Co-op Student Frequently Asked Questions

Co-op, short for co-operative education, is a program offered by many universities that allow students to gain practical work to their field of study while pursuing their academic degree. In a co-op program, students alternate between periods of academic study and paid work experience with an employer relevant to their field of study. The purpose of co-op programs is to provide students with hands-on experience, to help them build professional networks, and to enhance their employment prospects upon graduation. In addition to gaining valuable work experience, co-op students also earn income during their work terms, which can help offset the cost of tuition and living expenses. 

Co-op at Trent allows you to graduate with your Honours degree and 12 months of paid work experience in as little as 4 years with a distinct career advantage. Co-op consists of 8 study terms and 3 work terms which alternate or run continuously and vary depending on your degree program. Co-op students must follow their program's set Work Term Schedule. 

At Trent, you will have the unique opportunity to search for a position on our Co-op  job board or to find your own co-op job. Finding your own co-op experience allows you to explore opportunities that best suit your personal career goals, growth areas, and interests. If you find your own co-op job for one of your schedules work terms, you will need to ensure the position meets Trent's standard work term requirements in terms of the following: 

• Work term length
• Full-time hours
• Compensation
• Evaluation criteria 

You may contact your Co-op Program Coordinator to learn more about work term options 

The main difference is the level of complexity and the type of work experiences offered. In high school co-op programs, students typically work in entry-level positions that are designed to provide them with exposure to various industries and basic job skills. High school co-op programs are usually part time and take place during the school day over a period of weeks. 

In contrast, university co-op programs offer more advanced work experience related to the student's area of study. These programs require students to have completed some academic coursework before they can participate in a co-op work term. The work terms are full-time hours, fully paid, and can range from 4-12 months in duration depending on the students assigned work term schedule. Additionally, university co-op programs are typically more competitive, which includes a formal job search and application process, with limited spaces available based on employer hiring needs. 

University co-op programs often require students to maintain a minimum grade point average and complete additional coursework and career preparedness training before they can go out on work terms. 

All Trent co-op students have access to the Student Experience Portal, the SEP, which can be accessed through the myTrent portal. After logging in, students will see the 'Co-op' header on the left menu bar which will bring them to the main Co-op module.

Students must read and accept the Terms and Conditions, along with their job search intentions for their upcoming work term. Once students submit their job search intentions, the Co-op Job Board will be visible to them. Students can access the training video and a written guide with details on how to navigate and use the Co-op Module on the SEP available on the Co-op Resources for Students page. 

Co-op Work Term: A form of work integrated learning that allows students to gain full-time paid experience in a professional workplace setting related to their program of study. As a co-op student, you alternate between academic study terms and work terms. Some programs follow a co-op alternating model where you will complete a total of 3 paid work terms that are each 12-16 weeks in duration and 420 hours in total (about 35 hours/week) and other programs follow a co-op internship model where you will complete one 12-month experience. You can learn more on the Work Term Schedule page. 

Placement: Typically an unpaid work experience and may be only 8-10 hours/week which students will complete while taking other courses. An example placement looks like this:

A Business student at Trent can enrol in a placement course that is 100 hours of unpaid work experience during a 12-week semester that they will complete a part-time basis scheduled around their other academic courses. 

Practicum: A more intensive and longer-term work experience that is designed to give students the opportunity to apply their academic learning in a real-world setting. Practicums are often required as part of a professional licensed program such as nursing, social work, or teacher education, involving a supervised work experience from a licensed professional. Practicums can last from a few weeks to a full academic term, typically during the first year of degree programs. 

Co-op at Trent is predominantly a direct entry program, however some co-op programs do offer a Transfer in option open only to full-time first year undergraduate students. 

The Transfer In process varies between programs but will usually take place in the Winter term of first year and will require that students meet CGPA requirements for co-op, have taken the required first year courses for the selected program, and have taken a certain amount of study credits. Please contact the Co-op Coordinator of the specific program to learn more about the process. 

