The Master of Public Service (MPS) program has fast become Waterloo's largest co-op education program for graduate students, giving new alumni an edge when competing for jobs at all levels of government.
It was the real-world work experience from her MPS co-op job that helped Rajbir Sian land a full-time position as a business development specialist upon graduation.
Sian got her full-time position with the City of Waterloo after completing an eight-month co-op work term with the City as an economic development coordinator. The co-op term gave her an opportunity to use her skills in economic modelling while building a professional network at the same time.
“The co-op portion of the program is invaluable,” Sian said. “The way the program is structured using real-world examples and hands-on learning is extremely advantageous.” Her current position involves looking after business development, retention, and expansion in the City of Waterloo, including providing statistical analyses and developing economic strategies.
“With a 100% co-op employment rate in the last few years, our students have been successfully matched to a diverse array of challenging and interesting positions in the federal, provincial, and municipal public services,” says Anindya Sen, MPS program director and economics professor.
The co-op aspect of the program is vital as it ties classroom theory to the real world and gives students actual job experience, and in some cases, these positions have transitioned into permanent employment.
In fact, co-op was the reason that Sian, who graduated in 2014, chose the program. She didn’t participate in co-op while completing her undergrad in political science at Waterloo, but heard about how beneficial it was from her peers. Although the graduate program was new – it was launched in September 2010 – she was attracted by the opportunity to apply theoretical skills in a practical setting while earning her degree.
But it isn’t just co-op that makes the program unique. Not only do students gain experience through their work terms, they also get to hear from current public service professionals, including government ministers and alumni, on a regular basis. [...]