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Co-operative Education

Co-operative Education (Co-op) formally integrates academic studies with paid, full-time and part-time work experiences at host employer organizations. The Co-op Education department is responsible for coordinating co-op work experiences. All students wishing to choose the Co-op option must first declare into an eligible Co-op program then enroll in COOP 1101. Seats for COOP 1101 are limited and available to students in a declared Co-op option on a first-come, first-served basis during the registration period. Students completing all the requirements of a Co-operative Education program will receive a Co-operative Education designation on their credential and transcript. Students in Co-op programs are required to pay designated co-operative education tuition fees. See Tuition & Fees, and Policy FM4, Fees for a Co-operative Work Term/Semster, for more information.

KPU currently offers Co-op Education options within the programs listed below. For more information, refer to the specific program section of the calendar and the course descriptions.

General Co-operative Education Requirements

Declaration Requirements

Co-operative Education is optional and selective. Students wishing to choose the Co-op option must "declare" a change of their program status to include a "Co-op Option". Once declared, students will be eligible to register in COOP 1101 and participate in work terms.  In order to declare, students must meet the Declaration Requirements for the program.  To declare Co-op, students must complete a Co-op declaration by contacting the Co-op office.

See Policy ST10, Student Eligibility for Co-Operative Work Terms, for further information.

Work Term and Continuance Requirements

For students with a declared co-op option, ongoing requirements must be maintained in order to continue in the program.  Specific Continuance Requirements are stated in the Co-operative Education section of each program.  Failure to fulfill Co-op Continuance Requirements may result in the student being removed from the Co-op option of their program.

Work terms consist of a minimum of 420 hours of work per work term. These hours plus confirmed satisfactory competency assessment reports during the work term from their employer(s) indicate mastery of a work term semester.

Please note that the Co-operative Education office attempts to secure relevant work-learning opportunities for all qualified co-op students, however employers follow normal hiring practices. As a result, KPU cannot guarantee that a student will be selected for a co-op work term.

See Policy ST8, Co-Operative Work Terms, for further information.

Registration

Registration for a Co-op work term must be completed prior to the start of a work term. Extension of a Co-op work term to subsequent semesters or returning for an additional work term with a previous Co-op employer requires registration in the appropriate work term course. The University reserves the right to register a student placed in a work term if the student fails to do so.

Completion Requirements

Please note that for co-op options, students must complete their program on an academic term, not a work term. Also, credits for Co-op work term courses may only be used to satisfy graduation requirements for the Co-op option of the Diploma and Degree programs. These credits do not contribute to the overall required academic credits for non-Co-op programs.

See Policy ST9, Completion Time Limit for Co-operative Education Programs, for further information.

Delaying a work term

Students who have completed COOP 1101 cannot delay more than two consecutive semesters when eligible for seeking a work term. Students who delay more than two consecutive semesters may be removed from the Co-op option of their program.

Student Conduct

Co-op students may be removed from the Co-op option of their program if currently facing student misconduct issues as identified through the Office of Student Risk and Judicial Affairs.

Exit Requirements

Students wishing to exit the Co-op option of their program must contact the Co-op office to complete a Program Status Change Form.

Students completing all the requirements of a Co-operative Education program will receive a Co-operative Education designation on their credential and transcript.

Transferability of Work Terms

Work terms successfully completed (i.e., noted on transcript) in any approved BC post-secondary Co-op program shall be considered for transfer by the accepting institution using the regular transfer credit process.

The acceptance of a student for transfer into another institution having a Co-op program does not guarantee acceptance into the Co-op program at that institution. An institution may still require that the transfer student complete additional work terms as part of his/her new program of study.

For More Information

Phone: 604.599.2465
Email: co-op@kpu.ca
Website: kpu.ca/coop

Last Updated: 23-Jun-2016

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