No. Students cannot use this form to switch into another co-op program. 

If you are a co-op student and want to pursue a joint-major, minor, specialization and/or option OR if you wish to switch into a different co-op program, please connect with your Co-op Coordinator directly to see what is available to you. 

Some co-op programs are direct-entry only and/or do not allow for program customizations. If you complete the 'Change of Major' form as a co-op student, please note that you will be removing yourself from your Co-op program and pursuing whatever major you select without the co-op designation. 

Co-op students are required to pay a non-refundable administrative fee of $750 as set by the university. This fee will be billed to the student's account 5 times during their program and must be paid by the due date for all course fees at the start of the academic terms. The co-op fee goes towards a variety of aspects involved in the administration of co-op streams including funding resource development, fostering employer relationships, new job development, and the infrastructure and administration of the co-op programs.

Co-op students are responsible for paying tuition for their academic courses, ancillary fees, and levies, which Trent students are charged every semester. Co-op students will experience the same cycle for their ancillary fee payments regardless when on work terms, but they will not pay tuition. 

Visit our Co-op Program Fees page to learn about the fee schedule and financial bursary Co-op Assistance Program which helps students in financial need with co-op expenses. 

Yes! Students can choose to apply to jobs outside of the SEP Co-op Job Board of approved opportunities. All work term jobs must ensure that the position meets Trent's standard work term requirements:

• Work term lengths
• Hours
• Compensation
• Evaluations

Students must contact their Co-op Program Coordinator to have the job approved for their work term, and approval must be accepted before agreeing to any formal job offer.

Every effort is made to post suitable co-op work term opportunities for students enrolled in the co-op programs at Trent, but a work term opportunity cannot be guaranteed for every student. The co-op work term process is competitive across different geographical areas and within certain industries. A variety of factors including changing job market conditions, the academic performance of a student, along with the student's willingness to apply to posted opportunities while remaining proactive in their job search and preparedness can affect their ability to secure co-op work terms each year. 

In the event that a student is unable to complete three work terms during their four-year Honours degree, yet otherwise fulfill all other degree requirements, they will be awarded an Honours degree without the Co-op designation. Co-op students are encouraged to meet with their Co-op Coordinator regularly to confirm that they are meeting co-op requirements.

Co-op students must complete learning objectives, a mid-term evaluation, a final evaluation, and a final work term report for each work term. These deliverables will allow them to set work term goals, reflect on their on-the-job experience and summarize their learning, while also providing them with valuable feedback on skills developed and utilized during their work term. Their employer Supervisor will also provide mid-term and final performance evaluations of the work term experience. Following receipt of all the work term deliverables and satisfactory evaluations from the employer, students will have successfully passed their work term and a PASS will be indicated on the work term.

No. Students degree program has been mapped so that they can take all required courses during their study terms and focus on full-time work commitments to fulfill the requirements of their co-op employment work term. This rule is in place to protect co-op students and the employer who has committed to offering a full-time job with the understanding that students will not have conflicts with other academic activities during their work term. 

The Co-op Coordinators are here to help co-op students! Students should connect with their Co-op Coordinator or follow the instructions within the Co-op Student Handbook to find answers to common questions about co-op progression and co-op work terms.

Students can always email coop@trentu.ca if they are unsure of who to connect with at Trent, and the Co-op Team will help connect students to the right person. 

Health and Dental:

Peterborough full-time and Durham students are automatically enrolled in and billed for Health and Dental benefits coordinated by the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA). Trent Co-op students are eligible to receive the Health and Dental benefit. If students already have coverage through another plan, they may submit an online request to opt-out through the TCSA. 

Students who complete a valid opt-out submission will receive their refund as arranged by the association after the start of the term. Please visit the MyTrent Student VIP portal for more information. For other questions or support, please contact Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) | 705-748-1000. 

Transit Passes

Trent students are responsible for paying ancillary fees and levies. The transit pass is covered under these fees. Co-op students are still eligible to have their transit pass for the duration of their undergraduate studies. All First-Year students will receive an email invitation to download their pass.  

