Co-op policies

Academic Standing

• A student must be designated as full-time status in the academic term that immediately precedes the work term and return to full-time status in the academic term that immediately follows the work term.
  • For undergraduate students, as defined by the McMaster Undergraduate Academic Calendar – Full Time Student, an undergraduate student who is registered in at least 9 units in an academic term. This enrolment status requirement applies to all undergraduate co-op programs.
  • For graduate students, as defined by 2.2.5 of the McMaster Graduate Academic Calendar and determined at the time of admission.
• B.Eng, CompSci and IBEHS students must have a minimum 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and B.Tech students must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average (CGPA).

Work Term Prerequisites & Concurrent Courses

• A student must successfully complete ENGINEER/IBEHS 1EE0, ENGTECH 1ET0 or ENGINEER 701 with a grade of COM prior to registering a co-op.
• Co-op work terms cannot be taken concurrently with any program capstone course.

Work Term Length & Sequencing

• A student is able to register a maximum of 16 months of continuous employment at one time, and a total maximum of 24 months (for 4-year programs) or 28 months (for 5-year programs) of co-op experience within their degree.
• Our co-op program is highly flexible and customizable with many different options depending on when you want to work. To view information on specific co-op program sequences and program maximums, please visit “How Co-op Works” on our website and CEWIL Canada’s guidelines.
• A student is able to pursue long-term co-op experiences (8, 12 and 16 months in length) after successful completion of Level 3 of their academic program.
• Requests to change a co-op sequence and/or pursue long-term co-op prior to the completion of Level 3 are considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Request Process
    • Students who would like to request approval to change their co-op sequence and/or pursue a long-term co-op experience prior to completion of Level 3 should speak with their Career Educator before accepting job opportunities that fall outside the pre-determined sequence for their program. For questions related to this, book a “Support with Co-op Policies and Procedures” appointment with your Career Educator on OSCARplus.
    • Students must submit their request via this form – Co-op Re-Sequencing Request Form (completion of this form does not guarantee an approval for long-term co-op).
  • Level 1 (First Year) Restrictions 
    • Level 1 (first year) students are not eligible for a co-op sequence change and are restricted to participating in a 4-month co-op experience in the Spring term following their first year of study. 
    • Level 1 students are not permitted to participate in co-op work term experiences that begin in the Fall or Winter terms during their first year.  
  • Level 2 (Second Year) Restrictions 
    • Level 2 (second year) students are eligible to be re-sequenced to participate in a long-term co-op experience starting in the Spring term following their successful completion of all Level 2 prerequisite academic courses for their program. 
    • Level 2 students are not permitted to participate in co-op work term experiences that begin in the Fall or Winter terms during their second year.  

For more information:

Students are encouraged to contact their Career Educator if they have questions about the academic requirements to register a co-op work term or require information regarding returning to studies.

Expectations

• Students are required to register their work term within 10 business days of receiving an official offer letter and no later than the employment start date indicated on their employment contract. Students must meet all the conditions outlined on the co-op confirmation form and are not permitted to backdate the registration of their co-op work term (i.e. students are not permitted to register a co-op work term once employment has commenced). Please refer to “Academic Requirements & Co-op Eligibility” for details related to the academic criteria for registering a co-op.
• Once a student receives and accepts an official offer letter, they must notify the Centre (hiremaceng@mcmaster.ca) to cancel any upcoming scheduled interviews that have been arranged by the Centre, and similarly, notify any employers with whom they have confirmed an interview for an upcoming date.
• The Centre will register the entirety of the co-op work experience based on the dates of employment within the employment agreement/contract. Exceptions to this apply only in cases where the length of employment extends beyond 16 months of continuous employment, in which case, only 16 months will be registered.
• Students are expected to fulfill the full duration of their registered co-op work experience/contract with the employer. Failure to do so will enact the actions and outcomes outlined in “Resigning from Co-op Early”.

Actions and outcomes

• If a student submits their work term registration documents (i.e. the co-op confirmation form) late (i.e. after employment has commenced), the work term is denied, the co-op is not registered, and the employer is ineligible for financial subsidies.

• If there is an extenuating circumstance that prevented the student from registering their co-op within 10 days of receiving an official offer letter, the student is advised to speak with their Career Educator to determine if a special request is warranted.

Additional considerations

• Work Term Extensions: If a student’s work term has been extended into a subsequent term, the student must notify the Centre (thecentre@mcmaster.ca) within 10 days of being offered/notified of the extension and no later than the first business day of the new academic term.
• Changes to Employment: If a student anticipates and/or experiences a change in their employment or issues associated with registering their work term, the student should contact their Career Educator as soon as possible.
• Document Delays: In cases where a student is approaching their start date or has commenced employment and is awaiting documentation from the employer in order to register the co-op, the student should notify their Career Educator as soon as possible, and no later than the first day of employment.
• Pending Work Term Status: this is applied in cases where a student has accepted an offer and the position has been verified by the Centre as meeting co-op criteria, and where one or more of the following exist(s): (1) account hold on student’s Mosaic record, (2) co-op registration document not yet received, and/or (3) valid work permit not on file. The student’s work term record will be created in OSCARplus and designated as “pending” until such time that the student resolves the outstanding issue. The student must notify the Centre to confirm when issues have been resolved, and then the work term status will be updated to “approved”.
• Prior Learning Assessment: B.Tech Degree Completion Program (DCP) students may submit a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) for their co-op via OSCARplus – Dashboard > Submit A Form > Category – Engineering Co-op > Sub Category – B.Tech Degree Completion Program (PLA Form).

