Through cooperative education, employers and educators share the responsibility of preparing students for rapidly changing social, technological, and economic conditions. All Co-op work term positions must be relevant to the Computer Science field where students are involved in productive work that allows them to gain competence in both their technical and soft skills.
Co-op Work Terms must be a minimum of 16 weeks in duration with start and end dates to be determined by the employer or co-operatively by the employer and the student.
Salaries are at the discretion of the employer, but should be competitive. The hourly wage range for Computer Science Co-op students is $17.00 to $26.00. The average wage for our students is $20.00 per hour (regardless of the term).
Cooperative education continues to be recognized as an effective means of supporting the needs of employers. Hiring Computer Science Co-op students allows employers to:
- Access a highly skilled and motivated group of new employees that are eager to learn and contribute
- Develop and recruit new talent
- Build their reputation as an industry leader
- Reduce recruiting, hiring, and training costs
- Enlarge the local pool of qualified IT workers
- Share in the knowledge, skill, and research innovation of our university
We are pleased that the provincial government continues to support Co-operative Education by offering incentive programs for employers. These programs can be used to substantially reduce the net amount of wages paid to Co-op undergraduate students and graduates from Co-op programs. The Computer Science Co-op Program is one of the approved programs on the registry.
In addition to the Provincial Programs, there are also Federal Programs (provided through NSERC) available that provide monetary support to employers that hire Undergraduate Co-op students.
- Experience Awards / Application for Eligibility of Organizations to participate in various NSERC programs (private sector)
- Undergraduate Student Research Awards (academic placements)