Graduate Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) at the University of Waterloo

Graduate Studies at the University of Waterloo were designed to be different. Building on Waterloo’s tradition and strength in experiential learning, students in graduate programs are encouraged to think beyond the classroom, through engagement in work-integrated learning opportunities.

What is Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)?

WIL is a form of curricular experiential education that formally integrates a student’s academic studies (classroom learning and research) with quality experiences within a workplace or practice setting. WIL experiences include an engaged partnership with at least: an academic institution, a host organization (industry, government, or community partner), and a student. WIL can occur at the course or program level and includes the development of student learning objectives and outcomes related to employability, agency, knowledge and skill mobility, and lifelong learning.

WIL experiences provide students with many benefits, such as gaining practical work experience in their fields of study, understanding the pressing issues in the ‘real world’ such that students’ research has the potential to be more impactful, allowing for experiences that foster a greater understanding the direction they wish to take in their career, giving students the skills needed to be successful in their chosen career path, and at the same time, an edge over other graduates entering the workforce.

Grad WIL at UWaterloo

Experiential education, and more specifically WIL, has been a core component of teaching and learning at Waterloo since its inception. WIL provides students with crucial professional development, networking, funding, and opportunities to build skills for transition to the workforce.

Several graduate programs offer WIL experiences through a variety of formats, including co-op (read about Zeynep’s experience), internship, practicum (read about Keith’s experience), course-integrated WIL (e.g., assignments or capstone projects), research, and/or entrepreneurial activities. Graduate students, such as master’s student Jonah Eisen, have also engaged in WIL opportunities outside of their programs, by participating in activities such as the Sportsnet Hockey Hack organized by Velocity.

International students, a co-op work permit is required for all WIL experiences in Canada that are degree requirements, and both domestic and international students interested in exploring WIL expeirences outside of Canada will need to obtain the appropriate permits and visas to work aborad. For more information on work permits and visas, including resources on campus, please review our permits and visas webpage.

Graduate students’ value to community and industry partners

As a graduate student at the University of Waterloo, you have a wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience that you’ve developed through your current graduate program, previous academics, and/or prior work experience. The skills and experiences you have acquired are valued by employers in industry, government, and non-profit organizations.

As you consider grad WIL experiences, or employment opportunities post-degree, you may wish to highlight the attributes that many of our graduate students possess. Depending on your field, program type and experiences in graduate studies, you may:

Be well positioned for innovation – able to create, implement and disseminate knowledge
- Consider all the steps involved in your thesis or dissertation project – from identifying a research question and determining scope, to determining methodologies and conducting the research, to writing and communicating your results
Be adaptable, flexible and have a high tolerance for ambiguity
- Consider any unforeseen challenges you’ve experienced in your program or the reduced level of guidance that you experience in your courses and research
Have well-developed leadership, independence, and self-management skills
- Consider how structure and guidance in your program may decrease as you gain skills and abilities, and how you have managed planning your projects and time independently
Apply theoretical knowledge in practical ways
- Consider how you’ve applied your theoretical knowledge to real-world problems in courses or research
Be well positioned to work across disciplinary boundaries
- Consider if you already work across disciplinary boundaries, or how you have developed skills to communicate your research and expertise to those outside your discipline
Create results while accepting constraints
- Consider the constraints you identified when planning the scope of your research or projects (e.g., time-limitations, finances, laboratory availability, etc.), and how you achieve success despite these constraints
Have advanced communication and presentation skills and the ability to articulate complex ideas in relatable and accessible ways
- Consider how often you work on your communication skills through a variety of tasks (written assignments, teaching, conference presentations, proposal defences, etc.)
Have specialized expertise, as well as a broad understanding of trends within your field
- Consider how many people have the specialized expertise you can bring to an employer, as well as the broad understanding of your field you’ve gained over the years
Receive feedback, evaluating and implement it into your work and projects
- Consider your experience receiving feedback from your supervisor, committee members, instructors, or peer reviewers
Manage large projects, including those with constrained resources
- Consider the project management skills you’re learning by managing your thesis or dissertation project
Work, collaborate and communicate with diverse people and stakeholders
- Consider the diverse group of people you interact with through teaching, group projects, research, or conferences
Be resourceful and able to take initiative to achieve resources
- Consider the funding and resource (e.g., time) constraints you face when conducting research or completing coursework

Review the resources provided by the Centre for Career Development for more support identifying and articulating your unique skillsets.

