Co-op procedures

In order to be eligible to receive a co-op designation at the time of graduation, students in the Faculty of Health are required to successfully complete:

Students are given five work term opportunities in which to complete these requirements throughout the normal academic/work term sequence.

Work terms

Information, from interviews to credit completion, is available through Co-operative Education

Professional Development (PD) courses

PD courses are intended to enhance your professional development and assist in integrating your academic and work-term experiences. As a Co-op student in the Faculty of Health, you are required to successfully complete four PD courses. Each PD course is worth 0.5 unit and may not be substituted with a regular academic course credit. With the exception of PD1, you are expected to take the courses while on your co-op work terms. The schedule for completing the PD courses is as follows:

PD course content will be made available via Waterloo LEARN.

PD1: Career Fundamentals will lead you through resources and activities to provide you with the tools to be competitive in your employment search and prepare you for a successful first work term.

Co-operative Education and the Centre for Career Development also offer various resources and workshops to help prepare you for the job search and interview processes, as well as success strategies while on a work term.

Getting into or out of Co-op

Once studies are under way, you may decide that you would like to change your program of study from the co-op to the regular stream, or from the regular to the co-op stream.

Co-op to Regular stream

You may change from co-op to regular stream at any time as long as you are not committed to a job. You should meet with your Academic Advisor to review degree requirements and course sequencing.

You must complete a Plan Modification Form and submit it to your academic advisor to proceed with the change of stream.

Regular to Co-op stream

Changing from the regular to the co-op stream is more difficult as co-op spaces are limited to the number of work placements available. However, there are often several students who decide to leave the co-op stream for various reasons during their first and second year, leaving space available for regular students to transfer into co-op.

Applications for co-op must be submitted no later than the end of your first year, on April 30. You must submit a Plan Modification Form, an updated résumé and fill out the Requesting Co-op Application form to be considered for Co-op. A minimum cumulative and major (HLTH) average of 80% is normally required to be considered for admission to the co-op stream as competition is strong for the few available spaces each year.

*Students who have accepted an offer of transfer into our SPHS programs from another post-secondary institution and have received 4 credit courses or more are not eligible for co-op. We encourage these transfer students to explore The EDGE certificate to enhance their academic experience and acquire new skills.

Things to consider:

  • Refer to your Undergraduate Calendar (Health Studies/Sciences and Public Health or your individualized course sequence for when required courses are offered).
    Note: Some required courses are scheduled in specific terms or academic levels as they are prerequisites for upper year HLTH courses.
  • Only one double work term (eight months) is permitted.
  • Decisions will be made after all final grades are available (in mid to late-June). A minimum cumulative and major (HLTH) average of 80% is normally required to be considered.

Other questions?

Please visit the Co-operative Education and Centre for Career Development for more information.