Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) 611: Interdisciplinary Community/Industry Research Project

Spring 2024 course offering

Building off the success of the spring 2023 Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) course offering, all graduate students are invited to apply to participate in a new WIL course in spring 2024.

The course, WIL 611: Interdisciplinary Community/Industry Research Project, provides an opportunity for students to engage as part of an interdisciplinary team, working on projects with an industry or community partner focused on Sustainable Futures. Students will participate in 100+ hours of supported work-integrated learning as part of the course and will produce a final report for their industry or community partner.

Additionally, students receive support through a career curriculum delivered by the Centre for Career Development (CCD) and by staff from the Centre for WIL. Students will have the opportunity to

develop research and evidence-informed solutions,
collaborate with an interdisciplinary team,
build professional relationships with industry and/or community partners, and
reflect upon their strengths and gaps in the current knowledge, skills and abilities.

Course instructors, Dr. Michael Wood and Dr. Derek Rayside, will provide instruction, mentorship, and feedback,

Why participate?

WIL 611 will allow students to gain:

Real work experience to bring theoretical knowledge to life
Practical industry/community partner experience, connections and feedback
Access to employers who value global insights
Opportunity to develop and showcase employability skills
Experience working within an interdisciplinary team
Career development support from the CCD and Centre for WIL

Additional course details:

Participants must be available to participate in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. (note: synchronous sessions will not be held every week and participants will receive a confirmed schedule at the start of the term).
The course will be graded as CR/NCR (credit/no credit) and is considered “extra to degree”. This means that participating will not count towards degree requirements, nor will it impact a student’s average.
Participants are expected to dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to the course.
Students may be eligible for grant funding associated with unpaid WIL, more details available soon.
The course is open to graduate students in all programs/departments/schools and faculties and is being co-taught by instructors from both the Faculty of Environment and the Faculty of Engineering.
The course will appear on participants' transcripts as extra to degree with the following title and topic: WIL 611, Interdisciplinary Community/Industry Research Project.

How to apply:

Expressions of Interest will be used to assess eligibility and students selected must submit a course/add drop form with required permissions from their faculty/program/supervisor.

It is highly recommended that you discuss participation with your supervisor or program officer to confirm their support for you to participate prior to completing the Expression of Interest.

Expressions of Interest can be submitted online and are due by May 3, 2024 (extended from April 19).

Expressions of Interest do not guarantee enrollment into the course. Student selection will prioritize those students without access to program-level Work-Integrated Learning (i.e., Co-op, Internships) and will aim to maximize interdisciplinarity across total course enrolment.

Questions

If you have questions about WIL 611: Interdisciplinary Community/Industry Research Project, please contact Ben McDonald.