Expectations

Students should be monitoring their McMaster email at least once per day while in an active job search term and are expected to respond via email to all interview invitations from the Centre to either confirm the interview date/time, request an alternative interview date/time, or decline the interview.

• Declining an Interview: Students may decline an interview if they have received an offer of employment from another company.  They may also decline an interview if they are no longer interested in pursuing employment with a company as long as a minimum of 48 hours notice is provided ahead of the interview date.  Students must decline an interview if they have already accepted an offer of employment from another company or if they are no longer eligible to participate in the co-op program.
• Requesting an Alternative Interview Date/Time: students may request an alternative date/time for their interview if they have an exam/class conflict, are ill, have a family emergency, for religious observation, or another extenuating circumstance.

Actions and outcomes

If a student has not responded to an interview request within a 24-hour period or does not show up for an interview, the following actions may be applied.

• (1st occurrence) OSCARplus access is made inactive and a note stating the reason is recorded on the student’s OSCARplus account. Student must meet with their CE and agree on an appropriate course of action to reinstate the student’s access to OSCARplus.
• (2nd occurrence) Student is placed on probation in the co-op program and access to the job board is suspended. Student must meet with their CE and a manager to discuss remedial steps to regain job board access.
• (3rd occurrence) Student may be removed from the co-op program and moved to a non-co-op academic plan. In cases where a student is enrolled in a mandatory co-op program, additional consultation with the Associate Dean’s Office will take place.

Expectations

Once a student has accepted and signed an offer of employment, they become ineligible for additional interviews or accepting other offers (note: confirmation/acceptance of an offer via email is considered an accepted offer for which this policy applies). Students are not permitted to renege on an accepted co-op offer. In a situation where a student is considering reneging for any reason, they are expected to contact their Career Educator before making any decision that impacts their offer acceptance.

Actions and Outcomes 

If a student reneges for any reason that is deemed inappropriate, the following actions may be applied.

• (1st occurrence) OSCARplus work term record is denoted as “declined” and a work-term record note stating the reason is recorded on the student’s OSCARplus account. The work term is removed from the student’s Mosaic record. The student is ineligible to register a subsequent co-op during the affected work term.
• (2nd occurrence) OSCARplus work term record is denoted as “declined” and a work-term record note stating the reason is recorded on the student’s OSCARplus account. The work term is removed from the student’s Mosaic record. The student may be removed from the co-op program and moved to a non-co-op academic plan. In cases where a student is enrolled in a mandatory co-op program, additional consultation with the Associate Dean’s Office will take place.

Expectations

Once a student starts a co-op they are expected to remain in the position for the duration of the co-op.  A student should speak with their Career Educator if there are any issues before deciding to resign from the co-op position.  

Actions and Outcomes 

If a student resigns from their co-op for any reason that is deemed as inappropriate, the following actions may be applied. 

• (1st occurrence) OSCARplus work term record is denoted as “declined” and a work-term record note stating the reason is recorded on the student’s OSCARplus account. Student receives a failed work term status on their Mosaic record. The student is ineligible to register a subsequent co-op during the affected work term. Student will not be refunded the co-op work term fee.
• (2nd occurrence) OSCARplus work term record is denoted as “declined” and a work-term record note stating the reason is recorded on the student’s OSCARplus account. Student receives a failed work term status on their Mosaic record and may be removed from the co-op program and moved to a non-co-op academic plan. In cases where a student is enrolled in a mandatory co-op program, additional consultation with the Associate Dean’s Office will take place. Student will not be refunded the co-op work term fee.

Scenarios

If a student’s employment is terminated as a result of layoff or any other circumstances beyond the student’s control, the Centre will consider whether or not an adequate number of hours were completed to grant the work term credit. Alternatively, the Centre will support the student in sourcing/securing a subsequent employment opportunity to compensate for the lost co-op credit.

If a student’s employment is terminated for reasons related to unprofessional/inappropriate conduct or poor behaviour/performance, the Centre will review the reasons that led to the termination to ensure a full understanding of the situation before determining a course of action.

Actions and outcomes 

In a case where unclear rationale or due process is provided by the employer and/or the student has demonstrated awareness/understanding of their actions and a willingness to improve, one of the following actions may be applied at the discretion of staff at the Centre.

• Student receives credit for the work term and is supported by their CE in a subsequent job search, or
• Student receives a failed work term status and does not receive a refund of the co-op work term fee. Student maintains their access to OSCARPlus and is supported by their CE in a subsequent job search.

In all other cases of termination related to unprofessional/inappropriate conduct or poor behaviour/performance, the following actions may be applied.

• (1st occurrence) Student receives a failed work term status, is placed on probation in the co-op program and access to the job board is suspended. Student must meet with their CE and a manager to discuss remedial steps to regain job board access. Student will not be refunded the co-op work term fee.
• (2nd occurrence) Student may be removed from the co-op program and moved to a non-co-op academic plan. This situation will be reviewed by management to determine the outcome that will apply. In cases where a student is enrolled in a mandatory co-op program, additional consultation with the Associate Dean’s Office will take place.

The Centre for Career Growth and Experience team has established policies and expectations that will help guide you throughout your co-op journey to ensure your success on the job and in your program.

The policies set out in this document support the operation and delivery of the Faculty of Engineering Co-op Program in alignment with national accreditation standards and expectations set out by Co-operative Education & Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada. Thee Centre for Career Growth and Experience (the Centre) adheres to these policies and expects the same of McMaster Engineering co-op students.

There may be some situations that warrant alternative approaches/actions from what is outlined in the policies. Students are expected to contact their Career Educator for guidance and support in advance of acting on their own.