Graduate Co-op

At Waterloo, co-op graduate students alternate study terms with co-op work terms and graduate with relevant, paid work experience.

Graduate students may combine their academic studies with paid work experience through the Department’s graduate co-op programs. TheDepartment has co-op programs at both the MA and PhD level. These programs provide students with a unique opportunity to gain relevant work experience and build new professional skills by integrating a work term into their academic program.

Co-op Requirements

MA Co-op Program: One work term placement is required for the MA co-op program. MA students have the option of completing a second work placement, if they so choose.

PhD Co-op Program: Two work term placements are normally required for the PhD co-op program.

To receive credit for completing co-op placement(s), all co-op students must complete a work term report. This report provides students with an opportunity to critically reflect on their work placement activities through a sociological lens, practice crafting a clear scholarly analysis and argument, and create a permanent record of their work placement. Reports are submitted to the Graduate Co-op Advisor in the academic semester following placement.

See the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies Co-op Handbook for more details.

Academic Term/Work Term Sequencing

MA Sequencing:

1) Option 1 (one work term): The default course sequence for the MA co-op program is two semesters of academic study followed by one semester on placement and returning to academic study for the remainder of the program. The sequence for MA students completing one work term is as follows:

1 Work Term	Fall	Winter	Spring	Fall	Winter	Spring	Fall
Coursework	A1	A2	WT1	A3
MRP	A1	A2	WT1	A3	A4
Thesis	A1	A2	WT1	A3	A4	A5	A6

2) Option 2 (two work terms): MA students have the option to complete a second work term. The sequence for two placements at the MA level is as follows:

2 Work Terms	Fall	Winter	Spring	Fall	Winter	Spring	Fall	Winter
Coursework	A1	A2	WT1	WT2	A3
MRP	A1	A2	WT1	WT2	A3	A4
Thesis	A1	A2	WT1	WT2	A3	A4	A5	A6

CW = MA coursework stream; 3 academic semesters

MRP = MA major research paper stream; 4 academic semesters

Thesis = MA thesis stream; 6 academic semesters

A = Academic semester WT = Work term

PhD Sequencing:

PhD co-op graduate students normally complete their work term placements after completing their comprehensive exams or after their dissertation proposal has been approved. The number of placements completed will extend the program completion time by the corresponding number of calendar months.

The Department of Sociology and Legal Studies Graduate Co-op Handbook

Graduate Co-op Handbook

Grad Co-op Student Jobs

Our co-op students find work in a variety of employment settings such as:

provincial and federal governments
private research organizations
personnel departments
communication departments
banking, insurance and consulting firms
educational institutions
social services

Co-op students working in these settings do a wide variety of tasks, such as:

policy analysis
program evaluation
conducting research in conjunction with ongoing projects
marketing products or services
performing administrative duties
technical writing
educational instruction
fundraising
working in human resources
customer or public relations

Finding a Co-op Job:

MA Co-op Jobs:

MA co-op students can apply for work placements through the WaterlooWorks co-op job board. Through WaterlooWorks, Cooperative Education and Career Action (CECA) coordinates two hiring cycles in the semester prior to placement. For Spring placement, jobs are advertised from January - March. For Fall placement, jobs are advertised from May - August.

MA students can obtain approval for jobs found outside of WaterlooWorks, as long as the job meets CECA requirements. Placements are evaluated on a case-by-case basis but usually consist of 12-16 weeks of paid full-time work at the provincial minimum wage. Students can work with the Graduate Co-op Advisor in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies to ensure that the position meets minimum university requirements.

PhD Co-op Jobs:

PhD co-op students do not have access to WaterlooWorks at this time. PhD students work directly with the Graduate Co-op Advisor to find work placement(s) aligned with their interests and experience.

Co-op Supports

All graduate students have access to a variety of other resources on campus:

Centre for Career Action offers supports and services (e.g., advising appointments, workshops, events)
CareerHub offers online resources (e.g., tips for finding work, writing résumés, and job interview prep)
WaterlooWorks also runs non-co-op job boards (e.g., other job boards where employers looking to hire graduate students routinely post part-time and full-time jobs)

Benefits of Grad Co-op

Get hands-on work experience in your field of study
Apply the skills you learned in the classroom in a work setting
Build your résumé/CV with relevant work experience and meaningful professional skills
Develop and improve your interview skills
Network with employers and coworkers
Explore alternate career paths and different work environments
Earn additional income to support your graduate education

What are our students saying about our co-op programs?

“I would highly recommend the co-op program, especially for those taking a graduate degree in Sociology. Questions that I received a lot, and I am sure others have, is what are you going to do with Sociology? The co-op program provides an avenue to see how to translate the skills learned in an academic environment into a career”

- MA Co-op Student -

“I think the best part about the grad co-op program is the opportunity to gauge market interest in your skill set, educational background and training that you obtain through the graduate program. It allows you to get a first-hand look at the job market and future opportunities that you may not have been aware of.”

- MA Co-op Student -

“We are taught well in this program how to effectively communicate a complex argument, either orally or written, and how our arguments can contribute to the bigger picture. But taking this training and applying it to a non-academic world can sometimes be difficult. This co-op position allowed me to develop another set of research, analytic, and communication skills that can bring my lens of Sociology and effectively apply it in a working environment. My graduate degree training in Sociology has been key to being successful in my current role…I am using the skills, theories, and frameworks that I was trained in to provide an evidence-basis for policy development. I am using what I have learned to influence policy, I am actively engaging in “Sociology in action.""

- MA Co-op Student –

Questions about the grad co-op programs can be directed to:

Quinn Smith

Graduate Coordinator and Advisor

E-mail: soc-gradoffice@uwaterloo.ca

Office: PAS 2047

519-888-4567 x41953