Co-operative programs are best described as a structured method of combining classroom education with practical work experience. It is highly recommended and always an excellent option when there is an opportunity to be in a Co-operative program as this will give you the opportunity to apply what you have learned in class to a work environment, and get paid for this great experience. Often times, the company in which you completed your co-op in may offer you a job (of course this depends on how well you performed during the coop term). As you can imagine, every co-op programs are very competitive as you will be competing among your cohorts for a space in the program. To improve your chance of being admitted into a CO-OP, you will need those high grades. Generally, most universities and college Institutions will have a Co-op component in their programs. These programs include Business (Accounting/Business Administrative), Computer Science, Biology, Bioinformatics (This list is from Langara College’s website).
Langara College – Co-operative Education website: https://langara.ca/coop-and-career-development/students/co-op-program.html
UBC (University of British Columbia) – This university offer a wider range of program opportunities when it comes to co-operative education when you compare it to most colleges and some universities. To name a few, here are some of the areas of study that provide an optional “Co-Op” component….Social Sciences, Humanities, and Creative and Performing Arts, including: Anthropology, Economics, English, Geography, History, International Relations, Media Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
SFU (Simon Fraser University) – Similarly with UBC, this PSI will offer a co-op learning in areas from the following; Arts/Social Sciences, Beedie School of Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, Communications, Computer Science, Kinesiology, Software Systems, Interactive Arts & Technology and many other programs.
SFU’s Co-operative Education link: https://www.sfu.ca/coop.html
University of Toronto (Co-op programs) – Here is a link to U o Ts co-op programs: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/admissions/about-co-op
Queens University (QUIP – Queen’s University Internship Program) – Queen’s University Internship Program allows qualified students the opportunity to pursue career-related positions for 12 or 16 months after completion of their second or third year of study at Queen’s. The program is open to domestic and international students in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Faculty of Arts and Science, and School of Computing. Here’s the weblink: https://www.queensu.ca/physics/undergrad-studies/queens-university-internship-program-quip
University of Waterloo – As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll typically alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you’re working for.
Waterloo’s co-op program is an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!
https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/co-op
These are just a few examples of Co-op programs from the above PSI’s mentioned. Co-ops or internships as they would often in the United States of America (USA) are also available as an option; however, like in Canada, it’s also competitive.
Have a look at this article: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/slideshows/top-schools-for-internship-co-op-programs
Mr. Ng's Career Information Centre 