Types of EDGE experiences

Field work can be defined as “any activity undertaken by members of the University in any location external to University of Waterloo campuses for the purpose of research, study, training or learning.”¹ Field work can include activities as diverse as class trips to a museum, supervised sample collection, international internships, and work within factories or construction sites.

If you complete a course involving field work for an EDGE milestone, an industry or community partner will evaluate you based on the work you complete under their supervision.

Many academic courses that are compatible with EDGE include some kind of field work. For more information about field work on- and off-campus, visit the Safety Office’s website.

Internships can be defined as “a prearranged period of time… working (paid or unpaid) in a field of study or interest.”² The length and intensity of an internship can vary widely; some internships last just a few hours a week, and others can be nearly full-time commitments.

If you complete a course involving an internship for an EDGE milestone, an industry or community partner will evaluate you based on the work you complete as part of the internship.

Some traditional programs of study (like the Global Business and Digital Arts program) and academic courses (like REC 450: Internship Course for Therapeutic Recreation) include internships that qualify them for EDGE milestones. For more information about internships, visit the Centre for Career Action’s website.

Practicums give students the opportunity to earn supervised experience relevant to their program of study and connect that experience to their in-class learning.

If you complete a course involving a practicum for an EDGE milestone, an industry or community partner will evaluate you based on the work you complete as part of the practicum.

For more information about practicums, consider asking your advisor about opportunities available in your program and/or field of study.

Some experiential learning courses include large projects that are completed in tandem with industry or community partners. Students in the course may work with these partners to develop programs, products, or strategies that are subsequently put into real use by the partner.

If you complete a course involving a project for an EDGE milestone, the partner in question will evaluate you based on the work you complete as part of the project.

For more information about courses that involve projects, consider asking your advisor about courses available in your field of study.

There are plenty of paid employment opportunities on campus. These experiences influence the development of your employability skills, help you figure out your professional goals and interests, and give you the chance to reflect on your personal growth. Consider checking out part-time employment opportunities with Food Services, Housing & Residences, Feds, or Athletics and Recreation.

When you spend at least 36 hours working in a given position during a single term, you can earn an EDGE milestone for the experience.

Volunteering is a great way to build your professional skills and pursue your personal growth, and getting involved in campus activities means giving back to the University community at the same time. Volunteering on-campus can be defined as “with or without special training, provid[ing] support to the University without payment and without any expectation of any kind of compensation.”³

Many of the on-campus opportunities that have been pre-approved as EDGE milestones are volunteer opportunities. Departments on campus that engage volunteers may require you to fill out documentation pertaining to the nature of your position. These volunteer agreement forms are regulated by the Safety Office.

For more information about volunteering on campus, visit the Safety Office’s website. You can also visit the Feds Volunteer Centre’s website for more information about general and/or short-term volunteer opportunities on campus.

The University’s work-study (and international work-study) programs offer part-time, on-campus positions to full-time students with financial need. You can look for work-study positions on the work-study program’s website. These positions may be counted as EDGE milestones if they satisfy the 36-hour minimum.

Pairing off-campus work experiences with professional development is a great way to maximize the potential of the time you spend earning your undergraduate degree. Full- or part-time employment opportunities off-campus (during both school and off terms) are eligible for EDGE milestones.

If you need a hand finding off-campus employment, consider checking out the WaterlooWorks job board for non-co-op positions. You can connect with employers with temporary, short-term needs that might perfectly suit your schedule. 

If you’re unsure whether or not an off-campus employment opportunity meets the eligibility criteria, contact the EDGE team at edge@uwaterloo.ca to have the position assessed.

Volunteerism off-campus is governed by a complex set of codes and regulations, and its exact definition can vary depending on what you’re reading.^{4 5} As an example, the University’s Safety Office defines volunteerism as “with or without special training, provid[ing] support… without payment and without any expectation of any kind of compensation.”⁶ Taking legal and campus-specific definitions into account, we can sum up volunteerism off-campus with the following points:

• Volunteers don’t receive any compensation for their work beyond an allowance for expenses or an honorarium. Not all volunteer opportunities include expenses or an honorarium.
• Volunteers enter their work without any expectations regarding payment.
• Volunteers typically complete work on an intermittent and/or casual basis for an altruistic cause.
• If the work a volunteer is doing closely resembles the duties associated with a similar paid worker and it’s subject to the same supervision, the volunteer should probably be paid.

Volunteer positions may qualify for EDGE milestones if they satisfy the 36-hour minimum. If you’re unsure whether or not an off-campus volunteer opportunity meets the eligibility criteria, contact the EDGE team at edge@uwaterloo.ca to have the position assessed.

If you're interested in pursuing experiences abroad as part of your journey through EDGE, contact the EDGE team at edge@uwaterloo.ca.