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. You'll gain valuable tips for success and start applying to jobs and going to interviews with employers while throughout your school term.
After that, you'll typically alternate every 4 months between school and work terms, and may sometimes have two school or work terms back to back. 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.
| |
September to December (fall) |
January to April (winter) |
May to August (spring) |
| First year |
School |
School |
Work term |
| Second year |
School |
Work term |
School |
| Third year |
Work term |
School |
Work term |
| Fourth year |
School |
Work term |
School |
| Final year |
Work term |
School |
|
|
School = 4-month school term, Work term = 4-month co-op work term
|
Example 2: Co-op starts in second year
Some students have their first work term halfway through or at the end of second year.
| |
September to December (fall) |
January to April (winter) |
May to August (spring) |
| First year |
School |
School |
Off |
| Second year |
School |
Work term |
School |
| Third year |
Work term |
School |
Work term |
| Fourth year |
School |
Work term |
School |
| Final year |
Work term |
School |
|
|
School = 4-month school term, Work term = 4-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 in September 2020.
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
Faculty of Arts
-
Arts programs other than Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
- Halfway through second year (January to April 2022)
- Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
- After second year (May to August 2022)
Faculty of Engineering
- Architecture
- Halfway through second year (January to April 2022)
- Architectural, Environmental, Geological, Systems Design
- Halfway through first year (January to April 2021)
- Biomedical, Civil, Management, Nanotechnology, Software
- At the end of first year (May to August 2021)
- Chemical, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics
- Halfway through first year (January to April 2021) or after first year (May to August 2021)
Faculty of Environment
-
Environment programs other than Planning
- Halfway through second year (January to April 2022)
- Planning
- Your first work term is after second year (May to August 2022)
Faculty of Mathematics
-
Business Administration and Computer Science (Double Degree), Business Administration and Mathematics (Double Degree), Computing and Financial Management, Mathematical Physics
- After first year (May to August 2021)
- Mathematics/Teaching, Pure Mathematics/Teaching
- After first year (May to August 2021) or halfway through second year (January to April 2022)
-
Mathematics/Chartered Professional Accountancy
- Halfway through second year (January to April 2022)
- All other Math majors, including Computer Science, Mathematics, Mathematics/Business Administration, Mathematics/Financial Analysis and Risk Management
- After first year (May to August 2021) or halfway through second year (which can be September to December 2021 or January to April 2022)
Faculty of Science
-
Science programs other than Psychology
- Halfway through second year (January to April 2022)
- Psychology
- Your first work term is after second year (May to August 2022)
More about co-op
