At Waterloo, co-op students alternate study terms with co-op work terms and graduate with relevant, paid work experience. This means learning how to navigate the hiring process, applying your skills to real-life problems and learning about yourself along the way.
In Arts, co-op is available in History through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.
- Learn how co-op works
- Learn if co-op is right for you
- Learn about your roles and responsibilities as a co-op student
Regular Academic Study or Co-op?
An Honours History degree can be taken as either regular academic study or co-op. The academic requirements of an Honours History degree are identical whether you choose regular academic study or co-op.
The University of Waterloo has a world-renowned co-operative education program, and history students may find work with participating employers in fields such as education, archives, business, government, industry, and the non-profit sector.
There are advantages to taking both regular academic study and the co-op option. It is up to you to decide which path is better, based on your goals and preferences. For more information to help you choose what is best for you, check out the Arts Co-op page.
Co-op eligibility
Co-op is only available to students in Honours academic plans. All Honours Arts students at Waterloo can take advantage of the co-op program to get valuable, paid, work experience during their undergraduate degree.
- Honours History students require a minimum 70% major average
- Honours Arts and Business, Honours History students require a minimum 70% major average and a minimum 70% average in their Honours Arts and Business courses.
As an Arts student, in most cases you will be assessed for co-op eligibility when you declare your major.
If you are eligible, you will be admitted to co-op prior to starting your second year Fall term (academic level 2A). Learn more about Arts co-op eligibility and speak with your History Academic Advisor if you have any questions.
Current History students seeking to add a co-op option may consult the Arts Co-op eligibility page to determine your admission to co-op.
Co-op sequences
You will have five work term opportunities in your sequence and you need to complete a minimum of four work terms. The sequence you follow is determined by when you start your studies and your academic plan(s). For example, students in Honours Arts and Business follow a different sequence than students in Honours Arts.
Learn more about which sequence you follow as a History major. If you are unsure of which sequence to follow, consult your academic advisor.
Requests for sequence changes
You may request consideration for a change in your academic/work term sequence. If you are requesting a sequence change, please see:
- Reasons for a sequence change request
- Co-operative Education request for academic/work term sequence change form
Co-op fees
Co-op at Waterloo is predominantly funded by a student-paid co-op fee. Similar to tuition, this fee is associated with being enrolled in a co-op program and is paid in instalments throughout your time at Waterloo. To learn more about these fees and what they cover, visit the Co-operative Education’s fee page.
Work term reports and Professional Development (PD) courses
The number of PD courses and work reports/reflections you’ll complete is determined by the academic calendar year you joined the the co-op program in the Faculty of Arts. If you are unsure of your program calendar year please consult with your academic advisor.
Co-op students who entered the Faculty of Arts in Fall 2020 or earlier must successfully complete four professional development (PD) and work reports for each work term. The first work report, which is to be completed during the student’s first work term, will be satisfied by successful completion of PD12: Reflection and Learning in the Workplace (i.e., successful completion of PD12 equals credit for work report one).
Students who entered the Faculty of Arts in Fall 2021 or later are required to complete five PD courses, each with a built-in reflective report.
Effective Winter 2022, work reports will no longer be required for co-op students in the Faculty of Arts. From Winter 2022 onward, Arts co-op students will instead complete embedded reflections within the required Professional Development (PD) courses.
For more details, visit the Faculty of Arts' Work-term report and PD requirements page.
Support for co-op students
As a co-op student, your academic advisor and the team of co-op advisors are here to support you and answer any questions you have about co-op. For resources to help you find a co-op job, check out Co-op's How to find your co-op job page.
All students (co-op and regular streams) have access to Centre for Career Action resources and supports at any point during their time at Waterloo.