Prospective Co-op Students FAQs

The Co-op “option” tells the Co-operative Education Office that you would like to join the Co-op Program and triggers an automatic assessment of your university performance at the first possible entry point (typically the fall of a student’s second or third year of studies). During this assessment, we will check to see how many credits you’ve completed, will check your CGPA(s), and will review your registration for the upcoming term(s). All students with the Co-op option will be notified via email as to whether or not they have been admitted.

The full-time registration rule only comes into effect once a student has been admitted to Co-op and is registered in the COOP 1000 course. Prior to this, there is no registration minimum per term. However, it’s important to remember that students need to complete a minimum number of credits, including all first-year courses, in order to be considered for admission to Co-op. There is more than one entry point to the Program, so reach out to us at co-opprogram@carleton.ca if you didn’t get in the first time.

If your program lists pre-requisite courses, you must minimally be enrolled in them at the time your Co-op assessment takes place, and must be able to complete them before your first scheduled Co-op work term.

Transfer students’ academic records are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Once you have received and accepted an offer of admission to Carleton and all possible transfer credits have been awarded, please reach out to us at co-opprogram@carleton.ca to see whether participation may be possible.

First, it’s important you understand which admission requirements were not met – CGPA(s), course pre-requisites, total credits earned – or some combination of the three. If you are in doubt, please ask us. If you have the Co-op “option,” you will be automatically assessed again at the next possible entry point for your program. If you don’t have the Co-op option, you can submit another manual application via mySuccess. At a certain point, however, students may be too close to graduation to be eligible to join Co-op. Please email us at co-opprogram@carleton.ca if you are unsure.

All students must register for their normal fall and winter courses before they can be assessed for admission to Co-op. Registration in COOP 1000 is by invitation only. If you receive an offer of admission to Co-op, you will be sent an email with important next steps, including how to register in COOP 1000. As it is an asynchronous, non-credit course that does not count towards the registration limit, it has no effect on a student’s existing timetable.

A student’s CGPAs are located on his or her academic audit, accessible through Carleton Central. Most students have an Overall CGPA and a Major CGPA, but some programs (Engineering, for example), only list an Overall CGPA on the audit. The Overall CGPA is based on every course counting towards a student’s degree, including electives, whereas the Major CGPA is only based on courses that fall within the Major requirements. Some Co-op programs require a minimum Overall CGPA and a minimum Major CGPA, whereas others just require a Minimum Overall CGPA or a minimum Major CGPA. If you have questions about your academic audit or CGPAs, please reach out to your departmental advisor or the Academic Advising Centre.

Yes, we do. SAT grades count as completed courses but have no impact on a student’s CGPA(s).

Yes, you will. CRs and NRs have no impact on a student’s CGPA(s) as far as admission to Co-op is concerned.

Participating students who have successfully completed COOP 1000 and have continued to meet all other eligibility requirements will be able to view the Co-op Job Board in mySuccess. Access is provided as follows:

• Early January – Job Board access opens to students scheduled to work during the summer.
• Early May – Job Board access opens to students scheduled to work during the fall.
• Early September – Job Board access opens to students scheduled to work during the winter.

More jobs are added throughout the term, so students are encouraged to check the Job Board continuously.

Co-op employers include Ottawa’s high-tech community, several renowned research facilities, and many government departments and agencies. The range of postings presented on the Co-op Job Board reflect the current job market for students in particular academic programs, and can change from term to term.

Co-operative Education combines traditional, in-class education with hands-on experience. Co-op students alternate study terms with four, eight, twelve, or sixteen-month paid work terms. An internship, by contrast, is typically a shorter unpaid placement done for academic credit. Contact your academic department to find out whether your program offers internship opportunities.

Yes. The fees you pay cover the entire cost of delivering the Co-op Program to eligible students. The total cost will depend on the number of work terms required to earn the Co-op Designation, as this varies by academic program. For more information, please refer to our Fees page: Program Cost – Co-op (carleton.ca).

In order for a job to count as a Co-op work term, students must be officially enrolled in the Co-op Program. You must apply, be admitted, and complete the COOP 1000 course successfully in order to work in a Co-op-capacity.