The English co-op program gives students the ability to earn income and gain experience in the workplace. You may take any Honours English degree in either the regular mode or the co-op mode.
The academic requirements of Honours English degree plans are identical whether you are a regular or a co-op student.
You should apply for co-op when you apply for entry into your Honours English program at the end of 1B term or the beginning of 2A term. You will then complete six further terms of study on campus (2A/B, 3A/B, 4A/B) and at least four work terms with participating employers in fields such as education, media, business, government, industry, and the non-profit sector.
Regular or co-op
Co-op and regular programs each have advantages. It’s up to you which you prefer. The chart below describes the main differences between them.
| Regular | Co-op |
|---|---|
| Normally enrol for courses in Fall and Winter terms | Alternate work-study terms, with at least one academic term in Spring |
| Probably complete 4-Year B.A. in 4 chronological years | Normally require 5 chronological years to finish 4-year co-op B.A. |
| Freedom to take courses in any of the three terms of the year | Income earned on work terms can help pay for your education |
| No term-by-term adjustments between study and work; no moves between cities and apartments | May enjoy the change of pace and discipline of alternating work and study terms |
| Focus on academic study | Gain valuable work and life experience and useful additions to resume |
Co-op requirements
Students may request co-op when they apply for entry into an Honours English academic plan (at the end of 1B or start of 2A term) with a minimum average of 70% in their English courses. They will complete a further six terms of study on campus and a minimum of four work terms and 4 work term reports. An employer evaluation is required for each work term you undertake. This chart shows the English co-op sequence:
| F | W | S | F | W | S | F | W | S | F | W | S | F | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | 1B | off | 2A | wt | 2B | wt | 3A | wt | 3B | wt | wt | 4A | 4B |
Additional Co-op Requirements
Professional Development (PD) Courses
PD courses enhance your professional skills, from problem-solving to conflict resolution. Students admitted to co-op in Fall 2021 or later must complete five PD courses, including PD1 (taken before the first work-term), PD12 (taken during the first work-term), and three PD electives. PD courses do not count towards your academic course-load.
Effective Winter 2022 Work Term Reports are no longer required. If you began co-op prior to Fall 2021 and have questions about your Work Report requirement, see your Academic Advisor.
Typical co-op jobs
Some recent co-op positions include the following:
- Technical writer
- Software developer
- Cost and planning analyst
- Web developer
- Marketing director
- Communications coordinator
- Archivist
- Information analyst
- Policy and communications intern
- Research Assistant
- Assistant office manager
- Lecturer
- English tutor
- Computing assistant
- Correspondence writer
- Residential assistant
- Sales assistant
- Editorial assistant
- Fundraising intern
- Library clerk