Undergraduate Co-op Program

International students can participate in the co-op program and must apply for a co-op work permit (in addition to holding a valid study permit) to legally work in Canada on a UBC-approved co-op work term. After you are accepted into the Co-op Program, we will provide you with a letter for your co-op work permit application that confirms co-op is a requirement for your degree.  

Though most jobs posted are open to all students, international students may not be eligible to apply to certain industries and jobs if organizations rely on federal wage subsidies, or for some federal government positions.  

Co-op students are required to be paid at least the minimum wage for their region. In 2023, the average earnings for co-op students across four work terms were $65,168. However, wages can vary widely depending on the industry, prior experience, and the level of responsibility of the position. For more co-op salary information, please refer to the monthly salary table for UBC Applied Science Co-op students for January-December 2023. 

Although co-op programs can offer a strong financial return, the benefits extend beyond just money. Participating in co-op provides valuable opportunities to explore various career paths, build your professional network, and acquire practical skills and knowledge that align with your academic and career objectives. 

The co-op program mimics the real-world job search process. It’s competitive and a job is not guaranteed. Here’s how it works:   

However, unlike the real-world job search process, you will have a dedicated Co-op Career Advisor who will support you every step of the way.   

To increase your chances of landing a job, it’s important to stay open-minded and explore a variety of opportunities, especially when looking for your first co-op work term. As you gain work experience through the co-op program, you’ll have the flexibility of being more selective in choosing the roles that best align with your career goals. While the Vancouver area offers many co-op student positions, there aren’t enough for everyone. So, another great way to increase your chances is to be open to relocating to different parts of the province or even across the country.  

During your work term, you’re expected to focus fully on your job. Think of it as a break from school. While the average engineering student spends about 70 hours per week on classes and studying, a 35 to 40 hour per week job has no homework.  This gives you time to reengage in activities you didn’t have time for during school and re-establish healthy habits.  

However, if you still want to take a course during your work term, you must ensure that course requirements do not interfere with your regular work hours and responsibilities. If you want to take more than one course while on a work term, you must speak with and obtain permission from your Co-op Career Advisor and your workplace supervisor before registering for courses. 

As a co-op student, you’re considered a full-time student even during your work terms. This means you can still get student loans, keep your interest-free status, and stay eligible for scholarships and awards.  

Co-op students applying for student loans should do so term-by-term. If you are seeking loan funding during a work term, you must declare your co-op earnings as income in your loan application. 

If you are a recipient of a renewable entrance scholarship, you will receive the same total monetary value, but the funding will be spread equally over the Winter Session academic terms only. You will still need to meet the renewal criteria specific to your scholarship.  

Yes! Co-op students can also participate in academic exchange programs such as Go Global or Coordinated International Experience (CIE). If this is something you are considering, you are encouraged to discuss this with your Co-op Career Advisor so that you can work together on developing a co-op, exchange, and study sequence that works for you.  

If you participate in the CIE exchange program, engineering students can use the exchange term towards one of the four work terms required to earn the co-op designation on your degree parchment. Architecture students are not eligible to use a CIE exchange term towards one of three work terms required for the co-op designation.