In the co-operative (co-op) system of study, the student in an Honours academic plan is enabled to integrate work with academics. For a detailed description, see Co-operative Education & Career Action. Beginning in the second year, the co-op student ordinarily alternates four-month terms on campus for academic studies with four months off campus for practical work experience in business, industry, or government. The official study/work sequences for Arts' co-operative programs are available in the Co-operative Education & Career Action section of this Calendar. Additional information about standard and flexible work-term requirements are available through the Co-operative Education & Career Action website.
In order to be eligible to receive a co-op designation at the time of graduation, students in Bachelor of Arts (BA) co-op plans are required to complete:
- a minimum of four work terms beyond the 2A level,
- a minimum of four online professional development (PD) courses, and
- a minimum of four work-term reports.
Professional Development (PD) Courses
PD courses are intended to enhance the professional development of the student and assist in integrating their academic and work-term experiences. With the exception of PD 1, students are expected to take the courses while on their co-op work terms. The required schedule for completing the PD courses is as follows:
- PD 1 must be taken in the term prior to the first work term,
- PD 12 must be taken during the first work term,
- two additional PD courses of the student's choice should be taken in the second and third work terms.
Work-Term Reports
The following work reports must be completed:
Work-term report submission and assessment are managed through the University's learning management system, with the student's honours discipline program being responsible for the assessment. With the exception of PD 12, which must be completed by the end of the first work term, students must submit co-op work-term reports by no later than the tenth day of classes in the academic term following the co-op work term for which the work report was prepared. Information regarding work-report topics and guidelines can be obtained at the Faculty level.
BA Co-op Plans
The following BA co-op plans are offered:
- Arts and Business Co-op
The Arts and Business co-operative system of study combines an Honours plan in any Honours discipline in Arts (except Mathematical Economics; and plans offered by the School of Accounting and Finance) with the Arts and Business group of courses. The Arts and Business courses are intended to provide the student with a basic and practical general education and with skills appropriate to a wide range of careers. See the Arts and Business Co-op and Regular section and the appropriate discipline section for details.
- Departmental Co-op
Notes
- Co-operative plans are open only to full-time students.
- For students transferring in to the Faculty of Arts with more than two successfully completed work terms, eligibility to pursue co-op in the Faculty of Arts will be determined by the admitting program.
- Students with more than 9.0 units (18 courses) completed, including transfer credits and credits completed outside the Faculty of Arts, are not eligible to transfer from a regular plan to a co-op plan within the Faculty of Arts.
- Students seeking to complete a BA in the Faculty of Arts as a second degree having already completed a bachelor's degree in any discipline at the University of Waterloo or elsewhere will be considered for admission only to a non-co-op program.