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

Yes. If you wish to appeal your admission decision, please follow the instructions provided in your intake decision email. This typically involves emailing the Co-op Program about your application outcome by the stated date. 

For more details, please fer to the Co-op Program's Student Appeal Procedure.

Participating in the Co-op Program will extend your graduation date by one year. 

Wages for co-op students vary depending on your field of study, year level, industry, and geographic location. On average, undergraduate co-op students can expect to earn between $21 and $27 per hour. 

It's important to note that while co-op positions are paid, the primary goal is to gain valuable, hands-on work experience related to your academic program. Wages are set by the employer and may also reflect the cost of living in the job’s location. 

For more information, you can view past salary ranges and averages in the Co-op Program’s Annual Year in Review or consult with your Co-op Career Advisor. 

Please contact the Co-op Program team at apsc.coop@ubc.ca with the details of the position you’ve been offered. We will review your situation and discuss whether any options are available to support your participation. 

Yes. If you are a new transfer student from another institution with no UBC coursework, your UBC admissions average will be used to assess your eligibility for admission to Co-op. You must still meet the 65% minimum requirement based on that admissions average.

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.

• A current resume
• A quiz on the Co-op Program's Terms & Conditions
• A student information survey

The Co-op Program provides a range of resources to help you prepare for your job search and succeed in securing a co-op position, including:

• Pre-employment workshops to help you develop resumes, cover letters and interview skills
• One-on-one advising with your assigned Co-op Career Advisor for personalized support and guidance
• Co-op career toolkits with practical tips and templates
• VMock, an AI-powered tool that provides instant feedback to help you enhance your resume before applying to co-op positions
• Access to PD Portal, the platform where:
  • Hundreds of jobs are posted each term
  • You apply for jobs and track your progress
  • You manage your co-op experience throughout the program 

These supports are designed to help you build your career confidence and gain meaningful work experience. 

All applicants will be notified by email in the 3rd week of September. Emails will be sent to the address listed in your Workday account. Please check your junk or spam folders in your email. If you have not received an email from the Co-op Office by this time, please contact our front desk at apsc.coop@ubc.ca. .

A resume toolkit, template, and annotated template are provided as part of the application 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). Accepted methods of payment are Visa, Mastercard, American Express. Full details on how to pay the fee and payment deadline will be provided 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.

You can find Co-op sequence options at the Work Term Schedule page. Use program filter to see all the options available for you.

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.

Students' first work term may be scheduled for summer, fall, or winter. Factors including your class standing, academic performance, and individual program or curriculum requirements will dictate a student’s first work term.

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 completed over more than one season of the year (summer, fall, winter) to graduate with Co-op Standing and have the co-op designation noted on their degree parchment.

Bachelor of Design students must complete a minimum of three work terms completed over more than one season of the year (summer, fall, winter) to graduate with the co-op designation on their degree parchment. 

Master of Engineering students are not eligible for the 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.