Oct 16, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Academic Calendar 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Academic Calendar

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:

  • Biological Science
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science
  • Mathematics for Science and Industry
  • Neuroscience
  • Integrated Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Physics

The co-operative education offered in the Faculty of Science has been designed to conform to the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada) 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
  • Clarify career objectives, and 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 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 after the summer of their first year of study 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 Experiential Learning Officer.

Work terms in co-operative education


Co-operative education placements normally start as early as the winter of Year 2 and must be completed prior to the final term of study. A co-operative education placement can vary in length from four to 16 months (one to four work terms. Students can complete up to five co-op work terms). Students that successfully complete between three 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 coaching are provided to all students enrolled in the co‐operative education program by the Experiential Learning Officer. 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.

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.7 to remain in the co-op program.

Degree requirements


Students wishing to participate in the co-operative education program must meet the admission requirements outlined above. Once accepted, they will be required to complete and pass SCCO 0999U – Science Co-op Success Program  along with at least three co-op work terms (SCCO 1000W – Science Co-op Work Term I , SCCO 2000W – Science Co-op Work Term II  and SCCO 3000W – Science Co-op Work Term III ).

In order to graduate from the Bachelor of Science Co-op (Honours) program, students must satisfy all Bachelor of Science degree requirements, relevant to their particular major, and all co-op requirements.