Faculty of Health co-op student, Sarah Bayrakdarian, shines among talented peers at Breast Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care International Conference.
A University of Waterloo student shares how she earned a spot in the highly competitive software engineering program, choosing Waterloo in large part because of its renowned co-op education and the paid, real-world work experience it offers. After navigating a rigorous application process, she has completed multiple co-op work terms in quality assurance and software development, gaining practical skills and professional connections that prepare her for a career in tech. Her journey highlights how Waterloo’s co-op model helps bridge academic learning with hands-on industry experience.
An Indian student, Pallavi Thapar, says she chose the University of Waterloo because of its elite co-op program, which provided paid work terms and real-world experience while she earned her degree. Through her co-op placements in psychology and marketing, she built a professional network, refined her career goals and gained confidence navigating Canada’s highly competitive job market. Her journey reflects the importance of strategic planning, adaptability and work-integrated learning for international students seeking long-term success.
The University of Waterloo has teamed up with Google to establish a Google Chair in the Future of Work and Learning, backed by a $1 million investment, supporting new research and hands-on AI prototyping labs. The partnership cites Waterloo’s largest-in-Canada co-operative education program, which has long nurtured students to bring real-world experience into innovation and research, as a key reason Google selected the university. Through this collaboration, students will co-create AI-based learning technologies and directly engage in shaping how people interact with AI in future workplaces.
Richard Andrew “Dick” Pullin passed away on July 16, 2025, after more than three decades of building Waterloo’s co-operative education into a global leader. He joined the co-op department in 1970 as the first Science-stream co-ordinator, crafted job-matching processes, forged employer partnerships and later led national associations while editing the Journal of Co-operative Education. Pullin’s legacy lives on in the structures he built and the generations of students and educators he inspired.
In the Ottawa Sun, Linda White explores how co-operative education programs allow students to test drive careers, highlighting the University of Waterloo’s leading role with North America’s largest co-op program. Molly Furness, career advisor with Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE), explains how this hands-on approach helps students confirm or reconsider their career goals early on. Through its Future Ready Talent Framework (FRTF), Waterloo’s co-op program allows students to develop key skills, earn income and establish professional networks, positioning them for job offers and long-term success.
In a Times of India video, Pallavi Thapar, an international student from India, shares how the University of Waterloo helped her overcome homesickness and grow into a confident, independent learner. At 4:23 of the video, she highlights the co-op program and the Centre for Career Development (CCD) as key supports in exploring career options and gaining real-world experience.
The Sudbury Star highlights Jonathan Gbedemah, a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Doctor of Pharmacy Co-operative Education Program, who credits his co-op clinical rotations in Sudbury for inspiring his long-term commitment to northern Ontario. After gaining hands-on experience across twenty-three pharmacies, he opened Jonathan’s Kingsway Pharmacy in Sudbury and was recently named Young Entrepreneur of the Year. His journey reflects how Waterloo’s co-op education fosters career readiness, community impact, and entrepreneurial success.
By: Matthew King
The graduate work-integrated learning (GradWIL) project at the University of Waterloo is finishing its pilot phase and moving into operational programs. This important step is a chance to look back at what has been achieved so far and to show ongoing commitment to giving graduate students practical, career-focused work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences.
How can reflection enhance your work-integrated learning experience? Dr. Andrea Prier discusses the practice of reflection in co-op education and its role in helping students plan, engage, and evaluate their work experiences. Learn how intentional reflection at different stages of the work term can improve skill articulation, personal growth, and career preparedness for both students and employers.