What is Co-op?

Co-operative education at Algonquin involves a structured, academically integrated co-op program that provides students with meaningful, discipline-related work experience. The Co-op & Career Centre supports students through all three sequential stages of the co-op experience: preparation, search, and work.

• Co-op & Job Readiness Term
  Students participate in job readiness training and professional development activities, including career workshops, resume and interview preparation, workplace fundamentals, as well as orientation to co-op policies, expectations, and academic requirements.
• Job Search Term
  The department supports the recruitment process by developing and posting relevant job opportunities, organizing networking events, distributing applications to employers, coordinating interviews, managing job offers, and serving as a liaison between students, employers, and academic departments.
• Work Term(s)
  Students engage in full-time, paid, program-related employment for a minimum of 14 weeks (35+ hours per week), typically between study terms. The department ensures quality and accountability through workplace monitoring and ongoing communication with both students and employers. Program faculty review and evaluate work term assignments and assign the final co-op grade, ensuring the experience meets academic and learning outcomes.

Each work term is developed in partnership with the employer and approved by the institution as a suitable learning environment that supports student growth and career development.

Co-op Student Benefits

Mandatory and Optional Co-op Programs

Cooperative Education is an important component in many programs at Algonquin College. The coop experience provides students with the opportunity to learn through a paid work experience and acquire additional knowledge and skills related to your career goals and objectives. At Algonquin College, there are a variety programs that have an optional or mandatory co-op component. Please visit Co-op Programs for further details on co-op requirements by program.

An “optional” co-op program provides students with the choice to complete co-op as they earn their credential. When a student elects to join the co-op program, all work terms within that program are mandatory to progress to any additional co-op work terms, and graduate with a co-op designation.

A “mandatory” co-op program means the students need to complete all co-op work terms in their program to earn a credential and graduate.