Arts Co-op Majors
With more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the Faculty of Arts is the largest and most diverse faculty at Laurier. The 11 departments and interdisciplinary programming span a number of fields in the social sciences and humanities.
Students often take the majors below in combination with a second major, such as Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Medieval Studies or Women & Gender Studies. Arts co-op is available to honours students at the Waterloo Campus in the following majors:
- Ancient Studies
- Archaeology and Heritage Studies
- Communication Studies
- English
- Environmental Studies
- Film Studies
- Geography*
- Global Studies
- History
- Languages and Literatures, including French and Spanish
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Religion and Culture
- Sociology
*Geography is available as both a BA and a BSc.
“Through work terms with Parks Canada in Banff and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada in Ottawa, I was immersed in the news and policies I was studying in school, helping to construct its meaning in a real-world setting."
Alex Sokolowski, Communication Studies, Class of 2018 .
Work/Study Sequence
Arts co-op students complete two work terms of four months each in the summer following their second and third years of study.
|
Year |
Fall (September-December) |
Winter (January - April) |
Spring (May-August) |
|
Year 1 |
Study Term |
Study Term |
Break |
|
Year 2 |
Study Term |
Study Term |
Work Term 1 |
|
Year 3 |
Study Term |
Study Term |
Work Term 2 |
|
Year 4 |
Study Term |
Study Term |
Study Term |
Average Weekly Salary (Arts Co-op and Science Co-op)
|
Industry |
First Work Term |
Second Work Term |
||
|
Highest Salary |
Lowest Salary |
Highest Salary |
Lowest Salary |
|
|
Academic |
$648 |
minimum wage |
$770 |
minimum wage |
|
Federal |
minimum wage |
minimum wage |
$707 |
$707 |
|
Municipal |
$697 |
minimum wage |
$540 |
minimum wage |
|
Non-Profit |
$637 |
minimum wage |
$547 |
minimum wage |
|
Private |
$1120 |
minimum wage |
$1320 |
$525 |
|
Provincial |
$714 |
$520 |
$597 |
$597 |
|
Overall Average |
$622 |
|||
Sample Jobs (Arts Co-op and Science Co-op)
Employers have recruited co-op students from arts and science for a wide range of jobs dealing with topics such as literacy, addiction, water quality, mental health and international development.
Quantitative Trading Consultant, Global Markets, CIBC, Toronto, ON
- Analyze, test and calibrate trading strategies and performance.
Inclusion Worker, City of Kitchener, Kitchener, ON
- Provide support to children attending municipal day camps and help accommodate each child’s physical and mental disabilities.
IT Analyst, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Waterloo, ON
- Coach and train staff members on IT equipment and systems and support IT projects.
- Participate in the control of sea lampreys by carrying out backpack electrofishing, granular Bayluscide surveys and habitat quantification.
Communications Assistant, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Ottawa, ON
- Plan and produce public communication materials such as news releases, speeches and web copy. Assist in the management of marketing campaigns, social media, events and correspondence.
Junior Policy Analyst, Social Media, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, ON
- Promote events and programs through blogs, newsletters and social media accounts.
Funding Administration Co-op, Ministry of Economic Development and Growth, Toronto, ON
- Review incoming projects, confirm eligibility, identify gaps in documentation and prepare weekly reports.
Counsellor, Ontario March of Dimes, Orillia, ON
- Enable adults with disabilities to take summer holidays by providing recreational programs and personal support.
Events Intern, Reach for the Rainbow, Toronto, ON
- Organize events and participate in corporate and community fundraising activities.
Intern Product Management, SAP Canada, Waterloo, ON
- Solve problems for customers, create technical documents and design a product demonstration.
Recreation and Leisure Support Worker, Safehaven Project for Community Living, Toronto, ON
- Organize and lead community outings and leisure activities for children with multiple disabilities and complex medical needs. Assist with individual therapy and support programs.
Student Counsellor, Tim Horton Children's Foundation, St. George, ON
- Supervise campers and ensure they are engaged and recognized for their contributions.
Planning Assistant, Township of North Dumfries, North Dumfries, ON
- Assist in processing applications, preparing reports and updating maps. Respond to inquiries from developers and consultants.
Catastrophe Modelling Application Developer, Validus Research, Waterloo, ON
- Design prototype models and implement scalable, reliable and maintainable software products to assist analysts and underwriters in making decisions.
Historical Interpreter, Waterloo Region Museum, Kitchener, ON
- Deliver educational programs and activities in a 1914 living history museum.
- Research how various fish are affected by changes in the environment. Collect, preserve and analyze tissue samples and attend field trips throughout Canada and the U.S.