Co-op Program and Career Edge (C.EDGE) Option

The Co-op Program

The Political Science Co-operative Education (Co-op) program is an option for a limited number of full-time students studying in the Political Science program.

With the Political Science Co-op degree, students graduate with the equivalent of one year (three work terms) of full-time compensated employment related to their field of study and career objectives. While the Co-op degree is slightly longer (usually one term) than the regular Political Science degree, the academic content of the Co-op program is identical to that of the regular degree.

Many positions of employment are situated in the Montreal area; however, students who do not speak French should be prepared to work in other parts of Canada. Students can increase the diversity of employment options by applying to jobs across the country. International placements are also a possibility.

Students’ Co-op experience is overseen by both the Department of Political Science and the Institute for Co-operative Education.

The Department’s Academic Director for the Co-op Program ensures students meet the academic requirements for their degree, plans their study/work sequences, reviews their GPAs, and grades their work term reports.

The Co-op Institute’s Program Coordinator administers everything related to students’ training, placement applications, etc.

For all the details on the Co-op Program, please visit the Institute for Co-operative Education’s website.

Admission to the Co-op Program

When applying to Concordia, applicants declare their interest in the Political Science Co-op Program by ticking the Co-op box when selecting their Political Science degree program. Applicants are then automatically considered for admission to the Co-op program. There are minimum grade requirements (e.g. a CRC of 30). Please note that places are limited and meeting the minimum grade requirement does not guarantee admission.

Students already studying at Concordia can apply for admission through the Institute for Co-operative Education website. Applications are reviewed at the start of Fall and Winter terms. Students need to have at least 60 credits remaining in their degrees by the time they would be enrolled in the Co-op program, and they must have a GPA of at least 3.3. Given the very limited spaces for in-course admissions, students with the strongest GPAs will have priority.

For all the details regarding eligibility and admissions, please visit the Institute for Co-operative Education’s website on the Co-op Program, including the specifics for the Political Science Co-op Program.

Study and Work in the Co-op Program

If you are admitted, the Academic Director will set a course sequence (a schedule of work and study terms) that students are required to follow. Students must report to the Academic Director if there are any circumstances that could affect their ability to follow their course sequences. A sample course sequence is as follows:

Study terms are full-time (at least 12 credits), and students are required to maintain a GPA of at least 3.3 throughout their degree. At the end of their work terms, students submit a work-term report for the Academic Director’s approval.

The Institute for Co-operative Education has its own requirements for the Co-op Program. After students register for the Co-op program, they are required to pay termly Co-op fees, attend the Co-op Institute’s Orientation, complete Career Fundamentals seminars online (on resumes, cover letters, job searching, interview skills), and so on. Please see the Co-op Institute website or contact the Program Coordinator, Dalia Cruz, for further details.

The Career Edge (C.Edge) Option

C.Edge is an option for a limited number of students in the Political Science program. Through C.Edge, students complete a single work term, facilitated by the Institute for Co-operative Education.  Students do not need to study full-time to be eligible for the C.Edge option.

C.Edge students do not graduate with a Co-op degree, but they can access the opportunities available through the Institute for Co-operative Education for one paid work term during their degree, in a Fall, Winter, or Summer term.

As with the Co-op program, many positions of employment are situated in the Montreal area; however, students who do not speak French should be prepared to work in other parts of Canada.

Enrolling in C. Edge

Admissions for the C.Edge option happen once a year during the Winter term, and students apply via the Institute for Co-operative Education’s C.Edge website.

To be eligible for C.Edge, students should apply in the first year of their study at Concordia and have a minimum 3.3 Concordia GPA. Please note that C.Edge spaces are very limited, so eligibility does not guarantee admission.

Students should note that before they can do their C.Edge work term, they will need to complete orientation, training and application processes. So, for example, if a student applies to C.Edge in Winter 2020 and is admitted, they will be able to do a work term in Summer 2021, Fall 2021, or Winter 2022.

C.Edge students have fewer requirements than Co-op students, but they are still required to pay some fees to the Co-op Institute, attend the Institute for Co-operative Education’s C.Edge orientation session, complete at least one study term following their C.Edge work term, and so on. For further details, please see the C.Edge website or contact the Program Coordinator, Dalia Cruz.

Questions about Co-op or C. Edge?

Please first consult the Institute for Co-operative Education’s websites on the Co-op and C.Edge options. There is a lot of information on admissions requirements and procedures, as well as details on sample responsibilities, fees, job application procedures, etc. If you have questions, please contact Dahlia Cruz, Political Science Coordinator for the Institute of Co-operative Education, at dalia.cruz@concordia.ca.

Students currently enrolled in the Co-op or C.Edge options can direct queries regarding work-study sequences, GPA requirements, and work term reports to Dr. Leander Schneider, Academic Director, Co-op, Political Science, polisci.co-op@concordia.ca. Questions regarding parts of the Co-op and C.Edge options handled by the Institute for Co-operative Education (e.g., orientation, training, job applications, etc.) should go to Dalia Cruz, Political Science Coordinator for the Institute of Co-operative Education, at dalia.cruz@concordia.ca