As a co-op student, you'll either be studying full time or working full time in a job related to your program.
In the school term before your first co-op term, you'll take a professional development course to guide you through Waterloo's co-op process and to start developing key skills for your career. You'll gain valuable tips for success and start applying to jobs and going to interviews with employers during your school term.
After that, you'll typically alternate every four months between school and work terms. You may sometimes have two back-to-back school or work terms. However, there are several variations of co-op work/study sequences.
Example 1: Co-op starts in first year
Engineering and some Math students will have co-op work terms in January or May of first year.
| Year | September to December (Fall) | January to April (Winter) | May to August (Spring) |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Study | Study | Co-op |
| Second | Study | Co-op | Study |
| Third | Co-op | Study | Co-op |
| Fourth | Study | Co-op | Study |
| Fifth | Co-op | Study | - |
| Notes | Study = Four-month school term, Co-op = Four-month co-op work term | ||
Example 2: Co-op starts in second year
Other students will often have their first work term halfway through second year.
| Year | September to December (Fall) | January to April (Winter) | May to August (Spring) |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Study | Study | Off |
| Second | Study | Co-op | Study |
| Third | Co-op | Study | Co-op |
| Fourth | Study | Co-op | Study |
| Fifth | Co-op | Study | - |
| Notes | Study = Four-month school term, Co-op = Four-month co-op work term Off = Make your own plans (work, travel, vacation, etc.) |
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When will your first co-op work term be?
If you're not sure which faculty offers your program of interest, view our programs grouped by faculty. The dates are for students starting first year in September 2024.
