Co-op for Current Students

You can apply starting in the fall of your second year. You can go out on your first work term after you complete your second year.

• GPA is on Laurentian's 10-point scale. See how grades convert.
• You must be in good academic standing and not on academic probation.
• You must have no outstanding fees on your student account.
• You must be enrolled full-time and return to full-time studies for at least one term after your final work term. You cannot finish your degree on a placement.
• You must be eligible to work in Canada.

Being admitted to co-op is not the same as being cleared to go out. You still have to meet the GPA and standing requirements when your work term begins.

Architecture students: co-op is built into your degree and follows a different schedule. See the McEwen School of Architecture website for details. 

Applications run through CareerHub, and you can apply at any time.

1. Log in to CareerHub and go to the Co-op page.
2. Select Apply to a Program and choose the program you are enrolled in.
3. Answer the admission questions.
4. Upload your resume and your transcript. A cover letter is optional.
5. We review your application and email you the outcome.
6. Once you are admitted, we add you to the co-op module on D2L and to the co-op job postings on CareerHub.

Already been offered a job? If you have an offer that would qualify as a co-op placement and you are not in the program yet, contact the co-op office before you accept it.

You will work one-on-one with the co-op coordinator to improve your resume. We also offer mock interviews so you can practice before the real thing. Professional development workshops are available throughout the year.

We also host employer sessions where companies visit campus to talk about their work and what they look for in students. These sessions are the easiest way to meet employers before you apply for their jobs.

Getting into the co-op program does not mean you already have a placement. You still need to find a job, and you can do so in two main ways.

Apply to posted roles

Co-op jobs are posted on CareerHub all year. You can apply directly using your own resume and cover letter.

Run your own job search

CareerHub lists jobs from employers who contact us and ones we find, but it does not include every opportunity. If you find a job on your own, send it to us so we can check if it qualifies.

Every placement must be approved before you start

No matter how you found your job, email the co-op office as soon as you get an offer. You, your employer, and the University must all sign the Co-op Agreement before your work term begins. If you start a job without this agreement, we can't register it as a work term, and it won't count toward your designation.

You work full-time, and your employer supervises you and sets your work hours.

We will check in with you and also with your employer about halfway through your placement. For example, this happens around six to eight weeks into a four-month term, four months into an eight-month term, and so on. Check-ins can be done by site visit or online, depending on what works best.

You may take one course per semester during your placement if your School Director approves it. Please speak with us before you register.

If something is not going well, let us know as soon as possible. Most issues can be fixed while you are still on your placement, but it is much harder to help after the term ends.

At the end of each work term, three things are required. You submit two of them and your employer submits the third. All three must be complete for your term to be graded.

Co-op Report

Write a report about the organization where you worked and describe what you did there. You can find the instructions and due date on D2L.

Student Work-Term Reflection

Write your own reflection about your placement, including your thoughts on the organization. We read each reflection.

Co-op Student Performance Assessment

Your supervisor will evaluate your work. We send them the assessment form near the end of your placement and review it when we assess your term.

Work terms are graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory and do not count for course credit. If you miss a report or receive an unsatisfactory grade, that work term will not count toward your designation.

Complete four satisfactory work terms, roughly 16 months of paid work, and you graduate with the co-op designation on your degree. You can complete a fifth term, bringing the total to 20 months. Individual work terms appear on your transcript as you complete them.

The Registrar verifies the designation at graduation.

• A valid study permit that allows you to work on campus.
• A letter from us confirming that your program requires work placements.
• You must be enrolled full-time in your program.
• Your work placements can make up no more than 50% of your program.
   

Ontario licensing is competency-based. Since July 2026, the minimum is two years of engineering experience after your degree, and co-op does not count toward those two years. What it does count for is the competency assessment itself.

When you apply for your licence, PEO will ask you to describe your experience against a set of competencies and to name people who can confirm it. You will not have access to PEO's system until after you graduate, so you'll need to pull all that detail from your own notes.

• Read PEO's competency-based assessment guidance and write down which skills or areas your work covered.
• Record your experience soon after each job, instead of waiting several years.
• Keep the names and contact details of people who could validate the work.