Co-operative Education in the Faculty of Science

General information

The Faculty of Science offers the opportunity for eligible students to receive a co-operative education designation on their degrees in the following fields of study:

• Applied and Industrial Mathematics
• Biological Science
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Integrative Neuroscience
• Integrated Mathematics and Computer Science
• Physics

The co-operative education offered in the Faculty of Science has been designed to conform to the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE) guidelines.

Benefits of Co-operative Education

Co-operative education provides many benefits to students including the opportunity to:

• Gain valuable practical experience
• Earn competitive salaries that partially offset the cost of their education
• To help clarify career objectives, and to develop valuable networking that will enhance opportunities for full‐time employment upon graduation

Studies have shown that students in the same academic program who graduate from a cooperative education stream have lower debt loads and are employed faster and with higher starting salaries than those who graduate from the regular stream.

Applying to Co-operative Education

Students normally apply to the Co-operative Education program as early as the fall of Year 2 and are accepted based on:

• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.70 (B‐minus) at time of application
• Clear academic standing and
• No record of misconduct

Information on the application process is available from the co-op coordinator.

Work terms in Co-operative Education

Co-operative education placements normally start in the summer after Year 2 and must be completed prior to the final term of study. A co-operative education placement can vary in length from 4 to 16 months (one to four work terms). Students that successfully complete between three and five Co‐op work terms (inclusive) are eligible to receive the Co-operative Education designation on their BSc degree. All completed co-op work terms appear on a student’s academic transcript. While the Faculty of Science cannot guarantee a co‐op placement, assistance, advice and counselling are provided to all students enrolled in the Co‐operative Education program by the Co-op Coordinator. Students must have their preferred schedule of work terms approved by Science Advising to ensure it is compatible with the scheduling of required courses in their field of study.