If you’re a graduate student interested in exploring grad WIL opportunities, speak to your graduate co-ordinator, who can provide you with information about any WIL opportunities available in your program.

The future of grad WIL

Through the University’s 2020-2025 strategic plan, we made a commitment to develop talent for a complex future, which includes expanding Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities at the graduate level. This is a signature objective towards the goal of enhancing graduate studies.

The vision for grad WIL at the University of Waterloo is for all graduate students to have an opportunity to participate in WIL – either within their program or offered centrally, outside their program. We will prepare you for your grad WIL experiences through various professional development activities and provide you with opportunities to reflect on your goals, skills and career values.

Through a partnership between Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) and Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE), which began in 2020, the university continues to further develop graduate WIL opportunities. Currently, the project team is in the process of consulting with the campus community, including students, faculty, staff and senior leadership, to gather feedback on proposed models of grad WIL.

Student perspectives on grad WIL

The grad WIL team reviewed student survey data from various sources (e.g. Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey) for preliminary data on student perceptions on grad WIL. This data was then used to inform questions for student consultations, which took place in December 2022, and focused on obtaining student input on centralized grad WIL experiences. Three focus groups took place, separated by program type (Master’s coursework students, Master’s research students, doctoral students). Students representing all six faculties took part in the student consultations, as well as both international and domestic students.

Overall, it was found that significant variation exists in student preferences for participating in a central WIL experience (many contradicting opinions were voiced, even withing similar program types), however, the following themes emerged from all focus groups:

Students require information about central WIL options early on in their program to plan appropriately (planning considerations include course availability, visas for international students, etc.)
Funding is a significant challenge and consideration for participating in a central WIL experience 
Students were most likely to want to participate in a central WIL experience mid-degree
For research-based students, support from supervisors is a very important consideration
Students are very interested in support finding job opportunities for central WIL, though there is not a clear definition of what that “support” must include

The grad WIL team also conducted a focus group with graduate students in January 2023 to support the development of a professional development course to support graduate students engaging in a WIL experience. Students from a variety of programs and faculties participated and shared their feedback on course learning outcomes, timline (when the course is offered adn length of time), format and delivery of course, and some feedback on teh module topics.

A representative from the Graduate Student Association, University of Waterloo (GSA-UW) also participates in monthly meetings about Grad WIL, to receievd updates and provide feedback from the graduate student perspective.

The grad WIL team is integrated student feedback into grad WIL pilots (such as the spring 2023 pilot WIL course), and continues to consult students, with particular emphasis on consulting with students participating in pilot offerings. If you would like to share your thoughts or feedback on grad WIL, please contact the grad WIL team.

Pilot grad WIL course

The Graduate WIL team is pleased to announce a new Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) pilot course open to all graduate students. This course will provide graduate student participants the opportunity to work on a real-life industry or community partner problem with an interdisciplinary team of their peers.

The pilot course was first offered in spring 2023 - learn more about the spring 2023 WIL course pilot - and will be offered again in spring 2024, fall 2024 and winter 2025.

The spring 2024 course is now available; explore the details about Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) 611: Interdisciplinary Community/Industry Research Project.

Who to contact

Current graduate students: If you have questions about the grad WIL project, please contact Sarah Howard, Manager, Postdoctoral Affairs and Programming Development.

Future graduate students: If you have questions about grad WIL opportunities in a program you are interested in applying to, please reach out to the department/program graduate co-ordinator.

Staff or faculty: If you are a staff or faculty member interested in exploring grad WIL opportunities in your department/school, please visit the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Resources web page (login required) for more information.