The Centre’s Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate students in a non-co-op academic plan may opt in to the co-op program by completing a form Co-op Opt-In Form  and emailing it to Academic Advising. Once the form is processed, your academic advisor will add you to the co-op program. To gain access to job postings on OSCARplus and be eligible to register a co-op work term, you must be opted in to the co-op program and have received a grade of COM (complete) in the mandatory career planning and employment prep course.

Graduate students in a non-co-op academic plan may opt in to the co-op program by enrolling in and completing ENGINEER 701 – Work Term Preparation. Students can find detailed steps here: Graduate Co-op Program (scroll to “Enrol in the co-op program”).

Co-op is optional for undergraduate students in BEng, IBEHS, and Computer Science programs and graduate students. Undergraduate students must have a minimum of 3 approved co-op work terms (a total of 12 months), and graduate students must have a minimum of 1 approved co-op work term (a total of 4 months) to earn the co-op designation upon graduation.

Co-op is mandatory for all BTech programs. Students in a Degree Completion Program (DCP) must earn credit for a minimum of 2 co-op work terms (8 months) to graduate.

To register a co-op, students must complete the 3 steps outlined here: register your co-op. All co-ops must be registered within 10 days of accepting an offer, and prior to the start date.

Each program has a dedicated Career Educator with industry knowledge specific to that stream of engineering. Your Career Educator will be your go-to person for career planning, assistance during your job search, and support while you are on co-op. You can contact your Career Educator directly via email or book a 1-on-1 appointment on OSCARplus.

To book an appointment, log in to OSCARplus and go to your dashboard.

1. Select the “Engineering” tab on the left side of your dashboard, then “Appointments – Book an Appointment”
2. Select “Book by Appointment Provider” and choose your Career Educator’s name, or select “Book by Appointment Type” to meet with your Career Educator, a Career Resources Coordinator, or a Career Assistant.
3. Select the maroon “Book” button to view upcoming openings or “View Calendar” to view all available appointments.

The co-op job search process mimics the real-world job market; students are responsible for writing resumes and cover letters, submitting applications, and interviewing for co-op positions. Students can apply to jobs through OSCARplus or seek positions through networking, career fairs, and job search websites.

As you take the lead in your search, we are here to assist you through every step of the co-op job search process, and we are genuinely invested in helping you secure meaningful work experiences. Please connect with your Career Educator for assistance with your job search or career planning.

Yes! Students can register a work experience that takes place in any Canadian province and any country that is not listed as “avoid all or non-essential travel” by Global Affairs Canada. Students who are considering a co-op outside of Canada are advised to review the following information: Informed Travel – McMaster Global.

All co-ops within Canada follow the same registration process. Co-ops outside of Canada require additional information from the student, as well as approval from the student’s Department Chair and University Health and Safety (UHS). Due to the coordination between our office and various departments, students planning to work outside of Canada must submit all co-op registration documents promptly after accepting an offer. They should also anticipate longer wait times for approval.

Co-op positions are available in a wide range of industries, including start-ups and smaller companies, provided they meet eligibility requirements.

All engineering co-op positions that we post on OSCARplus meet these requirements. Positions found outside of OSCARplus will be assessed as part of the registration process.

The role must meet the following co-op eligibility requirements:

• The role must be related to engineering and/or technology.
• The role must be a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks in duration, for every 4-month employment term.
• The role must be full-time hours. The minimum requirement is 35 hours per week.
• The role must be paid, and the wage/salary must meet provincial or territorial minimums.

Yes! If the research position satisfies co-op eligibility criteria, it can be registered for co-op creidt. Students can view a list of available research positions here.

Below are some resources for learning about research and how to get involved.

1. Connect with the McMaster Engineering Society. They can refer you to discipline or activity-specific clubs, teams and societies that could lead to interesting opportunities.
2. Contact the McMaster Society for Engineering Research (MacSER). They are a club with executive members that have worked in research roles in both faculty and co-ops. They run events and can provide guidance on how to get involved with research.
3. Reach out to individual departments or faculty members if you know the area you are interested in. Some professors hire work study students or have volunteer positions in their labs. You can connect with professors directly via their contact information on the engineering website. You can also watch for departmental events that offer an opportunity to engage with professors or graduate students about research.
4. Apply to a summer undergraduate research opportunity. Watch your inbox for information about these opportunities in the early Winter term.

No. Undergraduate students with fewer than 9 units remaining and graduate students with fewer than 3 units remaining are no longer eligible for co-op.

Students in their final year and recent grads can access jobs posted by the Student Success Centre. To find jobs for students who are graduating soon, log in to OSCARplus and navigate to the “Student Success Centre” tab on the left side of your OSCARplus dashboard > “Employment > Job Postings”.

Final year students in the co-op program may still attend all events and services offered by the Centre, including one-on-one career planning with their Career Educator. Students can book appointments and view the events calendar on OSCARplus until the end of their final study term.

