Undergraduate FAQ

Yes. International students holding a valid study permit, and a valid co-op/internship work permit can complete co-op work terms in Canada. Note, some co-op student opportunities are restricted to Canadian citizens or permanent residents due to security clearance or funding requirements.  

To apply for a co-op work permit, international students admitted to the Co-op Program will receive a studentship letter after admission to the Program. The co-op studentship letter is a required component to the work permit application as it confirms that co-op work experience is essential to completing your degree program. The co-op work permit application must be completed from within Canada. 

The co-op studentship letter and further information on applying for the co-op work permit will be provided after you are accepted into the Co-op Program. International students must hold a valid co-op work permit before commencing employment and throughout the work term.
 

Yes! Please see the webpage for Indigenous Students. 

Indigenous Students webpage

If you wish to appeal your admission decision, the first step is to follow the instructions you received in your intake decision email, which is to email the Co-op Office about your application result by the stated deadline. You can find more information about the UBC Applied Science Co-op Program’s Student Appeal Procedure here.

If you are registered with the Centre for Accessibility (Vancouver) or the Disability Resource Centre (Okanagan), please contact apsc.coop@ubc.ca as soon as possible before September 4th so there is sufficient time for the Co-op Office to respond to you with an arrangement. Accommodation arrangements will only be reviewed and arranged during Co-op Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm PDT.

Once you have submitted your application on Canvas, you will see a message confirming that you have finished all required modules. Only fully completed applications will be reviewed, and it is your responsibility to ensure that you have completed the application in its entirety by the application deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

All applicants will be notified by email on an anticipated date of September 26, 2024. Ensure you check your junk and/or spam folders in your email, and if you have not received an email from the Co-op Office by Sept 27, 2024 at 12 pm, please contact our front desk at apsc.coop@ubc.ca.

A resume toolkit, template, and annotated template are provided as part of the application process on Canvas. All the information needed to create a competitive application is outlined on Canvas.

Yes. The pre-employment workshops are important and critical to your success. Students admitted to the Co-op Program must take part in all of the workshops, and complete all requirements. Students who do not successfully complete the mandatory workshops are ineligible to proceed in the Program.

Yes. While on a co-op work term you are considered a full-time student for eligibility for student loans and interest-free status. If you have any questions about student loans, grants or awards, follow up with your Enrolment Services Advisor (ESA) in Vancouver or Students Services at UBC Okanagan. You can also visit BC Student Aid for student loan details.

The Co-op Administration and Workshop Fee is paid online, directly to the Applied Science Co-op Program (not through Workday Student) and is due early October. Accepted methods of payment are Visa, Mastercard, American Express. Full details on how to pay this fee will be outlined in the acceptance email.

The work term recruitment period (job search) begins four months prior to the scheduled work term, e.g. start of the summer job search begins in January. When a student has accepted an offer of co-op employment, the student will be registered by the Co-op Office in the appropriate APSC work term co-op course(s) for the term(s) covering the duration of the employment contract. Co-op employment contracts cover periods of 4, 8, 12 or 16 months, depending on the employer’s needs and the student’s availability.

The pre-employment workshops prepare students to write effective job application documents, improve interview skills, understand the purpose of networking, review co-op resources and processes, and much more. These workshops will take place in October and November for accepted students.

A work term is a paid, full-time, supervised, industry and/or research employment experience which mirrors the months of the equivalent academic term (e.g. a Fall work term is September - December). Work term positions are posted on the Co-op Job Board and can also be found on external systems and/or through your individual efforts and personal network. A work tern can be used for co-op credit as long as the experience meets the co-op work term criteria.  Work terms are evaluated on a pass/fail basis and documented on your university transcript. Co-op work terms cover periods of 4, 8, 12 or 16 months, depending on the employer's needs and the student's availability.

When you secure a work term position, the Co-op team will register you in the appropriate co-op course for the work term. The Co-op course fee and related student fees are assessed for each registered four-month work term at the same time as regular tuition fees. Tuition and program fee payment instructions are outlined on the UBC Student Services website (Vancouver/Okanagan) and payment is made through your Workday account, like any other UBC course or program. The Co-op course fee is the same for both international and domestic students.

Most students begin their first co-op work term in the summer (May - August) following admission into the Co-op Program. However, this may differ for each engineering discipline. Students may modify their schedules in consultation with their Co-op Career Advisor and their Academic Advisor. Standard work term sequence options for each program can be found here: Work Term Schedule - Applied Science Co-op.

No. Securing a job is a competitive process and there is no guarantee of obtaining a position. It’s essential for students to be committed and put significant efforts into their job search and applications. As a co-op student, you have access to the co-op job portal and the support of the Co-op Career team, but success depends on your dedication. The more positions you apply for, more people you connect with, and more open-minded you are about possible experiences, the higher the chances of securing a position. We are here to guide you through the process with pre-employment workshops, individual appointments, and 1:1 coaching – from your first job search to your final work term.

Yes. International co-op work terms allow you to expand your horizons and industry networks globally. You have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture and new experiences. For international students studying at UBC, it also can be an opportunity to leverage networks from your home region and return for one or more work terms.

Our Co-op Career Advisors are here to help you understand what’s involved to seek out, potentially secure and address next steps when you accept an international work term. They can assist and provide you with information and resources so that you can be better prepared to search for international opportunities and to work internationally.

Yes! In addition to applying for positions through the Program’s portal, you should expand your job searching efforts by developing leads and exploring opportunities through career fairs, attending company information sessions, events of interest (e.g. professional association events, Hackathons), and your personal connections. Positions eligible for co-op work term credit can be sourced from the Co-op job board or through individual efforts (beyond the job board) if the position is paid, full-time, supervised, industry and/or research employment experience. Meet with your Co-op Career Advisor to discuss and develop your job search strategy and/or discuss a lead you may have on a job.

CIE is an academic exchange program specifically for students in the Faculty of Applied Science. It is an international experiential opportunity for students which we support by providing the opportunity to integrate a CIE term in your plans to graduate with the Co-op designation on your degree. As a co-op student, you are eligible to substitute a CIE term for a co-op work term to count towards one of the four work terms required for Co-op standing. Full CIE program details are available here: Coordinated International Experience (CIE). Ensure you speak with your Co-op Advisor about how CIE may impact your co-op career plans and schedule.

Yes. Up to 12 months of co-op work may be eligible as work experience when registering with EGBC and applying for P.Eng. designation, provided the work is relevant to your discipline and can be validated by a supervisor with first-hand knowledge of your work. See EGBC website for further information: Competency-Based Assessment (egbc.ca).

No. Co-op opportunities are available in numerous geographic regions, industries, and organizations. As British Columbia is home to UBC’s campuses, many co-op opportunities are in British Columbia and Alberta as the closest regions, but opportunities are available across Canada, in the USA and globally. Students can seek out and secure opportunities in any geographic region of interest and we encourage students to be ‘geographically flexible’ to increase opportunities and success in securing relevant experience.

Bachelor of Applied Science co-op students must complete a minimum of four work terms - including at least one term in two different seasons (summer, fall, and/or winter) to graduate with Co-op Standing and have "Co-op" designation noted on their degree parchment. Bachelor of Design students must complete a minimum of three work terms - including at least one term in fall or winter in order to graduate with the "Co-op" designation on their degree parchment. Master of Engineering students are not eligible for Co-op designation on their degree parchment.

You will not be registered for the work term and, if you have work terms remaining in your co-op/academic schedule, you will continue in the Co-op program. If you have registered for courses for what was to be the work term, you may return to classes and be able to job search for your next scheduled co-op work term.