Work and community experiences

EDGE students use work and/or community experiences to explore opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom and reflect on their personal growth.

Students can complete their work or community experience milestones in three ways:

they can complete experiential learning courses, which are academic courses that include a work-integrated learning component;
they can complete on-campus experiences, which are work or volunteer opportunities linked to the University's faculties, student societies, clubs, offices and services;
they can complete off-campus experiences, which are non-University affiliated work or volunteer opportunities.

Work-integrated learning courses

Courses that are eligible to count as EDGE work or community milestones comprise a subset of courses that would be called experiential education courses. EDGE courses are more specifically labelled work-integrated learning courses.

For a course to be eligible as an EDGE work or community milestone, the learning activities and assessments need to be authentic to the workplace. This means that students must work on problems, processes and projects that they may encounter in their professions and produce work reflecting professional practice. The learning activities and assessments must also have an impact outside of the typical student-instructor course model with an authentic audience beyond the classroom and a clearly articulated need for the student work. An authentic audience is usually an industry or community partner for which the work is completed, but may also be other members of the community, e.g. members of the general public.

For more information about experiential learning courses, visit our page devoted to the different types of EDGE experiences.

What are the criteria for approving an experiential learning course?

EDGE course experiences generally require students to:

interact directly with industry or community partners on work activities with the intention that the community partner uses the work completed by the students; OR
complete authentic work activities with the final product actively and purposefully disseminated to the community, e.g. information resources, performances.

The students need to engage in the authentic work for a minimum of 18 hours over the term. This requirement is guided by the principle of reciprocity. The student’s work needs to be at a level that is of value to the community partner. In turn, the industry or community partner needs to provide feedback by completing a student evaluation that focuses on the student’s performance within the work experience. In circumstances where the industry or community partner is not well defined, e.g. with a public performance, an alternate evaluator will be explored.

Additionally, the course must be open to students in traditional (i.e. non-co-op) programs and the course must be weighted for academic achievement at 0.25 credits or higher to be eligible for an EDGE work or community milestone.

With this criteria, there are many experiential education courses that do not qualify for EDGE. These experiences are extremely valuable to students, but do not meet the threshold to be an EDGE pre-approved course. Examples of experiential education courses that would not satisfy the criteria for an EDGE work or community milestone include:

Fieldwork courses where the work completed by the student is graded by the instructor/TA and does not get used by a community or industry partner
Courses that contain workplace simulations that take place within the classroom without involvement from a community or industry partner
Seminar courses where students research and lead course discussions on a specified topic
Lab reports that are designed to assess student learning but were not intentionally designed with a work or community partner

Where can I see all of the pre-approved EDGE courses?

You can see all of the pre-approved EDGE courses by visiting our full list of EDGE courses.

I'm taking a course with an experiential learning component, but I don't see it listed on the EDGE website. How can I get EDGE staff to consider approving my experience?

If you want to complete a milestone using an experiential learning course that hasn’t been pre-approved, submit the independent studies and special topics enrolment form available on the EDGE website. A member of the EDGE team will contact your professor to discuss your course’s compatibility with EDGE within several days of the form’s submission.

Can I take an experiential learning course associated with a different program or faculty and count it toward completing EDGE?

You can count any experiential learning course toward EDGE as long as it’s approved, even if it’s outside of your chosen program or faculty. With that said, many of the courses that have been pre-approved as EDGE milestones are upper-year courses with one or more prerequisites.

Make sure to thoroughly check the prerequisites and conditions associated with enrolling in these courses when planning your journey through EDGE. You can also talk to your academic advisor to make sure the courses you want to take will fit into your degree requirements and sequence. Finally, the EDGE team is here to help — feel free to contact us at edge@uwaterloo.ca if you need guidance.

What happens if I fail an experiential learning course?

If you fail an experiential learning course, you won’t complete an EDGE milestone with the experience. Your performance in the course doesn’t impact any other parts of your EDGE journey or your status as an EDGE student. If you retake and successfully complete the course, you can still receive an EDGE milestone.

I completed a pre-approved experiential learning course during an earlier term. Can I receive a retroactive EDGE milestone for that experience?

Unfortunately, you can’t receive a retroactive EDGE milestone for experiential learning courses. EDGE students only complete milestones using experiential learning courses if they pass the course, submit a reflective assignment, and receive an evaluation from the course’s work or community partner. All components need to be completed within the same term. If you complete the course before opting into EDGE, you won’t have the reflective assignment and evaluation needed for a milestone.

On-campus experiences

On-campus experiences are work or volunteer opportunities linked to the University’s faculties, student societies, clubs, offices and services. Students who complete on-campus experiences develop new skills, explore their career options and reflect on their personal growth.

For more information about on-campus experiences, visit our page devoted to the different types of EDGE experiences.

What are the criteria for approving an on-campus experience?

On-campus experiences must involve at least 36 hours of work in a term. Students who want to receive an EDGE milestone for an on-campus experience need to complete a professional development (PD) course during the same term as their experience. They also need to submit a reflective assignment and their supervisor must submit an evaluation.

I'm working on campus in a role that isn't listed as a pre-approved position. How can I submit my experience for approval?

If you'd like to assess your current role or a future position you're considering, contact us at edge@uwaterloo.ca.

