Undergraduate Co-op
Over 70 academic programs across all faculties include a co-op or internship opportunity. Alternating between study terms and three internships gives you a head-start on your career, and the chance to apply classroom theory to work experiences.
Overview
Undergraduate Co-op is our flagship internship option, and every year we welcome around 1500 new undergraduates students to this program.
Here's how it works:
- Become a member of the Institute (you can apply as a future Concordia student or as a current student)
- Study full-time and participate in Institute orientation and complete a mandatory 12-hour online career preparation course before your first search term
- Complete your first job search term while studying full-time
- Complete your first work term
- Return to study full-time and prepare for your next work-term
How to apply to the Institute
If you're applying to Concordia
- Check off “I want to apply for the co-op option” when you submit your general Concordia application.
- Your letter of admission to Concordia will include information about your admission to Co-op as well.
If you're already a Concordia student
- You can apply to Co-op as a current student as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.
- Check our Important Dates for application deadlines.
- Log into your Concordia student email account on MS 365.
- Return to this page and select your faculty to access the application form.
Please note:
- Late submissions will not be possible.
- Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
- The Institute is unable to reply to individual emails regarding the status of an application.
- Decisions will be sent via email within 3 weeks of the application deadline.
- Admission is highly competitive, and admission is not guaranteed regardless of academic performance. Decisions will not be changed.
Eligibility to join the Institute
Admission to the Institute is a competitive process. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee membership in the Institute.
- You must be registered in one of the following Concordia undergraduate academic programs that has a Co-op option (see below).
- You meet the minimum CGPA requirements.
- You must have sufficient credits remaining in your degree to accommodate three (3) work terms.
- You have 60 credits remaining (for a 90-credit program)
- You have 90 credits remaining (for a 120-credit program)
- Actuarial Mathematics | GPA 3.5
- Actuarial Mathematics/Finance | GPA 3.5
- Anthropology | GPA 2.7
- Anthropology and Sociology | GPA 2.7
- Biochemistry | GPA 2.7
- Biology | GPA 3.0
- Cell and Molecular Biology | GPA 3.0
- Chemistry | GPA 2.7
- Ecology | GPA 3.0
- Economics | GPA 3.0
- Environmental and Sustainability Science | GPA 3.0
- Journalism | GPA 2.7
- Mathematical and Computational Finance | GPA 3.7
- Mathematics & Data Science | GPA 3.0
- Physics | GPA 2.7*
- Political Science | GPA 3.3
- Pure and Applied Mathematics | GPA 3.3
- Sociology | GPA 2.7
- Statistics | GPA 3.3
- Systems and Information Biology | GPA 3.0
- Translation | GPA 3.3 (Translation students must also take a test)
Minimum CGPA requirements for all undergraduate JMSB programs: 3.0
Minimum CGPA requirements for all undergraduate Engineering and Computer Science programs: 2.5*
Engineering — BEng
Computer Science — BCompSc
Fine Arts students should refer to the admission requirements for our Career Edge option.
Internship criteria
All internships must:
- Be paid, full-time positions (minimum 35 hrs./week) that are relevant to your program of study
- Start in September, January or May and last between 12 to 17 weeks
- Build upon your previous experiences and push you further, even when staying within the same company
- Not be supervised by a family member
Student policies
After acceptance to the Institute you'll have access to the handbook, that covers such policies as:
- Student must maintain the minimum CGPA required for their program of study
- Students must maintain full-time status while they are a member of the Institute. Undergraduate students must take at least 12 credits in a term to maintain full-time status, whether in the summer, fall, or winter - when not on an Institute internship.
- Students must be physically located in Montreal the entire term prior to their internship to attend interviews with employers.
- With training, support and access to opportunities through the Institute, students are responsible for securing their internships.
- Students are responsible for paying the fee associated with the offering they join.
- Students must complete a minimum of two study terms after admission to Undergraduate Co-op prior to their internship term.
- Students may take a maximum of one course during their internship term (including one course over the entire summer term). They must obtain approval of their sequence from their Academic Director when any changes are made. They must also obtain written permission from their employer and the course must not interfere with their internship, nor conflict with normal business hours.
- Students cannot renege on an accepted internship offer. A student that refuses to undertake the internship will be withdrawn from the Institute and will receive a Fail grade on the work term course for that internship which appears on their transcript for the associated term, and they will be ineligible to apply to other Institute offerings in the future.
- Students must return to an academic term during which they are taking only academic credits after the internship term, the last semester at the university cannot be on an internship.
- The Institute must approve all internships and all employers prior to a student accepting an offer.
- Students who are not proficient in French must be willing to do their internship outside of Quebec.
- Students must complete all training, academic, reflective learning and Institute requirements as directed.
- Once withdrawn from an Institute offering students may not reapply to the same offering at the Institute (undergraduate co-op, Career Edge, ACE, graduate Co-op).
Note: Students are responsible for knowing the rules, regulations, policies and deadlines in the Undergraduate Calendar. The Institute is not responsible should students encounter any difficulties registering for academic courses, paying tuition and fees and/or applying for graduation.
International students must be registered in a full-time course load during academic terms regardless of the above mentioned policies for Canadian students.
- International students should refer to the International Students Office for all questions regarding such matters including course registration requirements, immigration, work visa and student status
- International students will receive a letter of support from the Institute upon admission to the program in order to apply for their Co-op work permit. Students are responsible for completing the application process and obtaining the work permit as soon as possible
