Co-operative education (Co-op) integrates the academic education (classroom-based learning) of interested and qualified students with relevant, supervised, and paid work experience (work-based learning) with employer organizations. Co-op students gain valuable skills that help guide them through their studies and prepare them for future job markets upon graduation.
An optional Co-op Program is available for B.P.Sc. students who have successfully completed all mandatory courses up to and including Year 3. In order to gain entry, students must be admitted to the Co-op program through the selection process led by the Science Co-op Office. Selection of B.P.Sc. Co-op students will be based on academic performance and general suitability to the work environment as determined by the Co-op intake interview. Total enrolment is subject to the current state of the market as well as the resources available to support coaching and job development. Acceptance into the Co-op program does not guarantee students’ employment in each work term.
Students admitted into the B.P.Sc. Co-op Program are required to accept and comply with the Science Co-op Program's Terms and Conditions. A Co-op administration and workshop fee is to be paid by all students accepted into the program. Co-op students will be registered in the appropriate Co-op courses for each work term. Once a suitable position is confirmed, Co-op students will be required to pay the Co-op course fee (see Program and Course Fees). The normal regulations governing withdrawal from courses notwithstanding, students are not permitted to withdraw from the Co-op courses without permission of the Co-op Program.
In order to graduate with the co-operative education designation, a student must have completed four work terms in addition to the normal degree requirements of the B.P.Sc. program.
Detailed information on the program can be obtained from the Science Co-op Office in Room A170, Chemistry and Physics Building, 6221 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 or online (https://sciencecoop.ubc.ca/).