Co-op
Welcome to Co-op
Co-operative education, a form of work-integrated learning, is a model of education that integrates and alternates your academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to your academic and personal goals. The Co-op Office approves jobs that will provide you with the opportunity to learn while performing productive work. Employers supervise you and evaluate your performance, and co-op consultants monitor your progress on the job. Students are paid by their employers.
Experiential learning is a process of experience and reflection through which you have the opportunity to expand knowledge, develop skills, clarify values and increase your self-awareness. Experiential learning is part of Teaching and Learning and a pillar of Laurier’s Strategic Academic Plan.
Reasons to Choose Co-op
- A way to integrate your academic studies with practical experience.
- An opportunity to gain marketable skills.
- The consistently high employment rate.
- A chance to clarify career goals.
- Valuable contacts.
- Personal assistance with your employment search.
- A salary to help defray costs.
We support your career planning, job search efforts and preparation for interviews through the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education course and individual assistance from your co-op consultant. We market the program to employers, notify you of job postings, process applications, and schedule interviews.
Employment Locations
Most co-op students at Laurier obtain positions in Toronto, the Kitchener-Waterloo area, and other cities in Ontario, but we also post jobs in other provinces. You may also seek employment overseas.
Work Terms
We provide advice on successful business conduct and instruction on writing work term reports. Co-op consultants conduct work term visits to assess your progress, performance, and learning. (Visits can be online, by phone, or in person.)
Near the end of each work term, you submit a report discussing your experience and your supervisor complete an evaluation of your performance.
If you are an undergraduate co-op student in Business, Economics, BTM, or a double degree program, you must obtain a rating of at least satisfactory on each work term report and on each performance evaluation to receive academic credit and to obtain the co-op designation.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity
We encourage all employers recruiting at Laurier to express their commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and Indigeneity by welcoming applications from all qualified candidates, including those who identify as Indigenous, racialized, or having disabilities, persons of any minority sexual and gender identities, and those from other equity-deserving groups.
