Frequently asked questions

The University of Ottawa’s co-op program differs in that:

• Your study sessions alternate with four-month work terms.
• You work in an area directly related to your field of study.
• You earn a salary during your work terms.
• You have to submit a report at the end of each placement.

In co-operative education, the program is approved and implemented by a university and study sessions alternate with paid work terms. An internship, however, is a work placement that is not necessarily connected with or overseen by an educational institution.

At the University of Ottawa, the co-op option is available in the four-year undergraduate programs (honours with specialization, double major and major with minor) and in some master’s programs. In most cases at the undergraduate level, your first work term takes place during the summer after your second year. From then on, your placements and study sessions alternate until the end of your program.

You can do placements with a variety of employers, depending on your program. They can include private businesses, educational institutions, non-profit organizations Crown corporations, federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as high-tech companies. In addition, depending on your preference, you may complete your work term locally, nationally or even internationally. 

Chances are very high that this will be the case. It’s much easier to find full-time employment when you’ve acquired experience and skills through co-op placements. In fact, sometimes our students find a full-time position even before they’ve graduated. 

In 2018-2019, the co-op option was available in more than 80 programs. It is offered in the four-year undergraduate programs at the faculties of Arts, Law, Engineering, Science and Social Sciences as well as the Telfer School of Management and certain master’s programs.

Yes, it is accredited by the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada).

Come by the co-op office (3rd floor Desmarais Building), visit the co-op website, call 613-562-5741, send an email to [email protected] or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Roughly 1,000 students are accepted each year.

It depends on how many credits you need to complete once you’re granted equivalences for your prior studies and on whether you’ll be able to follow the required work-study sequence for your program. In addition to having the necessary grade point average, usually you’ll have to have completed a certain number of compulsory courses before doing a work term and have enough courses still to complete so that you retain full-time status in the remaining study sessions of the work-study sequence. Should you have any question regarding your courses, please contact your faculty.

If the change involves programs in the same faculty, usually there’s no problem. However, if the change involves different faculties, your first work term may be delayed. If you do decide to change programs, make sure you check the compulsory course and admission requirements of your new program very carefully.

Contact the Academic Advisor at your faculty.

Yes

The credits count only towards meeting the requirements needed to have the co-op mention on your diploma. They don’t take replace any of the academic credits you need to meet the requirements of your discipline program.

You will receive either a Pass or a Fail grade, which is determine based on the employer’s evaluation of your work and your faculty’s evaluation of your work term report. Your average won’t be affected if you receive a passing grade. However, if you receive a failing grade, your CGPA will be negatively affected. 

You must contact the co-op office and your faculty before you make any changes. Admission requirements and compulsory course requirements vary from one discipline to another. 

As with regular courses, there are specific but different co-op deadlines that must be met. For example, if you decide to participate in the placement process (interviews, etc.), you cannot withdraw until after you’ve completed your work term. This particular rule is in place so that we can honour our commitment to employers, without whom the co-op program wouldn’t exist. You can withdraw by filling out the online withdrawal form.

It is linked with the first program that will appear on your diploma. If the disciplines are in two different faculties, co-op is linked to the program in the faculty you registered with.

In the regular honour’s programs, students finish in the spring of their fourth year. In most programs, students in the co-op option finish eight months later, that is, in December of their fifth year. At the master’s level, co-op adds one additional session to the program.

It’s possible to do your master’s after doing co-op. Keep in mind, however, that the co-op program delays your graduation from your undergraduate program, so you won’t be able to start your master’s until the following fall. That being said, some graduate programs require work experience as a prerequisite, something you would gain in the co-op program.

It’s possible to go to medical school after doing co-op, but keep in mind that doing co-op will delay your graduation. In addition, some medical schools require uninterrupted studies; students in co-op, however, alternate between work and study terms. Be sure to check the admission requirements for each medical school you’re going to apply to.

Yes. However, you can take only one evening course at a time as long as it doesn’t prevent you from following the required course sequence in the academic session after your work term (because you’re now further ahead in the sequence or because you don’t have enough courses left to remain full time). You are not allowed to take a course with a component that is offered during the day.

Yes. You must be registered in at least 12 credits per session (definition of full time). Be aware, too, that your last session in the co-op program must be a full-time academic session, not a work term.

Co-op fees for 2024-2025 (fall, winter, summer) – Programs for which co-op is optional

You must first pay co-op fees during the term that precedes your first work placement. After that, co-op fees are due at the start of each placement.

