Academic Information

Eligibility

Students must be in an honours academic plan to be eligible for the co-operative (co-op) system of study.

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

• a minimum of four credited work terms, and
• a minimum of four professional development (PD) courses.

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

These requirements are in addition to the co-op regulations that apply to all co-op students at the University of Waterloo.

Notes

1. The co-op program is only open to full-time students.
2. The co-op program is not open to students seeking to complete a second degree.

Requirements

Work Terms

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

Professional Development (PD) Courses

PD courses are intended to enhance the student’s professional development and assist in integrating their academic and work-term experiences. Co-op students are required to successfully complete four PD courses, which cannot be substituted with regular academic courses. With the exception of PD 1, students are expected to complete the courses while on their co-op work terms, at a rate of one per term. Students who do not successfully complete a PD course at the appropriate time will be withdrawn from the co-op program.

The schedule for completing the PD courses is as follows:

• PD 1: Career Fundamentals, should be completed before the first work term.
• PD 12: Critical Reflection for Growth in the Workplace, should be completed during the first work term.
• Two additional PD courses of the student's choice should be completed during subsequent work terms.

Further information is available through the Professional Development Program.

Co-op Standing Rules

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

• Failure to successfully meet academic program requirements, including minimum averages;
• Two unemployed or failed work-term opportunities.

Normally, students who are removed from co-op will not be re-admitted into the co-op program.

Legend for Study/Work Sequence Information Table

Study/Work Sequence Information