About the Institute
Preparing students for the real world
Looking forward to the future
With rapid changes taking place in the workplace and in the world, Concordia is ensuring that its graduates are future-ready. Responding to growing demand from students and employers alike, the Institute has expanded significantly. It now supports over 5000 students annually across more than 70 undergraduate and graduate programs spanning all four faculties, facilitating over 2000 internships each year.
The Institute offers a diverse range of opportunities, including traditional co-op programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels, the one-term Career Edge option and the Accelerated Career Experience (ACE), a 12 to 16 months work-integrated learning pathway. These initiatives empower students to launch their careers locally in Montreal, across Canada and internationally.
A rich history of experiential learning
Work-integrated learning has always been central to Concordia’s educational philosophy. In the 1950s, Concordia’s predecessor, Sir George Williams University, pioneered "Earn while you learn" programs in retailing.
This tradition continued with the establishment of the Institute for Co-operative Education in 1980 at Concordia, marking a milestone when the first cohort enrolled in September 1981.
In 1993, Concordia launched the "Real Education for the Real World" campaign, a slogan that resonated for years.
Concordia remains dedicated to experiential learning, including work-integrated learning (WIL), which has been a cornerstone since the introduction of the university’s Strategic Directions in 2016.
In 2022, Concordia further committed to providing every incoming undergraduate student with at least one experiential learning opportunity during their studies, increasing to at least two by 2025.
