Co-Operative Education (CO-OP)

Co-operative Education is the opportunity to get a head start on a career. Co-op work terms allow for the development of key employability skills, exploration of career options and graduation with tangible, workplace experience—giving students a competitive edge in the job market after graduation.

The Ottawa region presents a diverse working community rich in opportunities. Carleton University students study in close proximity to an active high-tech community, several renowned research facilities, and many government departments and agencies. Carleton co-op students have completed work terms locally, across Canada, and around the world.

Visit our Top 10 Reasons to Choose Co-op@Carleton page to find out more about the advantages Carleton’s co-op program.

How Does Co-op Work?

The co-op program is structured so that study terms are alternated with paid, full-time work terms that are directly related to the co-op student’s program of study. Students typically require an additional year of study to complete the co-op work terms and fulfill the academic requirements of their specific program.

New to the Program

• Program Cost
• Undergraduate Co-op Programs
• Graduate Co-op Programs 
• COOP1000
• International Students
• Important Dates
• Work Study Sequences

Looking for Work 

• International Students
• Security Clearance

At Work

• Your Work Term
• Workplace Harassment and Discrimination
• Co-op Awards

Forms

Students can apply to Co-op in one of two ways: directly from high school, or after beginning a degree program at Carleton.

If a student applies to a degree program with a Co-op option from high school, their university grades will be reviewed two terms to one year prior to their first work term to ensure they meet the academic requirements after their first or second year of study. The time at which the evaluation takes place depends on the program of study. Students will automatically receive an admission decision via their Carleton email account.

Students who did not request Co-op at the time they applied to Carleton can request Co-op after they begin their university studies. To view application instructions and deadlines, please visit carleton.ca/co-op.

To be admitted to Co-op, a student must successfully complete 5.0 or more credits that count towards their degree. Students in Cognitive Science who wish to partake in co-op must also meet the following requirements:

• Maintain full-time status in each study term (2.0 credits);
• Be eligible to work in Canada (for off-campus work)
• Have successfully completed COOP 1000 [0.0]

In addition to the following:

1. Registered as a full-time student in the Bachelor of Cognitive Science program;
2. Obtained and maintained an overall CGPA of 8.50 or higher;
3. Successfully completed CGSC 2001.

Bachelor of Cognitive Science Honours students must successfully complete three (3) work terms to obtain the Co-op designation.

Work Term Report Course: CGSC 3999 [0.0]

Applying to Co-op

CGPA and Prerequisite Requirements

In order to be considered for admission into the Co-op Program, there are certain requirements that you must meet. Specific requirements for your program can be found online in the Co-operative Education section of the Undergraduate Calendar

• All students must be registered as a full-time student (2.0 credits per term) in an Honours program that has a co-op option
• Obtained and maintained an overall CGPA of 8.50 or higher. This is a continuing requirement throughout the Co-op Program, meaning that students must maintain the minimum CGPA throughout their participation in the Co-op Program.
• Successfully complete CGSC 2001 prior to your first work term

Admission Entry Points

• Each program has several possible entry points into the Co-op Program.  Here you can view the first possible entry point by degree program.
• If you have applied to the Co-op Program through OUAC, we will review your eligibility prior to your program’s first entry point, and will contact you via your Carleton email with an admission decision and next steps. If you are not eligible for admission, you may have another opportunity later in your studies. We will contact you once again at the next entry point for your program.
• If you did not apply or were not admitted to Carleton with the co-op option on your degree, you can submit an online application within the deadlines noted below and based on the entry points for your degree program.

Undergraduate student co-op applications are submitted via mySuccess for those students who were not admitted to Carleton with the co-op option.

Work/Study Pattern for Cognitive Science:

Legend
S: Study
W: Work
O: Optional
* indicates recommended work study pattern
** student finds own employer for this work-term.