Faculty of Science typical co-op jobs

Faculty of Science students secure competitive co-op jobs in industries across the world. 

Science is all around us. It’s woven into the fabric of our everyday lives, influencing and shaping our everyday life.  

Science students are critical thinkers, have data analysis skills and a strong attention to detail. Students in the Faculty of Science are dynamic and multifaceted. A degree from the Faculty of Science allows students to explore roles that might take you beyond what is considered a "traditional" science industry. 

Co-op is an opportunity to study a discipline you are interested in while trying different jobs. Regardless of program or major, every student’s co-op experience is different. 

This list of sample co-op jobs is organized by program and includes descriptions based on real co-op work term positions held by Waterloo students. We have not included employer names to maintain employer confidentiality. This list is intended to help you understand what your co-op pathway may look like based on your program. However, you should explore diverse employment opportunities throughout your co-op work terms to find out where you want to take your career post-graduation.

View "Faculty of Science Pathway" on YouTube

Sample co-op jobs

Biology

Junior

Quality assurance assistant

Conduct product quality tests and communicate results to prevent food quality issues and ensure customer satisfaction. Work with manufacturing staff, production supervisors and management to support the manufacturing environment.

Intermediate

Sustainability co-ordinator

Work with environmental, community and government partners to develop new and existing sustainability programs. Conduct research, analyze and communicate data. Gain insight into the inner workings of various government organizations while learning transferable skills.

Senior

Field and lab assistant

Support technicians in fieldwork sample collection and analysis. Maintain field equipment on-site. Support website updates, data entry and creation of related materials for presentations and publication to support the advancement of research in a university lab setting.


Back to top

Chemistry

Junior

Science and math online expert

Support senior high school students online with math, biology, chemistry and physics tutoring. Assist in marketing and sales campaigns for the educational services the organization offers. Support the daily operations and problem-solve as needed.

Intermediate

Laboratory assistant

Conduct research, literature reviews and patent searches regarding new products and technologies that support product development. Prepare basic laboratory characterization of raw materials, finished goods, lab preparations and outgoing samples.

Senior

R&D analytical chemist

Conduct quality assurance technical reports, including the development of protocols, collection of data and preparation of final reports. Support the development and validation of analytical methods for raw materials processing. Assist with the testing and evaluation of R&D products.

Back to top

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Junior

Junior education and outreach programs co-ordinator

Assist in organizing, planning and delivering educational earth science programs. Provide support to advisors and administrators by creating reports and articles. Manage education resources and build relationships with consultants.

Intermediate

Soil and environmental quality assistant

Participate in field and laboratory analysis of several environmental quality projects. Evaluate the impact of new soil and crop management practices on their ability to improve soil, air and water quality. Determine nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from field chambers.

Senior

Environmental field technician

Perform extractions, sample collection and analysis in various environments. Document and organize data in Excel. Provide support for quality control and monitoring devices. Develop positive working relationships with external representatives and agencies.

Back to top

Physics

Junior

Math tutor

Deliver workshops, support promotions and participate in day-to-day operations while actively engaging in assessments and ongoing training. Collaborate with specialists to address learner needs, offering technical expertise in subjects like statistics, business math, calculus, algebra and physics.

Intermediate

Scientific programmer

Compile data from multiple sources and work in various programming languages. Assist in the development of code and algorithms to support the scientific interpretation of data.  Improve problem-solving skills and contribute to journal articles.

Senior

Research assistant

Work with a national team to conduct literature reviews and mathematically analyze models using calculus and other mathematics skills to inform future work. Interact with diverse businesses, citizens, service providers, not-for-profit organizations and government officials.

Back to top

Psychology

​​​​​​​Junior

Health promotion assistant

Plan, prepare and implement health promotion initiatives on a post-secondary campus. Provide leadership to the peer health education teams in the development, preparation and delivery of health promotion activities and events. Develop campaigns that address the key health issues in the community.

Intermediate

Health coach

Develop, deliver and evaluate company wellness program initiatives and help staff members reach their personal health goals. Assist in the development of health-related programs through researching health legislation and collaborating with other teams.

Senior

Research analyst

Support critical project meetings and participate in behavioural mapping workshops. Design new digital services by developing creative ways of testing in the field. Learn new data techniques to conduct exploratory or evaluative analysis.

Back to top

Science and Business

Junior

Operations co-ordinator

Support operational processes through reviewing and analyzing data to understand and improve systems. Identify errors and create solutions to reduce error rate. Support the development of training and testing materials.

Intermediate

Business analyst

Participate in reviews and demonstrations with clients. Create a management plan based on recommended practices to ensure teams can be measured against their goals. Participate and assist in project and team meetings as necessary to ensure the creation of specific deliverables.

Senior

Product manager

Lead technology research and marketing analysis to define the future development of products. Conduct interviews with customers to obtain feedback then work in a team to develop solutions to customer complaints. Track product impact and perform functional testing of products.

Back to top

Recent science co-op experiences

Michelle standing in front of a blue background.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Advancing space exploration: optimizing the next generation of space telescopes

Michelle Kao (she/her), a third-year Physics and Astronomy student, has been recognized as the Faculty of Science Co-op Student of the Year for her outstanding contributions at the National Research Council, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre. Michelle is also the 2024 winner of the Experiential & Work Integrated Learning Ontario (EWO) Co-op Student of the Year.

Janine Fletcher smiling in front of science icons
Thursday, March 13, 2025

Career ready: co-op facilitated learning across pharmacy sectors

By: Alison Chase | 5 min read

Janine Fletcher (she/her) is in her 3B term of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at the University of Waterloo. Throughout her time as a co-op student, Janine has explored multiple sides of health care from hospital emergency rooms to independent pharmacies.

Jason smiling in front of a black board with white and blue science themed chalk drawings on it.
Thursday, January 30, 2025

Prescription for success: Leaving your comfort zone and making the most of your co-op options

By: Lauren Ballard | 5 min read

Jason Tsang (he/him) is a fourth-year Pharmacy student. He speaks about his experience working in the outpatient oncology department at North York General Hospital and how students must leave their comfort zone to grow.

Learn more about