BCom (Cooperative Education Program)

General

The Faculty of Business offers a cooperative education option for students in Business specializations. Cooperative Education is an experiential learning program in which students alternate periods of study with periods of paid, discipline-related work experience in cooperating employer organizations. All new and continuing students are eligible to compete for places in the Cooperative Education option provided there is sufficient room in their programs to complete the requirements. Normally, a student who has completed more than ★75 prior to entry will not be accepted. Students will be admitted to the program based on a combination of grades, work and volunteer experience and background, and a letter of intent. An interview may also be necessary. The online application deadline for September entry is July 30. The application deadline for early September admission for continuing students is March 31. The online application deadline for January entry is October 31. Modest program and application fees are charged. For more information, contact the Business Career Services Office at 2-21 Business.

To qualify for the Cooperative Education degree, students accepted into the option must successfully complete the following four courses in addition to the regular requirements for the Bachelor of Commerce degree within their major area of study:

Introduction to Cooperative Education (non-credit seminar)
WKEXP 911
WKEXP 912
WKEXP 913

Students registered in the Cooperative Education option will complete 12 months of work experience. To accommodate the work experience portion of the program, students will normally require a minimum of four and one-half years to complete the requirements of the Cooperative Education degree. The normal sequencing for Cooperative Education students is that they attend the Introduction to Cooperative Education seminar in the fall of the third year of studies. The first work term will begin the following January. School terms and work terms will continue to alternate, with the program concluding with a school term in the fall of the fifth year of study.

Students in the cooperative option are considered full-time students at the University of Alberta for the full 12 months of any academic year (July 1–June 30) while they are registered in work terms.

All work experience courses are graded on a pass/fail basis. Grades are determined by a student’s job performance as evaluated by the employer, by the student’s performance on a work term report, and by the student’s ability to integrate the work experience and the classroom study. Students who fail a work term must normally withdraw from the Cooperative Education program.

Students registered in the Cooperative Education option receive assistance in locating suitable work placements. The Business Cooperative Education coordinator is responsible for developing Cooperative Education students to conduct an active personal job search. However, the ultimate responsibility for obtaining suitable work term employment rests with the student.

Sequence of Courses

Year Two—Fall

ACCTG 311 - Introduction to Accounting for Financial Performance
BUS 201 - Introduction to Canadian Business
MARK 301 - Introduction to Marketing
MGTSC 312 - Probability and Statistics for Business
★3 in electives outside Business (See Note 1)

Year Two—Winter

FIN 301 - Introduction to Finance
SMO 310 - Introduction to Management
★3 in electives outside Business (See Note 1)
★6 in free electives (See Note 1)

Year Three

Introduction to Cooperative Education (non-credit seminar)
WKEXP 911 - Business Work Experience I (See Note 3)
(See Note 4 for academic requirements)

Year Four/Five (See Notes 2 and 5)

WKEXP 912 - Business Work Experience II (See Note 3)
WKEXP 913 - Business Work Experience III (See Note 3)

Notes

See Courses in the Faculty of Business
Co-op students are encouraged to take SMO 441 . This course will allow them to draw on their work experience for classroom discussion, and will help them synthesize the cooperative education learning experience.
Work experience terms may be taken at any time in Year Three or Year Four. The final term in the Co-op Education program must be a study term.
Cooperative Education Students must declare a major by the beginning of Year Three and fulfil all the requirements of that major in addition to the Cooperative Education requirements.
An additional optional WKEXP 914 placement is available under special circumstances. Students should inquire with the Co-operative Education Office for details.

Police Information Check

Under the provisions of the Protection for Persons in Care Act, all new employees, volunteers and other people engaged for services by designated agencies (hospitals, nursing homes, lodges, group homes, etc.) must complete a Police Information Check (also known as a Criminal Check, Security Clearance Check, or Police Clearance), which must include a Vulnerable Sector Check. In addition, certain other agencies, organizations, and educational facilities may require students to present a Police Information Check prior to entering a practicum, work placement term, internship, or field experience placement.

Students who have concerns related to their ability to provide a clear Police Information Check should consult with the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Program. Students will be informed of the need for a Police Information Check prior to specific field experience placements. Requirement for Police Information Checks for more information on the general requirements concerning Police Information Checks and the fees associated with them.