This Ontario university is arguably the nation’s leader in co-operative education with the largest co-op program in North America – in some cases co-op is mandatory, including undergraduate engineering programs, as well as several arts and mathematics programs. Programs where co-op is mandatory report high levels of employment for graduates, with 98 percent from the school’s Accounting and Financial Management, Math/CPA, Biotech/CPA, and Master of Accounting programs reporting they had found employment within six months of graduation. Overall, 89 percent of co-op graduates are employed.

Co-ops are a central part of the Seneca College across many programs, starting at the top of the alphabet with accounting and financing, aviation operations, and aviation safety, all the way to tourism, with many between, including electronics engineering technology and environmental landscape management.

Students meeting all academic requirements may have the opportunity to complete an optional co-op work term(s) in a formal work environment, while co-op is mandatory for some of its degree programs, with most work term being completed between two academic semesters and a minimum requirement of 420 hours of work. Other programs, including Cannabis Regulation & Quality Assurance and Cybersecurity & Threat Management, include shorter optional work terms.

Conestoga’s 70 co-op programs are aligned to meet the needs of the Greater Kitchener area, which is part of one Canada’s fastest-growing economic centres. As a community college with trades programs delivered at multiple campuses in the region meeting the needs of construction, motive power, industrial and service sectors, the school offers traditional apprenticeships, as well as pre-apprenticeships in collaboration with private sector companies.

Humber College’s co-op education is structured around offering unique work-integrated learning opportunities to prepare students for their future careers. Learning opportunities may include field placements, apprenticeships, practicums, clinical placements, co-operative education work terms, internships, or service learning. You can explore ongoing opportunities on the College’s webpage for co-op opportunities.

The University of Toronto (U of T) offers co-op opportunities primarily at its Scarborough campus, offering diverse academic specializations for students who are interested in building expert knowledge across various functional areas.

Co-op programs span the arts, sciences, and management. Arts and science co-op opportunities span computer science, mathematics, and statistics; psychology and mental health sciences; life sciences; physical and environmental sciences; and the liberal arts. Co-op employers include major corporations such as Apple, Deloitte, and Microsoft, as well as government agencies such as the federal Canada Revenue Agency and the provincial Ministry of Education.

Wilfrid Laurier University offers co-op education across a wide range of faculties – in some cases, it’s mandatory. Students get paid to work for employers for 12-16 weeks on average, alternating between school and as many as four work terms throughout their program.

Admission for undergraduates is competitive based on n grades, work experience, volunteer and extracurricular activities, and an interview with the co-op office, while admission is automatic in some programs, including a Business and Computer Science double degree, Business and Financial Mathematics double degree, and Business Technology Management.

Laurier is home to Canada’s largest business degree co-op program – 98.3 percent of its Business and Economics co-op students had jobs in 2020/21.

With multiple campuses in the Vancouver area and Kelowna, the University of British Columbia (UBC) offers a diverse range of co-op opportunities across the arts, humanities social sciences, business and management, engineering, forestry, human kinetics, land and food systems, and a strong focus on the sciences. Students alternate between academic terms and paid work terms with university partner employers that can range from private business to the public sector or non-profit organizations.

UBC reports that its co-op graduates earn 15 percent higher starting salaries than non-co-op grads, and its co-op students are more likely to land more prestigious, better paying jobs than their non co-op peers. Graduates from co-op programs report better job-education match, with 80% of employers surveyed stating that co-op and internship students are a source of new talent and potential future employees.

Like many colleges, George Brown College is focused on creating learning experiences that align to opportunities in the community, working with employer and community partners to make sure its programs reflect the latest trends, techniques and technology used in the field. These industry players inform program development and curriculum to ensure students learn the skills employers want.

George Brown co-op programs enable students to work with industry professionals on applied research projects, field placements and on-campus incubators. Its Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts is well known for providing real-world experience at its downtown Toronto restaurant, The Chefs’ House, and aid in student learning for programs such as the college’s Culinary Management Honours Bachelor Degree.

Students who study through a co-op program at Mohawk College can expect to develop a wide and diverse network of contacts in their field and other fields related to their line of work that will improve their job prospects upon graduation. Co-op education at the college is primarily business, engineering and technology focused, with programs such as Business Administration – Marketing, Civil Engineering Technology and Electrical Engineering Technology Mohawk’s co-op opportunities also extend to various aspects of law enforcement, including Police Foundations, and Community and Justice Services.

The University of Victoria (UVic), located on Vancouver Island, trumpets itself as home to the largest graduate co-op program in Canada. Most UVic co-op programs for undergraduates are optional, although some are mandatory, which means students automatically participate as part of their degree. (For example, engineering co-op is mandatory for undergraduate students studying Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Software Engineering).