You can submit your experience for approval by signing up for one of the online professional development (PD) courses associated with EDGE. You'll be required to submit a job information form through LEARN on the day you first open the course. Once you've submitted the form, the EDGE team will contact your supervisor to vet the experience and give them the tools they need to provide you with quality feedback. If your experience isn't approved, someone from the EDGE team will contact you.

For more information about pre-approval and the milestone-granting process, visit our list of EDGE experiences.

Where can I see all of the pre-approved on-campus experiences?

You can see all of the pre-approved on-campus experiences by visiting our list of EDGE experiences.

I completed a pre-approved on-campus experience during an earlier term. Can I earn a retroactive EDGE milestone for that experience?

Unfortunately, you can’t receive a retroactive EDGE milestone for on-campus experiences. EDGE students can only complete milestones using on-campus experiences when they complete a professional development (PD) course, submit a reflective assignment, and receive an evaluation from their supervisor in the same term. If you complete an experience before opting into EDGE, you won’t have the combination of the PD course, reflective assignment and evaluation needed for milestones.

Where can I access the reflective assignment I need to complete at the end of the term to receive a milestone for my experience?

You can find everything you need to complete the reflective assignment within the EDGE LEARN community, including assignment details, associated rubrics, timelines for completion and a dropbox for submission.

How can my on-campus supervisor access and submit my evaluation?

The EDGE team will make direct contact with your supervisor and give them a link to the evaluation tool. The evaluation is designed to take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, and it will be due at the end of the given term's exam period.

Off-campus experiences

Off-campus experiences are non-University affiliated work or volunteer opportunities available to students. These experiences could include a part-time position in the Waterloo region, a summer job in a student's home town or volunteer opportunities during Reading Week, as examples. Students who complete off-campus experiences develop new skills, explore their career options and reflect on their personal growth.

For more information about off-campus experiences, visit our page devoted to the different types of EDGE experiences.

What are the criteria for approving an off-campus experience?

Off-campus experiences must involve at least 36 hours of work in a term. Students who want to receive an EDGE milestone for an off-campus experience need to complete a professional development (PD) course during the same term as their experience. They also need to submit a reflective assignment and their supervisor must submit an evaluation of their performance.

What are the different types of off-campus experiences that I can complete?

You can complete EDGE milestones using a wide variety of off-campus experiences. Full- and part-time employment, volunteer opportunities, short-term service learning (e.g. a Habitat for Humanity trip) and international opportunities are all viable as long as they meet the off-campus experience criteria.

How can I submit my off-campus experience for vetting by EDGE staff?

If you'd like to assess your current role or a future position you're considering, contact us at edge@uwaterloo.ca.

For more information about pre-approval and the milestone-granting process, visit our list of EDGE experiences.

I used to be enrolled in a co-op program. Can I apply my co-op experiences (e.g. PD courses, work terms, work reports, etc.) toward completing EDGE?

You may be able to receive an EDGE milestone for co-op experiences completed before transferring out of a co-op program. When you register for EDGE, your transcript will be reviewed by the EDGE team for milestone eligibility opportunities. You’ll be notified of any awarded milestones upon entering the program.

For more information on this topic, visit our page devoted to EDGE milestone eligibility.

Can I count a past part-time job or volunteer experience toward completing EDGE?

Unfortunately, you can’t receive a retroactive EDGE milestone for off-campus experiences. EDGE students only receive milestones for an off-campus experience if they pair it with a professional development (PD) course, submit a reflective assignment, and receive an evaluation from their supervisor. If you complete an experience before opting into EDGE, you won’t have the combination of the PD course, reflective assignment and evaluation needed for milestones.

Work and community experiences

Work-integrated learning courses

What are the criteria for approving an experiential learning course?

Where can I see all of the pre-approved EDGE courses?

I'm taking a course with an experiential learning component, but I don't see it listed on the EDGE website. How can I get EDGE staff to consider approving my experience?

Can I take an experiential learning course associated with a different program or faculty and count it toward completing EDGE?

What happens if I fail an experiential learning course?

I completed a pre-approved experiential learning course during an earlier term. Can I receive a retroactive EDGE milestone for that experience?

On-campus experiences

What are the criteria for approving an on-campus experience?

I'm working on campus in a role that isn't listed as a pre-approved position. How can I submit my experience for approval?

Where can I see all of the pre-approved on-campus experiences?

I completed a pre-approved on-campus experience during an earlier term. Can I earn a retroactive EDGE milestone for that experience?

Where can I access the reflective assignment I need to complete at the end of the term to receive a milestone for my experience?

How can my on-campus supervisor access and submit my evaluation?

Off-campus experiences

What are the criteria for approving an off-campus experience?

What are the different types of off-campus experiences that I can complete?

How can I submit my off-campus experience for vetting by EDGE staff?

I used to be enrolled in a co-op program. Can I apply my co-op experiences (e.g. PD courses, work terms, work reports, etc.) toward completing EDGE?

Can I count a past part-time job or volunteer experience toward completing EDGE?

Where can I access the reflective assignment I need to complete at the end of the term to receive a milestone for my experience?

How can my off-campus supervisor access and submit my evaluation?

Contact EDGE

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