Co-operative education (Co-op) integrates the academic education (classroom-based learning) of interested and qualified students with relevant, supervised, and paid work experience (work-based learning) with employer organizations. Co-op students gain valuable skills that help guide them through their academic education, as well as prepare them for future job markets upon graduation.
Co-op is available as a potential option to all B.Sc. and B.C.S. students.
Co-op is optional and supplementary to academic requirements of the degree. Students who wish to be considered for co-op will be selected on the basis of academic performance and suitability for the work environment. To enter and remain in co-op, students must be in good academic standing and be eligible for admission to and/or advancement in their specialization. Total enrolment is subject to the current state of the market as well as the resources available to support coaching and job development. Acceptance into the program does not guarantee students employment in each work term. Students admitted into the Science Co-op Program are required to accept and comply with the Program's Terms and Conditions. A Co-op administration and workshop fee is to be paid by all students accepted into the program.
Co-op students will be registered in the appropriate Co-op courses for each work term, once a suitable position is confirmed, and will be required to pay the Co-op course fee (see Program and Course Fees. The normal regulations governing withdrawal from courses notwithstanding, students are not permitted to withdraw from the Co-op course without permission of the Co-op Program.
Each successfully completed Co-op course will be assigned three credits and will be recorded on the student's transcript. In order to graduate with the co-operative education designation, a student must have completed the required number of work terms in addition to the normal academic requirements of the specialization. Co-operative education course credits cannot be used in lieu of or to complement academic course credits required by the specialization.
To inquire about application deadlines and for further information, please contact the Science Co-op Office, Room 170 Chemistry/Physics Building, The University of British Columbia, 6221 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1; tel 604.822.9677. Information is also available through the Science Co-op website at www.sciencecoop.ubc.ca.
Graduate Co-op Options
Some graduate programs in the Faculty of Science offer co-operative education.