Co-op Programs

Honours students in the Faculty of Arts on the Waterloo campus may apply to co-op in their first year.  

Beginning in fall 2024, Faculty of Arts co-op will be available to honours students in the majors below. Students may take a second major, such as Film Studies, History, or Religion and Culture.

• Communication Studies
• French
• Global Studies
• Languages
• Political Science
• Sociology

Through fall 2023, Arts co-op is available to honours students from the majors below. Students may take a second major, such as Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Medieval Studies or Women & Gender Studies. 

• Ancient Studies
• Archaeology and Heritage Studies
• Communication Studies
• English 
• Film Studies 
• Global Studies
• History
• Languages and Literatures, including French and Spanish
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Religion and Culture
• Sociology

Laurier's Business and Economics co-op programs have a reputation for high academic standards, and a comprehensive approach. The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, whose standards are recognized internationally.

 Business Co-op Work Study Sequence
Eight-month work term, beginning spring

Some Business Administration students begin their first work term in September and follow one of the schedules below:

Students in the double degree program in Business Administration and Computer Science take business courses at Laurier and computer science courses at the University of Waterloo.

Students in Laurier's double degree program in Business Administration with Computer Science develop an expertise in business and a strong understanding of computer science.

Students in the accelerated double-degree program earn a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Financial Mathematics in five years. Through their business program, students learn about internal and external business structures and processes, and the skills to manage them. Through their financial mathematics courses, students build the quantitative and technical expertise needed to analyze risk in business and industry.

Students in the double degree program in Business Administration and Mathematics take business courses at Laurier and math courses at the University of Waterloo.

Bachelor of Business Technology Management students are equipped with traditional business skills, the latest knowledge of technology and courses in liberal arts and leadership. Graduates are prepared to be leaders in a turbulent world of technology-based change.

Laurier's Computer Science Co-op students complete three four-month work terms and are available to work in the fall, spring and winter.

Laurier's Data Science program seeks to address the data-related needs of modern business and industry. With a focus on mathematics, statistics, data analytics and computing technologies and methods, our students take courses in computer science, data analysis, business and economics. 

The Professional Experience Program (PEP), which is available to students in Honours Computer Science, includes a work term lasting from 12 to 16 months. These students often take placements in areas such as programming, networking technology, quality assurance, technical support or information technology consulting. 

With 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, many of our Faculty of Science programs take an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on the applications of science that address some of society’s most pressing issues and leave our graduates well positioned to begin very productive careers. Science Co-op students from the following majors are available in the spring work term:

• Biochemistry and Biotechnology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Studies
• Financial Mathematics
• Geography
• Health Sciences
• Honours Science
• Kinesiology 
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Psychology
• Psychology and Neuroscience

The User Experience Design program is part of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, located in Brantford. User Experience (UX) is a rapidly growing career path that focuses on making products, services and spaces useful, usable and enjoyable for users. The extended work term of 12 to 16 months allows students to engage in a project of reasonable complexity and see it to completion. 

Water Science and Environmental Health is an interdisciplinary program jointly operated by the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Geography and Environmental Studies.

Students completing a Water Science and Environmental Health degree learn about hydrology, limnology, biogeochemistry, toxicology, biology, water governance and policy. 

As technology becomes more sophisticated, so does the skill set required for the computing profession. Laurier’s Master of Applied Computing program offers students an advanced computing degree with theoretical and practical knowledge of mobile computing, enterprise computing and data mining. Courses include Data Analysis, Practical Algorithm Design, and Seminar in Technology Entrepreneurship.

Students in the full-time co-op program take 20 months to complete their degree, which includes an eight-month work term between May and December.

The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics has offered the Master of Arts in Business Economics (MABE) since 1992. MABE students apply economic principles to macroeconomic policy making, strategic planning, international trade, labour market analysis, finance, international finance and business problems. Courses include Microeconomics, Survey Design, Time Series Analysis, and Econometrics and Forecasting.

The program lasts 16 to 20 months, and includes an eight-month work term between May and December or a four-month work term from May through August.

Laurier's MABE co-op program is accredited by CAFCE, now Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL).

The Lazaridis Full-time MBA with Co-op program is designed for high-calibre, recent graduates with less than two years of work experience. Laurier uses a seamless, holistic style to deliver the integrated core courses; Strategic Management, Marketing, Financial Management, Organizational Behaviour, Operation Management, Economics, Accounting and Business Analytics.

All Lazaridis MBA students explore management issues within the voluntary sector of the economy while providing field-based community service during the Not-for-Profit Practicum.

MBA co-op students are available for an eight-month work term from May through December.

The Lazaridis Master of Finance (MFin) co-op program includes two four-month work terms, typically in financial services or government, and lasts 20 months. Students are equipped to conduct expert analysis in equities, fixed incomes, derivative products, corporate finance and portfolio management. The program’s core courses include Investment Management, Fixed Income Analysis, Economics and Quantitative Methods, Advanced Corporate Finance, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Foundation in Finance and Professional Ethics.

The Lazaridis MFin is part of the Chartered Financial Analysis (CFA) University Affiliation Program.

Laurier's Master of Finance (MFin) co-op program is accredited by CAFCE, now Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL).

Co-op students in the MA in Communication Studies program obtain employment and professional communication experience in non-profit organizations, the public sector, community groups, and organizations in creative industries. Co-op students are encouraged to pursue work terms in sectors and roles that align with their research interests.

This is a competitive-entry and limited-enrolment program available to full-time students. Participants study theoretical concepts and research methods in communication studies, and may take courses such as Critical Theory, Video Game Studies, and Risk, Media, and Science. After completing their coursework in the fall and winter terms, students participate in a work term from May through August and write their major research paper or thesis in the subsequent fall semester, completing all their program requirements in approximately 16 months.