Students must have submitted a photo prior in order to receive this invitation.  All returning students with the digital pass from a previous year will automatically receive their new pass if eligible.  No action is required by the returning student.  For more information, please contact TrentUCard at campuscard@trentu.ca 

Athletics and Recreation

All Trent Students pay an athletic fee as part of tuition from September - April 30th which provides them with a gym membership through Athletics & Recreation. As a Trent Co-op student, you are eligible to utilize the gym membership.

After April 30th, Trent Students wanting to access the Trent Athletics Centre will need to purchase a Student Summer Membership. For more information, please visit trentu.ca/athletics/.

We know that students will love their time at Trent, but we also know that students may be eager to graduate and start their career! At Trent University, the majority of our diverse co-op offerings were designed to be completed within a four-year Honours degree timeframe (with an exception of certain five-year Honours degrees) while following the study and work schedule specific to the program. Students can find out more about their specific co-op program and schedule by looking here. 

Students can withdraw from co-op during an academic study term and continue with their degree program without the co-op designation. If students are unable to complete three work terms yet otherwise fulfill all degree requirements, they will be awarded an Honours degree without the Co-op designation. Students should contact their Co-op Coordinator first to discuss withdrawing from their co-op program. 

Please note: Withdrawal from the co-op program will not normally be approved while a student is on a work term.

Work terms are 4-months in duration with a minimum 12-week requirement working full-time hours. Work terms typically alternate between a study period and a work term throughout the academic year, with specific programs having one continuous work term for a 12-month duration. Some co-op programs have back-to-back work terms available which could mean a continuous 8-month employment opportunity (two work terms). The schedule for all programs can be found here. 

At this time, we cannot accommodate international work terms. If students would like to incorporate an international experience into their degree, they should chat with their Co-op Coordinator and look into possible options to study abroad.

If a co-op student is considering studying abroad for a specific study term during their co-op degree program, they must first contact their Co-op Coordinator. Some co-op programs will be able to accommodate study terms abroad whereas others may not allow study abroad terms specific to their own program requirements.

Yes, as an international student, they can apply for the co-op option when applying to a degree program at Trent if they meet the admission requirements stated for that program. 

Co-op is a competitive option for all programs that offer this option, and there are limited co-op spots available for each program.

International students who are required to complete a co-op as a mandatory component of their degree must apply for a co-op work permit (COWP).  The Letter of Admission will note that a co-op is a component of the students degree and a COWP will typically be issued with their initial Study Permit.  If they are not issued a COWP with their Study Permit, they can apply for a COWP for no cost from within Canada.

Students in this situation are encouraged to visit the Co-op Work Permit page and email Trent International at internationaladvising@trentu.ca for support with this application process upon arrival in Canada.

International students must fulfill the eligibility requirements and conditions of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to legally be employed to complete a co-op work term. Visit the IRCC Website to learn more about these requirements.

Only the employees of Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) are legally allowed to assist students with their application. Visit the CIC website for more helpful information. Students can also call the CIC Call Centre from within Canada at 1-888-242-2100 for more information in both English and French languages about CIC programs and services, or about the status of their application. If preferred, they can send the CIC Call Centre an email at question@cic.gc.ca 

Students may also receive assistance through Trent International by connecting with Trent University’s International Student Immigration Advisor by making an appointment through the Student Experience Portal. Visit Trent International to find out more. 

Some positions, depending on their wage subsidy funding, may only be available to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and those with landed refugee status. Always read the job posting and eligibility criteria carefully when applying to co-op job postings. There are always positions available that are open to international students through private sector employers, but it is important for students to ask their Co-op Coordinator or the employer to confirm these requirements while job seeking as an international student with a valid work permit.

Students must contact their Co-op Coordinator if they are planning to seek employment in their home country before proceeding to apply to any work term opportunities. While this option may be possible for some programs, not all co-op programs will be able to accommodate work terms outside of Canada.