Welcome, Waterloo co-op students! This web page will give you a sense of what your recruiting term will look like if you're using the Full-Cycle Service job board to search for jobs.
There are many pathways to find a co-op work term and we're here to help. For jobs outside of the Full-Cycle Service job board, you can check the Employer-Student Direct job board or Arrange Own Job process.
Pharmacy students: Please navigate to view important dates for Pharmacy co-op students.
Employers will be posting jobs in all of the cycles, so keep applying until you have a match! Whether you end up finding a job in Cycle 1 or later in the recruitment process, great jobs will be available and we’re here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions, please send a message to your co-op advisor via WaterlooWorks.
Suggested co-op work term start and end dates
| Date | September - December 2026 | January - April 2027 | May - August 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | September 8 | January 11 | May 10 |
| End date | December 23 | April 30 | August 20 |
Your co-op work term dates may differ from the academic term. While classes begin on January 11, 2027, some employers may require an earlier start date. Please check job postings for listed dates, discuss in interviews and, when employed, confirm your expected start and end dates directly with your employer.
Spring 2026 important dates
It’s not too late to find a co-op job for the fall 2026 work term.
- Direct offers: Hiring continues following the last match on July 27. If you are still looking for a fall 2026 work term, keep searching and applying for jobs on WaterlooWorks. After applying, employers will contact you directly to arrange interviews and discuss any offers.
- The spring 2026 co-op work term ends August 21, 2026.
Fall 2026 important dates
Recruiting schedule for winter 2027 work term: Full-Cycle Service job board
| Cycle | Number of apps you can submit | Job postings open | Job postings close (ET) | Interview period | Employer rankings available (ET) | Student rankings due (ET) | Match results available (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 Posting A | Submit up to 50 apps | Sep. 5 - 17 | Sep. 17 at 9 a.m. | Sep. 21 - Oct. 6 | Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. | Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. | Oct. 9 by end of day |
| Cycle 1 Posting B | Submit up to 100 apps total (includes apps from previous cycle) | Sep. 18 - 22 | Sep. 22 at 9 a.m. | ||||
| Cycle 2 | Submit up to 500 apps total (includes apps from previous cycles) | Starting Oct. 10 New jobs are posted daily |
Jobs posted between Oct. 10 - 18 (Reading Week) will close Oct. 21 at 9 a.m. Jobs posted after Oct. 18 will close at 9 a.m., 2 business days after the job is posted |
Oct. 26 - Nov. 10 | Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. | Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. | Nov. 13 by end of day |
| Cycle 3 | Nov. 17 - 24 | Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. | Nov. 27 at 2 p.m. | Nov. 27 by end of day |
Direct offers: Hiring continues following the last match on November 30. If you are still looking for a winter 2027 work term, keep searching and applying for jobs on WaterlooWorks. After applying, employers will contact you directly to arrange interviews and discuss any offers.
Important notes
- September 7: University closed (Labour Day).
- October 5: Last day to start work to earn a standard co-op credit for the fall 2026 work term, with an end date of December 23, 2026.
- October 12: University closed (Thanksgiving Day).
- October 10–18: Reading Week.
- November 2: Last day to start work to earn a flexible co-op credit for the fall 2026 work term, with an end date of December 23, 2026.
- December 24–31: University closed (Holiday closure).
Winter 2027 important dates
Recruiting schedule for spring 2027 work term: Full-Cycle Service job board
| Cycle | Number of apps you can submit | Job postings open | Job postings close (ET) | Interview period | Employer rankings available (ET) | Student rankings due (ET) | Match results available (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 Posting A | Submit up to 50 apps | Jan. 9 - 19 | Jan. 19 at 9 a.m. | Jan. 22 - Feb. 9 | Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. | Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. | Feb. 12 by end of day |
| Cycle 1 Posting B | Submit up to 100 apps total (includes apps from previous cycle) | Jan. 20 - 26 | Jan. 26 at 9 a.m. | ||||
| Cycle 2 | Submit up to 500 apps total (includes apps from previous cycles) | Starting Feb. 13 New jobs are posted daily |
Jobs posted between Feb. 13 - 21 (Reading Week) will close Feb. 24 at 9 a.m. Jobs posted after Feb. 21 will close at 9 a.m., 2 business days after the job is posted |
Mar. 1 - 16 | Mar. 17 at 2 p.m. | Mar. 19 at 2 p.m. | Mar. 19 by end of day |
| Cycle 3 | Mar. 23 - 30 | Mar. 31 at 2 p.m. | Apr. 2 at 2 p.m. | Apr. 2 by end of day |
Direct offers: Hiring continues following the last match on April 2. If you are still looking for a spring 2027 work term, keep searching and applying for jobs on WaterlooWorks. After applying, employers will contact you directly to arrange interviews and discuss any offers.
Important notes
- February 13–21: Reading Week.
- February 15: University closed (Holiday closure).
- February 16: Last day to start work to earn a standard co-op credit for the winter 2027 work term, with an end date of May 7, 2027.
- March 15: Last day to start work to earn a flexible co-op credit for the winter 2027 work term, with an end date of May 7, 2027.
- March 26: University closed (Holiday closure).