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 in the following majors:

*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)

Weekly Salaries, Arts Co-op and Science Co-op May to August 2017 Work Term

Industry	First Work Term		Second Work Term
	Highest Salary	Lowest Salary	Highest Salary	Lowest Salary
Academic	$560	minimum wage	$625	minimum wage
Federal	$672	$473	$672	$585
Municipal	$600	$434	$585	$585
Non-Profit	$595	minimum wage	$525	minimum wage
Private	$840	$450	$1158	minimum wage
Provincial	$571	$571	$720	minimum wage
Overall Average	$569

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.

Survey Assistant

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sault Ste Marie, ON

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 and Field Assistant, Biology Lab

Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON

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.