May 22, 2024  
University of Alberta Calendar 2024-2025 
    
University of Alberta Calendar 2024-2025

Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Experiential Learning



Internship Program

The Internship Program (IP) is coordinated by the Career Centre under the supervision of the Faculty of ALES and is open to students registered in one of the Faculty programs.

The IP provides experiential learning to augment academic study with a four-, eight-, 12- or 16-month period of paid, discipline-related work experience with a cooperating employer. Students need to have completed 36 units of course weight, including a minimum of 12 units of course weight in ALES credits. Upon completing the work experience period students return for at least one academic term. To accommodate the work experience period, students normally require between four and five years to complete the full degree requirements.

Students can apply for acceptance into the IP in their second year of study if they are in good academic standing, are legally permitted to work in Canada, and are registered in one of the academic programs offered by the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. International students must have a working visa when applying to the program. Application forms, admission process and requirements are available on the Career Centre website. Applicants must meet a spoken English requirement (see Spoken English Requirement).

Students are encouraged to apply to the program as early as possible. Students registered in the IP receive assistance in finding suitable work placements. Students can approach employers to hire them as interns as well as compete on posted internship placements. Students can start internship terms in January, May or September. The ultimate responsibility for securing work rests with the student and there is no guarantee that all qualified students will be placed.

While engaged in work experience, IP students are enrolled in WKEXP courses, and are considered full-time students at the University of Alberta. To successfully complete the IP, students must complete a minimum of four months of the following WKEXP courses: WKEXP 981, WKEXP 982, WKEXP 983. All WKEXP courses are 0 units of course weight and are graded on a credit/no credit basis. Grades are determined by the student’s job performance, as evaluated by the employer, and by the student’s final report, as evaluated by the Career Centre and the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.

Further information about the IP can be obtained by contacting the Employer Relations Advisor at the Career Centre.

Students should be aware that under Alberta’s Protection for Persons in Care Act, they may be required to satisfy a criminal records check before being allowed to serve a period of internship work. See Requirement for Police Information Checks for further details.

Cooperative Education Program

The Cooperative Education Program is coordinated by the Faculty of Business and is open to students registered in Agricultural/Food Business Management, Fashion Business Management or Forest Business Management programs. Details related to admissions and requirements are described in BCom (Cooperative Education Program).

All students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to compete for places in the co-op program following successful completion of the second year of studies in Agricultural/Food Business Management, Fashion Business Management or Forest Business Management.

The required courses for Cooperative Education students are the same as provided in the BSc Agricultural/Food Business Management Program, BSc Fashion Business Management Program or BSc Forest Business Management Program. In addition, Year 3 includes Introduction to Cooperative Education (non-credit seminar) and WKEXP 911  Year 4 (and 5) include WKEXP 912  and WKEXP 913 . Note that the final term in the Cooperative Education Program must be a school term.

Exchange Programs

ALES students are encouraged to consider participating in one of the many exchange programs that are available through the University of Alberta. Exchange programs involve spending at least one semester taking courses at a partner university.  There are opportunities for exchanges at other universities in Canada or internationally. Interested students should also contact ALES Student Services. Additional Information about international exchange programs is available through Education Abroad.