Co-op work/study schedules

Students on path with green trees at the University of Waterloo

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 help 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 many 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 / term September to December (Fall) January to April (Winter) May to August (Spring)
First year Study term Study term Work term
Second year Study term Work term Study term
Third year Work term Study term Work term
Fourth year Study term Work term Study term
Final year Work term Study term -
Notes Study term = Four-month school term, Work term = Four-month co-op work term
Off = Make your own plans (work, travel, vacation, etc.)

Example 2: Co-op starts in second year

Other students will often have their first work term halfway through second year.

Year / term September to December (Fall) January to April (Winter) May to August (Spring)
First year Study term Study term Off
Second year Study term Work term Study term
Third year Work term Study term Work term
Fourth year Study term Work term Study term
Final year Work term Study term -
Notes Study term = Four-month school term, Work term = Four-month co-op work term
Off = Make your own plans (work, travel, vacation, etc.)

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.

More about co-op