer science education, and I knew co-op could give me some hands-on experience in the IT field. So far, co-op has helped me to pinpoint the type of job I want after graduation by helping me discover what my working style is and what I enjoy doing the most." ~ Pam Tatroff

"Co-op has given me the opportunity to travel and work in different cities while learning valuable skills and gaining job experience." ~ Kent Marten


More information

For further information about co-op, contact Co-operative Education & Career Action:

Tel: (519) 888-4026
Fax: (519) 746-4103
E-Mail: ceca@uwaterloo.ca

For further information about application, admissions or program information, contact the Registrar's Office:

Tel: (519) 888-4567 Ext. 33106
E-Mail: askus@uwaterloo.ca
Web: http://www.findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca

Co-operative Education University of Waterloo 200 University Ave. W. Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1 Tel: 519-888-4026 Fax: 519-746-4103 E-mail: ceca@uwaterloo.ca Hours: Monday to Friday | 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)