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Business and Economics Co-op Program

Business and Economics co-op consists of three work terms of four months’ duration, between second and fourth year, enabling students to obtain 12 months of practical, full-time work experience. It has been designed to allow employers to have a position filled year-round by Laurier co-op students. Students apply for admission to Business and Economics co-op at the end of their first year.

Honours Business and Honours Economics

Laurier’s Business and Economics programs are recognized as both leading and innovative. Laurier programs use a variety of techniques, including case discussions, simulation games, visits by business executives and student projects. By providing a real-time laboratory in which to experiment and apply theoretical learning, the programs help students develop a better understanding of how to work together to analyze situations and manage organizations.

Academic Credit

Undergraduate co-op students in Business and Economics programs receive academic credit for participating in co-op. To obtain the co-op designation on your transcript you need to pass the co-op fundamentals course, receive a rating of at least satisfactory on each work term report and receive a rating of at least satisfactory on each performance evaluation.

What Students Say

“ From Laurier’s co-op program, I learned about the job search and interview process. Working as a financial analyst at Dealer-FX allowed me to improve my skills in Excel and Netsuite.”
Joshua Hsieh, Economics, Class of 2019

“The BBA co-op program gave me a unique opportunity to explore potential career paths and gain practical experience with top tier organizations, all before graduation. My work term at PepsiCo was a welcome introduction to the CPG industry, and helped me gain analytical ability.”
Adam Leader, BBA, Class of 2020

Co-op Work Terms

Each work term is developed in collaboration with the employer and approved by the Department of Cooperative Education as a suitable learning environment that will engage the student in productive work. Students apply to employers with whom they are interested in working. Employers are encouraged to interview on campus. Although employment cannot be guaranteed, every effort is made to ensure that suitable employment is available for students admitted to co-op.

The student's performance in the workplace is supervised and evaluated by the student’s employer. Co-op staff members monitor each student's progress during the work term. The co-op curriculum supports student learning goals, personal evaluation and reflection; students are required to set goals each term and write work term reports. Students are compensated by their employer for work performed.

Professional Recognition

The time spent on work terms is recognized as part of the experience requirements for the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. Honours Business and Honours Economics courses may be counted toward several designation programs, including the following:

  • Chartered Financial Analyst
  • Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
  • Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA)
  • Certified Human Resources Professionals (CHRP): Entry Level
  • Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL): Professional Level

The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics has received the highest form of accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, whose standards are recognized internationally. Most of Laurier's Business and Economics co-op programs are accredited by the Canadian Asssociation for Co-operative Education.

Programs with Co-op

  • Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
  • Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics
  • Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics and Accounting
  • Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics and Financial Management
  • Honours Bachelor of Business Technology Management (BTM).

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