You can take part in the placement process and look for your own placement at the same time. However, you must make the CO-OP placement process your priority (including participating in interviews) and inform us immediately if you find a placement on your own

Coop Navigator

In the COOP Navigator, choose one of these three options:

1. "Participating in placement"
   
   We post job offers and arrange interviews on campus. Our program coordinators will make every effort to find you a placement in your field of study.

2. "Conduct your own job search"
   
   We must approve the placement. Complete the “Found Own Form” submit it to the CO-OP Office. The employer must also confirm in writing the intention to hire you. The placement must be a paid position related to your field of study and involve at least 16 weeks of full-time employment. 

3. "I am returning to a previous employer"
   
   Email us at [email protected] and indicate that you wish to return to your previous employer. You must also include proof from your employer of the intention to re-hire you.

IndEX

This platform is an excellent way to find placements elsewhere in Canada or abroad, and is a useful tool to organize your owen employment searches. IndEX also posts many jobs in the private sector. 

You can access it through the COOP Navigator homepage.  

IndEX has two sections:

1. Other jobs:
   
   This section includes other high-quality jobs that aren't posted in COOP Navigator. To see the details of the job posting or to apply for a position, visit the employer’s system or webpage by clicking on the provided link. 
2. Other employers:
   
   This section includes other employers that offer positions through a variety of programs. The application deadline, length of the work term and work location of each position varies. To see the details of a position with a particular employer or to apply for a position, click on the employer’s name. 

You can participate in the CO-OP placement and apply for jobs on IndEX, but pay attention to the deadlines.  

For example, if you agree to participate in the placement process, you must attend all scheduled interviews during the first round of interviews, even if you’re waiting for a response from an employer you found on IndEX.  

If you wish to accept a job from an employer you found on IndEX and have not yet been matched to a job through the COOP Navigator, you must inform the CO-OP office before the deadline for the ranking process. 

Full-time work term placements usually run for 16 weeks (four months). However, shorter work terms may be possible in special circumstances. 

Time off is permitted only in the case of illness. Because CO-OP is a full-time program, taking time off (to travel, etc.) is not permitted. During your placement, you must work for your employer full time, from the beginning to the end of the placement. 

First work term

In most programs, the first work term takes place in the summer after your second year, but exact start dates vary from one program to the next. Programs for which you apply by September 30 of your second year usually require you to complete your first work term in the summer following your second year. 

Programs for which you apply by March 1 usually require you to do your first work term in the fall or winter of your third year.

Graduate programs for which you apply by September 30 of your first year usually require you to do your first work term in the summer following your first year. 

Salary and Income tax

Your wages depend on the salary range of the employer. Generally, they vary from $450 to $750 per week, depending on the employer and the field. 

You should get a T4 after each work term. Often, you’ll receive your T4 by mail without even requesting it (usually the case for federal government positions).  

If you don’t receive a T4 or if you want to find out how to get one, speak directly to your supervisor or the employer’s human resources department. 

Evaluation

Your grade is based on the employer’s evaluation of your work and on your faculty’s evaluation of your work term report. You will receive either a Pass or a Fail grade at the end of each placement. 

We schedule mid-term evaluations halfway through the session to meet with you and your employer. We also follow up to make sure the goals you and your employer set are being achieved. 

Each report is tied to a specific work term, similar to the final exam for a course.

Submit your report

In the COOP Navigator, under the “My Evaluations” tab, you will see a “Work Term Report” link next to your work term. Just click on the link and follow the on-screen instructions. Please, make sure to complete your evaluations online.  

The system will allow you to change or submit your report right up until the deadline for submission, and professors will be able to submit their comments and attach a corrected copy of your report online.  

See your program's guidelines for work term reports for more information and exceptions.

Grade

Work term reports are graded by a professor from your faculty.