Program Overview

English Co-op Program Overview

The English co-op program at the University of Waterloo offers students the opportunity to alternate study terms with co-op work terms, graduating with relevant, paid work experience. This program is available to students in Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business, with a focus on English.

Program Details

• The English co-op program allows students to earn income and gain experience in the workplace.
• Students can take any Honours English degree in either the regular mode or the co-op mode.
• The academic requirements of Honours English degree plans are identical whether students are in the regular or co-op program.

Co-op Eligibility

• Co-op is only available to students in Honours academic plans.
• Honours English students require a minimum 70% major average.
• Honours Arts and Business, Honours English students require a minimum 70% major average and a minimum 70% average in their Honours Arts and Business courses.

Co-op Sequences

• Students will have five work term opportunities in their sequence and need to complete a minimum of four work terms.
• The sequence followed is determined by when students start their studies and their academic plan(s).

Co-op Fees

• Co-op at Waterloo is predominantly funded by a student-paid co-op fee.
• This fee is associated with being enrolled in a co-op program and is paid in instalments throughout the student's time at Waterloo.

Work Term Reports and Professional Development (PD) Courses

• Co-op students in Arts must successfully complete four work terms, as well as professional development (PD) courses from the WatPD program and work reports/reflections for each work term.
• Effective Winter 2022, work reports will no longer be required for co-op students in the Faculty of Arts.
• Instead, Arts co-op students will complete embedded reflections within the required Professional Development (PD) courses.

Co-op Supports

• As a co-op student, there is a team of support available.
• All students (co-op and regular streams) have access to Centre for Career Action resources and supports at any point during their time at Waterloo.

Co-op Student Jobs

• The English co-op placement rate is consistently at 95-100%.
• English students in all streams find good jobs in a variety of sectors because their strong communication and critical thinking skills are highly valued by employers.
  • Some recent positions include:
    • Technical writer
    • Software developer
    • Cost and planning analyst
    • Web developer
    • Marketing director
    • Communications coordinator
    • Archivist
    • Information analyst
    • Policy and communications intern
    • Research Assistant
    • Assistant office manager
    • Lecturer
    • English tutor
    • Computing assistant
    • Correspondence writer
    • Residential assistant
    • Sales assistant
    • Editorial assistant
    • Fundraising intern
    • Library clerk
    • Social media coordinator
    • Video producer
    • Content creator
    • Event coordinator

Additional Information

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of its work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. The university's active work toward reconciliation takes place across its campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.