If you’re feeling unsure about what you want to do with your degree and are hoping to have paid work experience on your resume before you graduate, you’re not alone. The UBC Okanagan Co-op program is a great place to explore career paths, gain practical experience, and stand out in a competitive job market. Here’s a quick, honest look at what the program offers and how to know if you should apply.
What do students actually get out of Co-op?
As a Co-op student, you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Gain paid, full-time work experience before graduation
- Explore different career paths, industries, and work environments
- Build professional skills and confidence in the workplace
- Grow your network through meaningful connections with employers and industry professionals
- Access exclusive Co-op job opportunities through the UBCO Co-op Job Board
- Receive personalized support and coaching from Co-op and Career Coordinators
- Develop effective job search, networking, and interview skills through Career Readiness programming
- Receive ongoing guidance and support throughout your Co-op journey
The Centralized Co-op Program gives you the chance to alternate academic terms with paid, full-time work terms throughout your degree. You’ll have opportunities to work with private, public, and non-profit organizations while gaining hands-on experience, putting your classroom learning into practice, and building valuable professional connections before you graduate (a strong network makes a huge difference–we promise).
Before your first work term, you’ll get to take part in our Career Readiness Curriculum designed to help you feel confident and prepared for the job search process. You’ll learn practical skills like resume and cover letter writing, job search strategies, interview preparation, and networking. Once you’re on the job, you’ll get to apply what you’ve learned in real-world settings while receiving ongoing support, coaching, and guidance from our Co-op team.
Am I eligible to apply?
Before getting too far into the process, let’s first check if you’re eligible to apply for Co-op. To be eligible, you must:
- Be a full-time undergraduate student entering your third-year standing in one of the following degree programs:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Bachelor of Health and Exercise Sciences
- Bachelor of Media Studies
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Sustainability
If you’re a third-year student completing a Bachelor of Commerce, go here.
- Have a minimum cumulative average of 70%. If your GPA is below 70%, you are still encouraged to apply. The Co-op Office reviews applications holistically, considering communication skills, teamwork, maturity, and career motivation.
- Have at least 21 academic credits remaining after the academic year in which you apply.
- Be applying with the intent to complete at least 3 co-op work terms (12 months total) before graduating.
What kind of work could I do?
Co-op positions are full-time, paid roles designed to complement your academic studies. Because the Centralized Co-op Program spans so many disciplines, there’s a wide variety of work you can do. Students have explored work in:
- Data & Policy Analysis
- Sustainability & Environmental Management
- Research & Laboratory Work
- Marketing, Communications & Event Coordination
- Design & Digital Media Production
- Software Testing, Automation & Quality Assurance
- Field Work, Surveying & Sample Collection
- …and much more!
Ultimately, co-op positions aren’t about simple admin work or surface-level tasks. Employers hire UBCO co-op students to bring fresh perspectives, take ownership of real projects, and make meaningful contributions to their teams.
How to figure out if Co-op is right for you
As you decide whether to apply, take time to reflect on your career goals and how practical work experience aligns with your academic and professional aspirations.
Consider where you are right now. Are you clear on your direction after graduation, or would you benefit from exploring different roles, industries, and sectors? Co-op gives you the space to learn what environments interest you, what strengths you bring to a role, where you have room to grow, and what you want to pursue after graduation.
It’s also important to think through your personal priorities. Integrating full-time work terms into your degree typically extends your timeline by a year. That trade-off requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. Ask yourself if you feel ready to balance a full course load with writing cover letters on weekends and prepping for interviews between classes. From there, you’ll adapt to new workplaces—swapping a semester of lectures in Fipke for 9-to-5 workdays in an office, lab, or field site— and while some of your friends may cross the stage before you, you’ll be gaining hands-on experience, building industry connections, and investing in a strong advantage for your career after graduation.
Taking stock of these goals and expectations will give you clarity on whether co-op is the right next step for your education and your future career.
Common misconceptions about Co-op
The Co-op Office places students in jobs
The Co-op Program provides the tools, job board, coaching, and structure, but you will compete for positions just like in a professional job search. You choose where to apply, tailor your resumes, and interview with employers. It takes active effort, but it also gives you greater ownership of your career direction.
Co-op work terms replace academic credits
Co-op credits are additive and do not replace required or elective coursework in your degree program.
Co-op is just an extra expense on top of tuition
Co-op fees directly fund the specialized resources that support your career growth, job search, and workplace success. These resources include the Career Readiness Curriculum, industry workshops, one-on-one coaching, access to an exclusive employer job board, and ongoing support during work terms. Students pay a one-time workshop and administrative fee upon admission, as well as course tuition for each registered four-month work term (COOP). However, because co-op positions are full-time and paid, student earnings throughout work terms are designed to cover these costs while providing valuable experience.
Ready to apply?
Applications are accepted once per year, from August 1 to September 15, through the self-enroll Canvas application portal.
Need more info?
If you’re interested in applying for the Centralized Co-op Program but want to learn more first, join the Co-op & Career Coordinators for an online info session on August 19 or September 2, 2026.
Whether Co-op fits into your plans or not, remember that building your career isn’t a race. Take your degree at your own pace, explore what excites you, and choose the path that makes the most sense for your journey.
– The UBCO Life Team <3