The amount is set each year by the Registrar’s Office. Co-op fees help pay for the program’s management and services.

• Canadian citizens or permanent residents: $855
• International students: $1,075

If you don’t get a placement, the co-op fees that precede the first placement are non-refundable; however, you are not required to pay co-op fees for a term for which you have not been matched with any employers.

Co-op fees for 2024-2025 (fall, winter, summer) – Programs for which co-op is mandatory

You must pay co-op fees (announced every year by the Registrar) during each study term. Co-op fees help pay for the program’s management and services.

• Canadian citizens or permanent residents: $641.25
• International students: $806.26

Even if you don’t get a placement, co-op fees are linked to the program’s tuition fees and must be paid prior to every study term.

Co-op fees for 2024-2025 (fall, winter, summer) – Master programs for which co-op is mandatory

You must pay co-op fees prior to each study term. The amount is set each year by the Office of the Registrar.

• Canadian citizens or permanent residents: $570
• International students: $716.67

Even if you don’t get a work term, co-op fees are linked to the program’s tuition fees and must be paid prior to every study term.

Co-op fees cover the entire cost of administering the co-op program, which includes the cost of managing and coordinating the program, running the admission and placement processes (coordinating job postings, setting up interviews, matching students with jobs, etc.), cultivating relations with employers and faculties, managing the facilities and spaces, and improving the program (implementing pilot projects, designing placement opportunities, creating new co-op options, conducting market studies, etc.).

As soon as you are admitted into co-op, you will benefit from a host of services. To prepare for your first co-op placement, you will participate in workshops run by career development specialists, along with online workshops and resources available through Virtual Campus, and in one-on-one meetings tailored to your needs. The complete training program covers how to craft a winning CV, how to proactively prepare for interviews, the placement process, the realities of the job market and how to prepare for your first placement.

Services provided to students after their first placement

Throughout your time in the co-op program, you will continue to benefit from a variety of services to help you succeed. The co-op team will guide you before and during your placements. You will continue to have access to one-on-one counselling (CV reviews, assistance in finding a placement, mock interviews, etc.), as well as career fairs, information sessions and feedback on your placement’s mid-term evaluation. In short, the co-op office is committed to your professional development and career success.

Co-op fees are due at the same time as tuition fees. Be sure to check the list of important dates and deadlines on the University’s website to find out when this is. Payments and late fees are handled by Financial Resources.

Co-op fees are like membership dues and give you access to numerous services. These fees are mandatory regardless of how you go about finding a placement.

Programs for which co-op is optional

The co-op fees that precede the first placement are non-refundable; however, you are not required to pay co-op fees for a term for which you have not been matched with any employers.

Programs for which co-op is mandatory

Co-op fees are linked to the program’s tuition fees and must be paid prior to every study term.

Yes. Many co-op students have completed work terms outside Canada. These placements require extra planning but they’re worth it. See the Mobility section of our website for more information.

Yes. Many co-op students have completed work term placements elsewhere in Canada. In fact, some programs lead to positions in job markets available only outside the Ottawa area. To get the most out of your co-op experience, be sure to look into placements in other cities and countries.

You’re eligible for an international co-op placement if you’ve paid your co-op fees, met with a professional development specialist at the co-op office and completed all necessary pre-departure activities.

Yes. However, you must get approval in advance from the co-op office to be absent during a work term or the placement process. Generally speaking, if the exchange is approved by the University and counts towards meeting the requirements of your program, you’ll be given approval to do the exchange. Every case is evaluated individually and the approval depends on many different criteria. If you plan to participate in the international study exchange program, be sure to complete the Co-op International Study Exchange Request Form to get approval from the co-op office before applying for the exchange.

You need to complete all the work terms required by your program. There are four placements in most programs, except accounting, civil law, translation and master’s programs.

In most programs, the first work term takes place in the summer after your second year, but exact start dates vary from one program to the next. Programs for which you apply by September 30 of your second year usually require you to complete your first work term in the summer following your second year.

Programs for which you apply by March 1 usually require you to do your first work term in the fall or winter of your third year.

Graduate programs for which you apply by September 30 of your first year usually require you to do your first work term in the summer following your first year.

Full-time work term placements usually run for 16 weeks (four months). However, shorter work terms may be possible in special circumstances.

