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In the Faculty of Arts, most BA, BSc, BA (Honours) and BSc (Honours) Degrees are offered with a Co-operative Education (Co-op) option. Co-op Programs normally take five years to complete and include 12 to 16 months of paid supervised work experience in various private companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations. After second year, three or four work terms are interspersed with regular academic terms. Co-operative Education Programs provide students with opportunities to experience the linkages between academic knowledge and a variety of appropriate job situations. Students completing the requirements of the Co-operative Education option will graduate with "Co-operative Education" designated on their transcripts and degree parchments.

Students who are interested in pursuing the Co-operative Education option are urged to discuss their plans and course selection with the Co-operative Education Coordinators in the Faculty of Arts Co-operative Education Office as early in their program as possible.

Faculty of Arts Co-operative Education Office

Location: Social Sciences 106

Phone: 403.210.8509 or 403.220.8636

Email address: artscoop@ucalgary.ca

Website: http://arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/

Students should also consult with the Subject Advisor in the relevant Department or Program, particularly if they are considering combining Honours and Co-operative Education programs. In addition, students are referred to the Co-operative Education/Internship section of this Calendar.

Notes:

• The Bachelor of Communication Studies and the Bachelor of Film Studies may be taken with Co-op but students may face sequencing constraints and/or require extra time to complete their programs.
• Cooperative Education is not available in conjunction with BA and BSc Degrees with the following Major Fields: Art History, Dance, Music and Psychology.
• Developing and implementing job-search skills is a part of the Co-operative Education Program. The Program does not guarantee that students will obtain work term placements

Students must submit a completed application package to the Faculty of Arts Co-operative Education office and be interviewed by a Co-operative Education Coordinator by the semi-annual deadlines of May 1 or December 1. The minimum eligibility criteria are as follows:

1. Students must meet all of the Requirements specified in the Co-operative Education/Internship section of this Calendar.

2. Students must have completed at least five full-course equivalents by the end of the term in which they apply, they must be engaged in full-time study, and they must have achieved a grade point average of 2.70 over their most recent five full-course equivalents.
 
3. By the commencement of their first placement, students must have completed a minimum of 8.0 and a maximum of 14.0 full-course equivalents.  For degrees with a Major Field, at least 2.5 full-course equivalents in the Major must be completed prior to the first placement. For multidisciplinary degrees without a Major Field, General Studies 300 and 1.0 full-course equivalents in the Minor Field must have been completed.

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission. Since capacity is limited in Co-operative Education in the Faculty of Arts, admission is competitive and based on a student's current skills, written application, interview, program of study and academic record.

Progress through the Co-operative Education Program is bound by the rules concerning Registration, Course Work, Student Standing, Fees and Expenses and Withdrawal Policies specified in the Co-operative Education/Internship section of this Calendar.

Sequence

Those students who successfully apply by December 1 normally undergo preparation and search for a placement during the Winter term and enter their first work terms in the Spring/Summer term. Those who apply by May 1 normally prepare during Fall term and enter their first placement during Winter term. Subsequent work terms are interspersed with academic terms.  A minimum of three work terms is required and a fourth may be approved at a student's request.  Students must complete all of the academic requirements for their programs and must finish on an academic term.

Development of Job-Search Skills

Approval for a student's first work term and registration in the accompanying course, Co-operative Education 551.01, is conditional on full participation in the pre-placement preparatory activities established by the Co-operative Education Office.

Prescribed Preparatory Courses

If the Co-operative Education Office identifies deficiencies in a particular student's general background, courses or other preparatory work may be prescribed for completion before the student's first (or next) work term.

To provide a sound foundation for work terms related to a Major Field of study, academic Departments and Programs may also prescribe preparatory courses to be completed in advance of the first and/or second work terms by all students in that Major. A maximum of 2.0 full-course equivalents (inclusive of prerequisites) at the 200 or 300 level may be prescribed prior to the first work term and/or a maximum of 3.0 full-course equivalents at the 200, 300 or 400 levels (inclusive of prerequisites) may be prescribed prior to the second work term. These prescribed preparatory courses must be satisfactorily completed before the work terms will be approved unless the student receives the consent from the Associate Dean (Students). Additional courses may be recommended. A list of the prescribed preparatory courses and recommended courses for each Major Field is available through the Co-operative Education office and website.

Work term Activity

Students do not normally take any academic courses during their work terms.  Nevertheless, a student with a strong academic and placement record may receive Faculty approval to take one half-course equivalent during a second and/or subsequent work term.

Work term Assessment

The mandatory work term courses, Co-operative Education 511.01, 511.02 and 511.03, and the additional course, Co-operative Education 511.04, are graded on a credit (CR) or fail (F) basis. A positive assessment requires satisfactory performance on each of the following items:

(a) The Co-operative Education Coordinators evaluation of job performance, which is based on an on-site visit where practical.
(b) The employer's evaluation of job performance.
(c) The student's self-assessment of job performance and the overall job experience, which is normally based on participation in a debriefing or integrative session.
(d) A work term report prepared by the student and evaluated by an academic faculty member.

Note: Upon the request of a student, the Faculty may approve registration in Co-operative Education 511.04 in conjunction with an extra (fourth) work term.

To graduate with the Co-operative Education designation, students must:

(a) Successfully complete all of Co-operative Education 511.01, 511.02, 511.03.
(b) Successfully complete Co-operative Education 511.04 if permission has been received to register in this course.
(c) Achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.70 over their final 15 full-course equivalents of academic subjects:

Note: Students must also meet all of the regular academic requirements for graduation in their BA or BSc degree programs.