Co-op Admission is direct entry at the time applying to Brock University. Students are admitted directly to the Co-op stream of the degree program; application after year one is not required.  When you receive admission to Brock you will know that you are accepted into Co-op.

Students can apply to Co-op after their first year of University study using their year 1 grades; however, space may be limited and not all the co-op programs will be open for application.

Co-op is an integral part of the respective academic degree program. Therefore, Undergraduate co-op students will earn an Honours Bachelor degree with the Co-op distinction. Graduate co-op students will earn a Master degree with the Co-op distinction.

Undergraduate Co-op students follow an accelerated academic programming that extends the degree program by typically four months than the respective regular degree program. However, students will gain a minimum of one year of accumulative work experience by the time of graduation. Graduate Co-op students degree program length will be extended based on the number of work terms that the students are required to complete.

Your Co-op work term sequence is pre-determined based on the program design. Structured programming is to ensure students are equipped with necessary skills and knowledge to contribute to the world of work. Please refer to co-op specific degree program sequence published in the University Calendar for your respective Co-op programs.

Please refer to our Program Sequence Brochure for program specific sequence.

The fee covers the cost of administrative and operational services. It is not a placement fee. Co-op programs operate year-round. This continual cycle impacts many of the campus resources, such as facilities, teaching resources, staff resources, as well as promotions/marketing and travel associated with securing employment opportunities for you. The Ontario government does not provide additional funding for co-operative education programs to post-secondary institutions, so this fee helps cover the costs associated with operating Co-op programs.

The Co-op Fee covers the cost of running our Co-op program, and includes (but is not limited to):

• Designing and delivering programming to prepare students for success in their job search, including early talent development preparation, job search training, career advising and work term preparation.
• Co-op job search support, including résumé and cover letter critiques, practice interviews and performance coaching.
• Developing and maintaining employer relationships to promote Brock Co-op students to employers.
• Programming and support to ensure students’ success on their work term, including regular follow ups and work term check-ins with both students and employers.
• Facilitation and support of end-to-end recruitment and hiring process for both students and employers.
• Organizing and delivering employer events to help students connect with industry partners and alumni.
• Administering and maintaining Co-op information management systems.
• All other activities related to the support and promotion of Co-op students.

Please click here for the Co-op fee structure.

Undergraduate Co-op Programs are Honour degree programs and therefore, undergraduate co-op students are required to maintain their Honour standing at all times (i.e. 70% accumulative average in you major, 60% accumulative average in your non major). Graduate co-op students are required to maintain a minimum of 75% accumulative average.

The Co-op Education Office encourages students to participate in an exchange academic term and/or seek an international work term opportunity.  There are many opportunities abroad and we want to support students that are particularly interested in seeking exchange/international opportunities. If you are interested in going on an exchange academic term, you will need to plan early and consult with your Academic Advisor regarding when you can go on an exchange term and how it will impact on your work/study sequence.

During your first year of study, our Co-op Transition Advisor is your point of contact for co-op.

We also offer an optional Year 1 Co-op Programming/Events to support your transition into your Co-op journey.

Following your program schedule, you will enroll in our Co-op Professional Preparation course (0N90 for Undergraduate Co-ops; 5N90 for Graduate Co-ops) and be engaged in the formalized co-op programming. Our Professional Preparation Course curriculum is framed and developed around Brock’s Career Development Model. This non–credit course is a mandatory prerequisite requirement for you to complete with an “SA” (Satisfactory) grade in order to continue with your co-op journey. Our Career Development Consultants will be your point of contact during this course. 

The Co-op job search process is a competitive recruitment and selection process. Your designated Talent Coach will work along side with you and coach you in securing a co-op opportunity that will meet your skill development goals. Our Talent Partnership Consultants proactively outreach to qualified employers to promote our student talent. At Brock, co-op students to us are not just a number rather we view each student as individuals filled with potential. Our objective is to help employers and students to recognize that potential. We encourage you to work with your Talent Coach closely.

The job search process typically begins four months prior to your scheduled work term. The time required in job search depends on your goal for your upcoming work term, your skill level and your preparedness for the hiring competition. Typically, we recommend that our students to allot 30 minutes a day during their job search term to work on co-op related activities including preparing job applications, networking with professionals, practicing interview skills, etc.

In addition to Co-op Preparation Course (0N90/5N90) you complete, your designated Talent Development Specialist (TDS) will assist you with preparing for your entire co-op job search competition. Our TDS team assists with resume and cover letter critique, informational interviews, LinkedIn profile, interview preparation and so on.

Yes. The majority co-op students rely on the job opportunities developed by the Co-op Education Office. However, you are encouraged to conduct self-directed job search utilizing the skills you learned from your Co-op programming. We developed resources, tip sheets and scripts to guide you with self-directed process in addition to receiving support from the team.  The Co-op Education Office must approve all opportunities secured independently to ensure the position meets Co-op Education standards and your employer is is fully aware of their responsibilities as a Co-op employer.

Jobs are not guaranteed as the employer will decide who they would like to hire from Brock. You will be competing against other students to secure employment opportunities through the recruitment and selection process. Your success is based on many factors, including how active you are in the job search process; the number of positions to which you apply; how well your cover letter and resumé sell your experience and skills; your interview performance; your past experience, either paid or unpaid; your grades; and, most of all, a positive attitude and realistic expectations. Students who work with our team closely and incorporate our coaching have been successful with securing a co-op work term.

Co-op work terms are typically paid opportunities. Pay varies by program and generally increases with experience. The amount you are paid while on a work term is determined by the employer. For a copy of our salary surveys, please click here.

We strive to secure paid employment for our students; however, some special programs and industries may not offer remuneration because of the nature of their business (examples include Advertising Agencies, Entertainment & Media industry, Fashion industry, Non for profit organizations, Healthcare industry, Sports industry, Gaming industry, Music industry, etc.).

We encourage our co-op students to go where the opportunities are! Co-op opportunities are available across Canada and internationally. Typically, over 40% co-op students work in the Greater Toronto Area; 30% in Niagara Region (mainly, St. Catharines on a bust route), over 10% in Burlington/Hamilton area, 6% in Eastern Ontario.

We encourage our students to go where the opportunities. Depending on industry, jobs may be more plentiful in certain cities/geographic areas; by limiting your job search to a specific area, you may be limiting your options. Finding housing and paying for moving expenses are your responsibility. The federal government does provide certain costs related to relocation to be claimed. Please click here to see T1-M Claim Form for Moving Expenses from Revenue Canada.

You are not required to stay with the same employer unless you committed to return.  Accounting students may be an exception due to the hiring practices CPA employers follow. Statistics show that students who return for additional work terms have an increased chance of being hired full-time upon graduation.

Your co-op work-term credit apply to the requirements for obtaining a co-op distinction on your degree; they do not replace academic credits required for completion of your degree.

You are not encouraged to enroll in academic courses while on a work term as it may affect the work term performance and availability to perform work related duties. While you are on your co-op work term, you will be working full time (i.e. 35 to 40 hours a week) for the entire duration of your work term. It is expected that you are fully engaged in your work term and your Co-op employer is under no obligation to accommodate for time off to write academic exams, complete or hand in assignments during your regular scheduled work hours.