In the CO-OP Navigator, choose one of these three options:

1. "Participating in placement" meaning you will be applying to jobs posted in the CO-OP Navigator
   • We post job offers and arrange interviews on campus. Our program coordinators will make every effort to find you a placement in your field of study.
2. “Conduct your own job search”
   • We must approve the placement. Complete the “Found Own Form” submit it to the co-op office. The employer must also confirm in writing the intention to hire you. The placement must be a paid position related to your field of study and involve at least 16 weeks of full-time employment.
3. “I am returning to a previous employer”
   • Email us at [email protected] and indicate that you wish to return to your previous employer. You must also include proof from your employer of the intention to re-hire you.

Your wages depend on the salary range of the employer. Generally, they vary from $450 to $750 per week, depending on the employer and the field.

Your grade is based on the employer’s evaluation of your work and on your faculty’s evaluation of your work term report. You will receive either a Pass or a Fail grade at the end of each placement.

Yes. We schedule mid-term evaluations halfway through the session to meet with you and your employer. We also follow up to make sure the goals you and your employer set are being achieved. 

Interviews take place Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 pm. You may have to miss classes to attend interviews. By choosing to participate in the placement process, you also agree to be available to attend all scheduled interviews. If they’re scheduled during one of your midterms or labs, the co-op office will make an effort to change the time for you. Faculties are aware that some students may be absent or late as a result of co-op interviews. You may need to attend interviews during reading week.

Yes. Workshops and webinars are part of all accredited co-op programs. They are critical to your success, and you must take part in all of them.

Work term reports are required in order to “pass” your co-op placements. Think of it as your final exam. If you are doing an 8 or 12 month work term, you must write a report after each 4 months.

Yes. As an international student, you can enroll in the co-op option if you meet the admission requirements.

International students must fulfill the eligibility requirements and conditions of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to legally complete a co-op work term.

Resources for international students:

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website
• Weekly virtual SOS Immigration Q&A sessions hosted by uOttawa.

International students can apply for a co-op work permit only after they have been officially admitted into the co-op program.

The co-op office is responsible for providing the letter required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to apply for a co-op work permit.

International students can apply for a co-op work permit only after they have been officially admitted into the co-op program. Learn more about working while studying by visiting the IRCC student guide page.

Resources for international students:

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website
• Weekly virtual SOS Immigration Q&A sessions hosted by uOttawa.

The co-op team cannot assist students with immigration regulations and procedures.

Upon admission into the co-op program, the co-op office is responsible for providing international students with the letter required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Only employees of Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) are legally allowed to assist you with your application. Visit the CIC Call Centre website for helpful information. You can also call the CIC Call Centre from within Canada at 1-888-242-2100 for information, in French or English, about CIC programs and services or about the status of your application. If you prefer, you can email your questions to the CIC call centre.You can also get help from a consultant if you go through the International Office.  

You might not need to apply for a co-op work permit, but you must have your current work permit validated. Email the International Officeto ensure it is the right permit for the co-op program.

You must have your work permit validated. Email InfoServiceto ensure it is the right permit for the co-op program.

Some positions, such as those with the Canadian government, require security clearances. It’s difficult, however, for international students to obtain these clearances. In addition, the Canadian government usually hires Canadian citizens in co-op positions. As an international student, you would instead do your placements with a private sector employer or the University of Ottawa.

There are many private-sector opportunities for students in certain faculties—Engineering and Science, as well some programs at the Telfer School of Management. Note that these opportunities may be at the national or international level. In faculties such as Arts and Social Sciences, most employment opportunities are with the federal government. 

Yes. However, be aware that if the Canadian government advises against travel in your country, we cannot approve a placement there (consult the federal government travel advisories by country).  

We cannot fully guarantee any placement. Having a high average may help when you’re looking for a placement, but it isn’t always the deciding factor. See the next question for information on skills employers look for.

Employers attach great importance to skills such as fluency in both official languages, good time management skills, ability to be a team player, good interpersonal skills, ability to use technology tools and Microsoft software as well as good problem-solving skills. Students who have these skills will have a higher chance of success. 

The co-op office offers resumé critiques, mock interviews, drop-in sessions and webinars to help you develop job-search strategies. By taking advantage of these services from our team of specialists, you’ll gain a competitive edge.

The University offers a number of resources that can help you really make a difference during your time at university. For example, you can gain valuable volunteer experience through the Community Engagement team, improve your English and French with courses at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) or get career counselling at the Career Corner.