Co-op and work reports

Work reports give students the opportunity to reflect on the connection between academic studies and work experiences. They should demonstrate critical analysis, organization, clarity and conciseness.

Number of reports - In total, four 'satisfactory' work reports are required for each Economics co-op student.  Completion of PD12: Reflection and Learning in the Workplace satisfies the requirement for one work report.

Components for Reports submitted to the Department of Economics - 

1) submit a report proposal of 1 page (250 words) through the University's learning management system (LEARN) in the 6^th week of employment.

2) submit a report of 5-6 double spaced pages (1250-1500 words) of text through LEARN within 10 lecture days of the beginning of term following co-op employment.   Include an introduction, body and conclusion in your report.

3) complete the survey on activities and employer through LEARN – required before a report can be submitted.

Format Requirements - The proposal and report should be written using a 12 point font, in one of the following styles: Times New Roman, Calibri or Century Schoolbook.  The report length does not include the title page, letter of submittal, table of contents, list of figures and tables, or appendices.  The preliminary pages, including table of contents, and list of tables and figures, are numbered using roman numerals, beginning with “ii” as the table of contents. Although no number appears on the title page or the letter of submittal, the title page is considered page “i.” Roman numerals are centered at the bottom of each page. Arabic numerals placed on the top right corner of each page are used for the remaining pages of the report starting with the introduction.

Please refer to the Faculty of Arts work report guidelines for information about formatting your report. 

Referencing - Your report must be an original work with proper referencing. If you need help referencing, please visit the Economics subject page through the Library or contact our Liaison Librarian. Remember: even company information (such as tables and graphs) should be properly cited.

Letter of submittal - Your report must include a signed letter of submittal, addressed to:

Dr. Ryan George, Lecturer
Department of Economics, Hagey Hall 218
200 University Ave., West
Waterloo, ON
N2L 3G1

A numerical grade will be calculated (proposal 20%; report 80%) but will be converted to PASS/FAIL (CR/NCR) before submission to the Registrar's Office and display on Quest. 

If you receive an Unsatisfactory (resubmit) grade, the resubmission is due within 30 days of the release of the initial evaluation.

 The Department will retain numerical grades and the evaluator’s comments.  This information could be used as part of an academic reference letter upon the completion of an Economics degree.

Your Work-Term Work Report will be captured in Quest as WKRPT (200A, 300A, 400A, and 500A) and will be added to the co-op designated term, along with PD and COOP courses.

Upon securing a co-op placement, the WKRPT courses will automatically be added to your record. Please note, in all cases, WKRPT will not be added retroactively for reports where milestones have previously been awarded.

Successful completion of WKRPT will result in a grade of CR on your transcript. The grade assigned will not factor into any average. Work-report milestones will continue to be awarded and recorded on your official student record. Where an unsatisfactory work report (NCR or DNW grade) is achieved, the WKRPT course will be re-added to your record for the next scheduled work term, before moving on to the next in the WKRPT series.

The Department of Economics will periodically invite authors of excellent work term reports to share their work in a poster session with fellow students, faculty and alumni.