FAQ - Bishop's University

Programs open to co-op:

Business Administration:

Accounting
Finance
Marketing
Entrepreneurship
Management
Business technology and Analytics
Human Resources

B.A. Major Business

B.A Information Technology

Computer Science

Information Technology

It is recommended that start and end dates mirror the start and end dates of academic terms:

Winter Semester: January to April

Summer Semester: May to August

Fall Semester: September to December

It is key that an internship be for a minimum of 420 hours and normally 12 to 16 weeks. Exceptions are considered.

Yes, this is possible but requires that the prospective student meet with her/his academic advisor to ensure this will not be detrimental to his intended date of graduation.

International students have much to offer Canadian employers. Introducing an international student to your company can help create a more culturally diverse organization that is representative of the Canadian population. They can also bring an international perspective to problem-solving, the ability to speak multiple languages, and can fill the gap for skilled workers that might not be able to be filled by Canadian graduates alone.

Details:

Full-time international students can work up to 20 hours per week while they study.
In some cases, they can work full-time during the months of May to August.
They can also work in Canada up to three years after graduation.

Students are available year-round Fall (September to December), Winter (January to April) and Summer (May to August) however, summer is when the largest number of students look for a placement.

The duration of most work terms typically spans 12 to 16 weeks, with a minimum requirement of 420 total hours. Alternatively, we also accept work terms that consist of 15-20 hours per week, provided the overall minimum of 420 hours is met. This flexibility allows students and employees to tailor their work arrangements while ensuring a meaningful and valuable experience.

No. At present the Co-op program is only offered to Business and Computer Science students.

All jobs are reviewed by the Co-op Coordinator, and only those providing students with work experience related to their professional development are approved. It is expected that their second and/or third internship will build upon the experience gained from previous internships.

Not at this time.

The Co-op Coordinator is your key contact on all things Co-op.

You will be expected to support students throughout their time with your organization.

You will need to:

identify a supervisor who can oversee the intern’s projects and provide mentorship;
provide a thorough orientation that includes your organization’s physical space, structure, work culture, policies, etc.;
meet with the intern early on to discuss expectations and learning objectives;
train the intern and find opportunities for them to get involved in different projects or with different teams;
meet regularly to check their workload and progress;
review students’ learning objectives and competency assessments at the start, middle and end of the work term (necessary forms are provided by the Co-op ).

Setting preliminary work-term objectives.
Booking a meeting with the supervisor to articulate learning objectives and ensure understanding of employer expectations.
Continually reviewing, fine tuning and improving work performance.
Meeting regularly with the supervisor to analyze performance and seek advice. Reviewing progress with the Co-op Program Coordinator if required.
Reflecting on the work term experience: What has been learned? How can the experience be applied?
Developing a work term report and submitting it to the Co-op Coordinator upon completion of the work term for grading by the department Chair.

Salaries depend on the student’s experience and academic program. Many employers go with the market rate.

No.

Provide practical experience related to one of our Co-op disciplines.
Be accompanied by a short job description.
Include proper supervision
The work term duration should span at least 12 to 16 weeks, with a full-time commitment, resulting in a minimum of 420 total hours worked. Alternatively, part-time arrangements of 15 to 20 hours per week are also accepted, as long as they meet the minimum requirement of 420 hours.
Be salaried.

Most students rotate between four-month work terms and academic sessions. You may ask the student to work part time during his or her academic session or have the student return for another four-month work term. In all cases, you must offer the student new challenges. The student must also check with the Academic Advisor to ensure this will not interfere with their anticipated graduation date.

Ensure you communicate early on with your student if you are not satisfied with his or her performance and develop an action plan to improve the situation. If you have done this and the situation has not improved, please inform the Co-op Advisor who can serve as mediator.

Students are not permitted to take leave during placements, except under exceptional circumstances. Leave for vacations is not permitted. If the student requires emergency or health-related leave, the Co-op Advisor must be notified.

Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada).
The World Association for Co-operative Education