Choosing co-op or regular

UW's co-op program provides you with up to 2 years of work experience while you earn your degree. Students in co-op alternate between terms studying on campus and terms in the workplace, in positions related to your studies.  Because co-op work terms alternate with study terms, classroom learning is integrated with workplace training. Over the course of your degree, you'll have 4 to 6 work terms to try out different careers and build contacts that can lead to employment after graduation. And on average, you'll earn between $23,000 - 77,000 to help finance your education!

The average employment placement of co-op students in Computer Science is typically 90-95% by term!

Co-op:

Over 70% of Computer Science students choose co-op.

• graduate with up to two years of work experience to add to your résumé.
• over six work terms, earn money to help finance your education.
• make valuable career contacts.
• choose from the world's largest selection of co-op jobs.
• explore career areas before graduation.

Regular:

Students may also choose a more traditional academic schedule.

• study from September to April each year.
• plan your own summers.
• focus on school and campus life.
• graduate a year sooner than in co-op.
• move more quickly into a career or graduate school.

More details about co-op :

• percentage of Math Faculty students in co-op: 70%
• earn up to the following weekly amounts in your work terms:
  • Work Term 1, up to $600
  • Work Term 2, up to $650
  • Work Term 3, up to $708
  • Work Term 4, up to $750
  • Work Term 5, up to $833
  • Work Term 6, up to $874
• average Math Faculty employment rate: 90 to 95% by term
• work term reports: a minimum of four reports are needed for graduation
• co-op fee: $445 per school term
• earnings over 6 work terms: up to $72,000

Computer Science work/study sequence:

Each year is divided into three 4-month terms (Fall is September through December, Winter is January through April, and Spring is May through August).  Every student enters into a co-op sequence of terms on and off campus. More information about the sequences and co-operative education in general can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar. but the basic sequences are as follows.

• F = Fall term (September - December)
• W = Winter term (January - April)
• S = Spring term (May - August)
• Bioinformatics: Sequence A or regular.
• Computing and Financial Management: Sequence A only.
• Computer Science: Sequence A, B, C, D or regular.
• Software Engineering: Sequence A only.

Example co-op jobs

Biomedical Information Intern, Ontario Cancer Institute - Database development for clinicians and researchers in hospital settings, web development, programming in Java.

Computer Data Analyst, Environment Canada - Program development to abstract, compile, quality assure, and transform chemical and meteorological into final databases and to construct statistical and plotting routines to assist data analysis.

Software Programmer, Graphics Device Driver - Development of software to run new 3D games.

System Quality Specialist, Research in Motion - Design, implementation, and running of test software, code analysis, beta testing.

Programmer, Rogue Wave Software - Java and C++ programming, quality assurance of libraries, technical marketing.

Useful link

• Co-operative education Web site

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David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

Tel: 519-888-4567 x33293
Fax: 519-885-1208

Contact | Feedback: cs-webmaster@cs.uwaterloo.ca | David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science | Faculty of Mathematics

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Last modified: Friday, 30-Sep-2011 13:17:52 EDT

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