HOW DOES CO-OP WORK IN HEALTH SCIENCES?
Waterloo has the largest co-op program in North America. This means you’ll have access to more jobs, more experiences, and more employers than any similar co-op programs on the continent.
Alternate between academic and paid co-op work terms. You’ll gain experience in promoting your skills while you apply, interview, and compete for a job. You can rely on Waterloo's extensive co-op database for your job search - or if an opportunity arises, arrange your own.
BENEFITS
- Graduate with up to 20 months of paid work experience
- Discover which types of careers you like (or dislike)
- Build contacts to help you start your career
- Gain self-promotion experience during the competitive job-hunt process
- Gain transferable skills to help you in your future career
CHALLENGES
- It can be stressful - you're applying to and interviewing for jobs while keeping up with exams, assignments, and classes
- You might not get your dream job right away
- There is an additional fee that supports the cost of running the co-op program. The fee for 2024/2025 is $786. Learn where this money goes here. As a Faculty of Health student, you'll pay this fee six times over the course of your degree
- Your degree takes five years to complete rather than four
- It’s a competitive process and jobs are not guaranteed
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOUR WORK/STUDY SEQUENCE COULD LOOK LIKE
YEAR 1
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
STUDY
SPRING TERM
OFF*
*this is your only summer off over the course of your five-year degree
YEAR 2
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
WORK
SPRING TERM
STUDY
YEAR 3
FALL TERM
WORK
WINTER TERM
STUDY
SPRING TERM
WORK
YEAR 4
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
WORK
SPRING TERM
WORK
YEAR 5
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
STUDY
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOUR WORK/STUDY SEQUENCE COULD LOOK LIKE
YEAR 1
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
STUDY
SPRING TERM
OFF*
*this is your only summer off over the course of your five-year degree
YEAR 2
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
WORK
SPRING TERM
STUDY
YEAR 3
FALL TERM
WORK
WINTER TERM
STUDY
SPRING TERM
WORK
YEAR 4
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
WORK
SPRING TERM
WORK
YEAR 5
FALL TERM
STUDY
WINTER TERM
STUDY
SAMPLE HEALTH SCIENCES CO-OP JOBS
Genetic Counselling Assistant
Clinical Research Assistant
Health & Safety Specialist
Health Promotion Assistant
Genetic Counselling Assistant
Clinical Research Assistant
Health & Safety Specialist
Health Promotion Assistant
FACULTY OF HEALTH CO-OP STUDENTS EARNED BETWEEN
$9,600 - $15,000
ON CANADIAN WORK TERMS IN 2023
OVER 8,000 EMPLOYERS
ACTIVELY RECRUIT WATERLOO STUDENTS
FACULTY OF HEALTH CO-OP STUDENTS EARNED BETWEEN
$9,600 - $15,000
ON CANADIAN WORK TERMS IN 2023
OVER 8,000 EMPLOYERS
ACTIVELY RECRUIT WATERLOO STUDENTS
HOW TO APPLY TO CO-OP
Choose Co-op on your OUAC application.
If you wish to be considered for co-op and regular, we recommend that you apply to both streams. With the number of applications we receive for the regular system of study, we can't guarantee that if you're not admitted to the co-op program that you'll be considered for the regular option.
