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2021-2022

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Information and Regulations

Co-operative Program Requirements

Co-operative Program Requirements

Co-op Designation Eligibility

In order to be eligible to receive a co-op designation on the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, Faculty of Science students are required to successfully complete:

  • a minimum of four work terms,
  • a minimum of four professional development (PD) online courses, and
  • a minimum of three work-term reports (BSc Psychology students must complete four work-term reports).

With the exception of Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy students who have four work-term opportunities, students are given five work-term opportunities in which to complete these requirements throughout the normal academic/work-term sequence.

Students are expected to follow the work-term sequence specific to their academic plan from the point of entry, subject to the minimum requirements for graduation within their plan. Students may not end their sequence with a work term, and must maintain a full-time load in an academic term preceding a work term.

Students not meeting requirements of their plan will be transferred to another Science academic plan, if possible.

Notes

  1. The co-operative system of study is only open to full-time students.
  2. The co-operative system of study is not open to students seeking to complete a second degree.
  3. The Doctor of Pharmacy degree has different co-op work-term requirements.

Work Terms

Information regarding work terms is available on the Co-operative Education website.

Students on a work term are limited to enrolment in one course (0.5 unit), unless they have written support from their employer to take two courses (1.0 unit). COOP, PD, and WKRPT courses are not included in these limits.

Legend for Co-op Study/Work Sequences Table

Key

Description
F, W, S Terms: F = September-December; W = January-April; S = May-August
1, 2, 3, 4 plus A or B Denotes academic year and term
WT Work term

Co-op Study/Work Sequences

Major

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
F W S F W S F W S F W S F W
Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Medicinal Chemistry, Science and Business 1A 1B off 2A WT 2B WT 3A WT 3B WT WT 4A 4B
Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy 1A 1B off 2A WT 2B 3A WT 3B WT 4A WT 4B
Materials and Nanosciences 1A 1B off 2A WT 2B WT 3A WT WT 3B WT 4A 4B
Pharmacy (Doctor of Pharmacy)
1A 1B 2A WT 2B WT 3A WT 3B 4A 4B

Physics, Mathematical Physics, Life Physics, Physics and Astronomy 1A 1B off 2A WT 2B WT WT 3A WT 3B WT 4A 4B
Psychology 1A 1B off 2A 2B WT 3A WT 3B WT 4A WT WT 4B

Notes

  1. Admission to Psychology Co-op occurs by September for the 2A term.
  2. A Master of Accounting (MACc) eight-month graduate program is normally taken in consecutive winter and spring terms immediately following the completion of the 4B term in Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy.

Professional Development (PD) Courses

Students are required to successfully complete four PD courses. Each PD course is worth 0.5 unit and may not be substituted for regular academic course credit. With the exception of PD 1, students are expected to take the courses while on their co-op work terms. The schedule for completing the PD courses is as follows:

  • PD 1: Career Fundamentals, must be taken before the first work term. Students who do not successfully complete PD 1 before their first work term must successfully complete PD 1 before their second work term. Students who do not successfully complete PD 1 by the start of their second work term will be removed from the co-op program.
  • PD 11: Processes for Technical Report Writing, must be taken during the first work term. Students who do not successfully complete PD 11 by the end of their first work term must successfully complete PD 11 by the end of their second work term. Students who do not successfully complete PD 11 by the end of their second work term will be removed from the co-op program.
  • Two additional PD courses of the student's choice must be completed during subsequent work terms.

Further information is available through the Professional Development Program website.

Work-Term Reports

Students must successfully complete a minimum of three work-term reports (BSc Psychology students must successfully complete four work-term reports). PD 11, which is meant to help prepare students for the completion of subsequent work-term reports, will count as the first required report. Work-term reports two and three will be recorded on the transcript as WKRPT 200S and WKRPT 300S (for BSc Psychology students, work term report four will be recorded as WKRPT 400S).

Work-term reports are normally completed according to the following schedule:

  • Work-term report two is normally completed by the end of the second work term and must be completed by the end of the third work term. Students who do not successfully complete their second work-term report by the end of their third work term will be removed from the co-op program.
  • Work-term report three is normally completed by the end of the fourth work term but may be completed at the end of the fifth work term.
  • BSc Psychology students must submit a work-term report for each work term.

Information regarding work-report guidelines and submission dates is available through the Faculty of Sciences' work-report guidelines website.

Co-op Standing Rules

Students will be removed from their co-op program in the following situations:

  • Two unemployed or failed work-term opportunities
  • Three missing or failed PD courses
  • Two failed work-term reports (including PD 11)
  • Failure to successfully meet academic program requirements
  • Failure to successfully complete PD 1 before the start of the second work term
  • Failure to successfully complete PD 11 by the end of the second work term
  • Failure to successfully complete the second work-term report by the end of the third work term

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