Management Engineering is a co-operative education program that provides exciting opportunities for our students to gain hands-on professional experience to complement their academic studies. Employers value this practical experience and work term salaries contribute to help cover the costs of your education.
Management Engineering students begin co-op in first year. This means students get paid and gain real world job experience after only eight months of classes. By graduation, you'll have up to two years of work experience under your belt, giving you a serious advantage when applying to full-time jobs. Starting early has its benefits!
For more information on co-op in Management Engineering and for answers to frequently asked questions, visit the links below:
Who hires Management Engineering co-op students?
How do co-op students find co-op jobs?
How much are students paid on co-op terms?
What kind of jobs do junior students get?
What do you do on a co-op job as an intermediate/senior student?
Can I arrange my own co-op job?
To find out more about co-op at Waterloo in general, visit Co-operative Educuation & Career Action or Co-op in Engineering.
Example co-op experiences
Management Engineering students gain a variety of experiences in their co-op term.
Work/study sequencing
Participation in co-op is mandatory for Management Engineering students. Students must successfully complete five co-op terms to graduate; however six co-op terms are scheduled. First-year students start off with eight months of school in September and begin co-op the following May.
The work/study sequence for Management Engineering is as follows:
Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|||||||||
Term* |
F | W | S | F | W | S | F | W | S | F | W | S | F | W |
Progress** |
1A | 1B | C1 | 2A | C2 | 2B | C3 | 3A | C4 | 3B | C5 | 4A | C6 | 4B |
* F = Fall (September - December), W = Winter (January - April), S = Spring (May - August)
** A and B indicate the first and second semester of each academic year. For example, 2B is the second term of the second academic year. C stands for "co-op term".
Who hires Management Engineering co-op students?
Management Engineering students assume various roles and are employed by a wide range of employers in diverse industries.
Typical position titles for management engineering students include:
- Business (intelligence) analyst
- Data analyst/scientist
- Project/product manager
- Supply chain analyst/manager
- Software developer
- Manufacturing engineer
How do students find co-op jobs?
The University of Waterloo has a comprehensive infrastructure in place for co-op, including a specialized software system that helps match students with employers. Ours is the world’s largest co-op program, offering a number of services to help students through the process.
From your first week on campus, you can access resume critique workshops and mock interviews from the student Engineering Society, and professional development coaching from the Co-operative Education office.
Where are co-op jobs located?
While the majority of co-op jobs are in Canada, particularly southern Ontario, many international co-op jobs do exist. Out of 21,000+ co-op students, approximately 20 percent of them find work terms outside of Ontario, including a good portion of students who travel to the U.S. About five percent of those are travelling elsewhere in Canada or across the world.
How much are students paid on co-op terms?
Student earnings while on co-op will vary depending on the student's level (junior/intermediate/senior) and on the type of industry and location of the workplace. The department of Co-operative Education maintains up-to-date summary statistics on student earnings.
What kinds of co-op jobs do junior students get?
Junior jobs are always the most challenging to obtain, especially if a student does not have prior work experience or has not developed some additional skills. However, almost all of the students do eventually get a co-op job after the first year. Junior jobs are usually introductory type jobs where they assist and help full time personnel with various tasks – often relating to data analysis, recording, reporting, project management, and project tracking. Some students also get jobs in software (e.g. web development).
What do you do on a co-op job as an intermediate/senior student?
After the first work term getting a co-op job becomes far easier. There is something on the resume that can speak to skills developed and used. There is also something on the resume to talk about during an interview. Students rapidly find themselves doing more tasks related to analysis, decision-making, and design. They get more involved in project management and interact more with managers as they do data and problem analysis.
Can I arrange my own co-op job?
Yes, you can arrange you own co-op job. There are a number of rules and regulations about the job, but many students do find their own jobs through networking and/or family connections.