Co-op is available to graduate students in most program areas. Students earn units of credit for each co-op work term completed, which go towards the co-op designation. UVic offers also offers a shorter work experience program. The university says one third of its co-op students find permanent positions with their former co-op employers after graduation.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) runs many co-op programs through its Center for Workplace Education developed with industry recommendations. Most of them prepare students for jobs that very hands-on, such as CNC machinists, and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians. In the latter case, there are three 22-week work terms that run longer than the three technical terms.

Co-op placements can be found through BCIT’s job postings or independently by the student. BCIT says its co-op education has been shown to increase employment rates of its graduates, while student engagement with external communities enriches campus culture.

Since its founding under another name, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has had a focus on career-focused education. Its co-op program opportunities span the arts, community services, engineering and architectural sciences, and science faculties, as well as the Ted Rogers School of Management.

Through its Career & Co-op Centre, TMU users a hub-and-spoke model of service delivery connect to employer partners with its diverse student body and network of alumni. Rather than being placed, co-op students apply for positions as with any job search, with each work term running 35-40 hours a week for 16 weeks. A work term can even be extended to 8, 12 or 16 months of continuous employment.

With its roots in the heart of Ontario wine country, Niagara College offers more than 20 co-op programs that allow students to get paid so they can earn while they learn. Its Canadian Food and Wine Institute (CFWI) provides food, wine and beer education and training for students, employers, and consumers. The institute specializes in Canadian regional cuisine with a focus on culinary arts and science, wine and beer sciences, food technology, and research.

The University of Alberta (U of A) offers co-op education across many different schools, including arts, business and engineering. Its Alberta School of Business offers a co-op option for Bachelor of Commerce program students that allows them alternate periods of study with periods of paid, discipline-related work experience in cooperating employer organizations. U of A’s engineering co-op program was established in 1981, allowing students to do as much as 20 months of hands-on training and practical experience prior to graduation.

Based in the nation’s capital, Algonquin College serves Ottawa and outlying areas of Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Upstate New. Algonquin has been ranked among the Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada and has long focused on aligning its curriculum with the needs of the local business community with a strong emphasis on applied theory and practical experience. The college offers 18 apprenticeship programs, 40 co-op programs, and 6 collaborative degree programs, some in partnership with Carleton University and University of Ottawa.

One of the leaders in the development of co-operative education at the college level in Canada, Fanshawe College has more than 66 co-op programs as part of its focus on offering a career-focused curriculum.

Work semesters are spaced out through the academic program, running four months in duration with a pay rate of those of entry level workers at the participating employer company.

Co-op students do a pre-employment training program that includes information about careers related to their program, business/industry requirements and standards, and workplace adaptation. Work semesters are scheduled so that students are available to work busy periods in companies related to their field of studies.

Carleton differentiates its co-op program offerings through its proximity to government agencies, several renowned research agencies, and high-tech companies in the nation’s capital along with longer work terms to provide students with more in-depth experience. Carleton co-op students are able to do their placements across the country and around the world. Both undergrad and graduate programs include co-op opportunities, including architectural studies, cognitive science, information technology, media production and design, political science, and public policy and administration. Here is where you can explore co-op programs at Carleton University.

Co-op programs at the University of Ottawa have been running for more than 30 years and are available in 82 undergraduate and graduate programs. In uOttawa is now the second largest university co-op program in Ontario and the fifth-largest in Canada, with participating employers from private businesses, federal government departments, municipal and provincial government offices, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, Crown corporations, NGOs and high-tech companies. uOttawa co-op placement opportunities can take place locally in the nation’s capital, across Canada or abroad.

Peterborough, Ontario’s university describes its co-op programs as competitive, offering students an opportunity to graduate with a degree and 12 months of paid work in less than four years – Trent’s co-op streams are designed so students can complete their degree and work terms in the same time as they would doing a degree alone. It offers more than 20 co-op streams across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Diverse subjects with a co-op option include ancient Greek and Roman Studies, business administration, conservation biology, cultural studies, media studies, and philosophy. Here’s where you can explore co-op programs at Trent University.

Centennial College’s co-op offerings are part of its career-focused curriculum of full-time, market-driven programs. Among those with a co-op are its Bachelor of Information Technology (Computer and Communication Networks) Honours applied degree and more than a dozen graduate certificates in its Business School, as well as many opportunities in its School of Transportation and its School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science. You can explore more co-op opportunities at the College’s dedicated co-op page.