Co-op eligibility

Arts co-op eligibility  

The Arts co-op process typically starts in your 2A study term, after your first year is complete. The timing of your study terms and co-op work terms will depend on your specific co-op sequence.  

To be eligible for Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business co-op as you enter your second year, you must have: 

  • A minimum of 1 course (0.5 unit) or 2 courses (1.0 units) completed in your major 

  • An average of at least 70% in your major (see notes 1 and 2). 

  • An average of at least 60% overall (cumulative) 

  • A minimum of 8 courses (4.0 units) completed prior to admission to co-op 

  • A maximum of 13 courses (6.5 units) completed prior to admission to co-op 

If you wish to declare co-op and have not met the above requirements, or if you are unsure of how your course load may impact your eligibility to proceed in co-op, please discuss this situation with your academic advisor. While it is ideal for you to declare your major before the start of your 2A term, if you are not eligible to declare your intended major, the Honours Liberal Studies plan may be another option for you.  

Note 1: Students in Honours Arts and Business also need at least a 70% average in their Honours Arts and Business courses. 

Note 2: Students requesting the Honours Liberal Studies plan require at least a 70% major average calculated from the cumulative average of Faculty of Arts courses. 

Note 3: Students who transfer into the Faculty of Arts from another Waterloo Faculty, or another post-secondary institution, may be ineligible for admission to an Arts co-op plan based on how many academic units have been completed previously and how many (if any) co-op work terms they've previously completed. Students are encouraged to clarify their eligibility with their academic advisor as part of the process of transferring to Arts. 

Requests for sequence change  

You may request consideration for a change in your academic/work term sequence. Please consult the Co-operative Education request for academic/work term sequence change page for further information on this process. 

Reasons a change may be approved: 

  • To accommodate an academic exchange 

  • To accommodate academic course requirements (e.g. courses only offered during a specific term for major) 

  • If an 8-month work term is secured 

  • To extend work term with a current employer 

  • To return to a previous co-op employer for a specific term 

Reasons a sequence change request is normally not approved: 

  • Unemployment for the first work term. You may want to consider the WE Accelerate Program, which will count as a flexible work term credit. If you don’t find a co-op job for the first work term: 

  • Domestic students: you must take the term off or study on a part-time basis only (two courses maximum). You would then complete the remaining scheduled four work terms. 

  • International students: because of your study permit you may be impacted if you cannot find a full time work term placement – please talk to an Immigration Consultant and your academic advisor about your options. 

  • ​​​​​​​Switching from Honours Arts and Business Co-op (ARBUSHC) to Honours Arts Co-op (HAC) or vice versa prior to completing any work terms. And, if you’re on the ARBUSHC sequence and don’t find employment for your first winter work term, you cannot change your first work term to spring to follow the HAC sequence. 

  • If you’re not able to fit the required courses on your requested sequence, the request may be denied. 

  • Requests to have work terms only in spring terms will not be accommodated.