All students can access employment connections for final year students and new grads and Alumni Career Services up to five years after graduation.

Students are not removed from the co-op program if they do not secure a co-op position during every designated work term in their sequence.

Our program has built-in flexibility to allow students to register co-op work terms at different times throughout their academic program. If a student does not secure a co-op position, they may enrol in academic courses or take a break from studies. To be eligible to register a co-op work term in the future, the student must be enrolled in at least 9 units in the academic term immediately preceding and following the co-op work term. Part-time DCP students and full-time graduate level students must be enrolled in at least 3 units in the academic terms before and after the co-op.

Students in optional co-op programs who do not have a minimum of 12 months of registered co-op when they apply to graduate will be automatically removed from the co-op program in their final term and will not receive the co-op designation upon graduation.

Students in mandatory co-op programs will be blocked from enrolling in their final study term until the co-op requirement is satisfied.

Undergraduate Level I and Level II students are eligible to register a 4-month co-op during the Spring/Summer term only. Level I students cannot change their sequence.

Undergraduate students in Level II who want to pursue a long-term co-op experience should review the following co-op policies: Academic Requirements and Co-op Eligibility – Work Term Length & Sequencing and meet with their Career Educator to request a re-sequencing if eligible. If approved, students will have access to long-term job postings starting in the Spring term after Level II. It is best to work for 12 or 16 months starting in Spring (or 12 months starting in Fall). Level II students are not eligible to re-sequence to gain access to job postings starting in the Fall or Winter term of Level II.

Requests to re-sequence must be approved prior to securing a co-op position. Eligible students who have secured a co-op position that does not align with their current sequence must submit a petition to go off-sequence.

Students must consult with both their Career Educator and Academic Advisor to ensure they understand the impacts of re-sequencing. If a student does not find a long-term co-op, they can still enrol in a full-time academic course load in the Fall.

Co-op fees for all Engineering programs can be found on our website – co-op fees.

The Centre for Career Growth & Experience is primarily funded by student fees, and we have some of the lowest engineering co-op fees in Ontario. Your fees pay for a range of services, including:

• Developing and managing employer partnerships and job postings
• Creating and delivering employment preparation courses
• Offering 1:1 career guidance and job search assistance
• Facilitating/hosting events, workshops, and networking opportunities
• Providing support to students during work term experiences, including crisis situations
• Administering the program in alignment with academic degree requirements, national accreditation standards, university policies, external funding requirements and government tax credit regulations

Collecting co-op fees enables our office to offer a wide range of resources, guidance, and support, enhancing your overall co-op experience.

The co-op fee will appear on your Mosaic student account after you have registered your co-op. The co-op will appear as a work term course on Mosaic. The co-op fee is due on the 25^th of the first month of the work term (January, May, and September). If your co-op course is added to Mosaic after this date, the fee is due on the 25^th of the month of enrolment.

Undergraduate BEng, IBEHS, Computer Science, and BTech (4YR) students are eligible to enroll in a maximum of 1 academic course per term of any unit value (excluding capstone and thesis) while engaged in a registered co-op experience, provided that all required course activities fall outside their co-op work hours. For the spring term, this means that a student may take 1 spring course and 1 summer course or 1 multi-term (spring/summer) course. 

If a student wishes to register for a course that overlaps with their co-op working hours, they must submit an exception request for approval by their academic department. Exception request process can be found here: Register Your Co-op – Taking Courses While on Co-op.

BTech DCP students are eligible to take 2 courses while on co-op.

Graduate students are not eligible to take courses while on co-op.

Students are not permitted to take capstone while on co-op.

Please contact your academic department if you have questions about this policy.

The university defines full-time status for undergraduate programs as enrollment in a minimum of 9 academic units in each term. A co-op work term is assigned 18 progress units in each term.

Students on a registered co-op work term are recognized as full-time by McMaster University, the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Go Transit, and most private health insurance companies. The McMaster Students’ Union (MSU) only considers academic units when defining full-time status, so some services provided to full-time students are not available to students while they are on a co-op work term.

For more information on the services that are provided by the MSU and questions regarding their policies, please contact the MSU directly.

There is no GPA minimum to remain in the co-op program, but students must be in good academic standing to register a co-op. BEng students must have a GPA of 4.0 or higher. BTech and DCP students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. However, some co-op positions require students to maintain a higher GPA to be considered.

If your employer provides you with an eligibility form to fill out, please send it to our Recruitment Assistants at hiremaceng@mcmaster.ca.

If your employer has not provided a form but has requested confirmation of your eligibility, our office can prepare a letter to confirm that you are enrolled in the co-op program, when you are eligible to work, and that you will be returning to full-time studies after completing the co-op.

All letters confirm that students are expected to return to full-time studies after completion of their work term, and that co-op will not exceed 50% of their program. These letters can be requested through thecentre@mcmaster.ca.

If you require enrolment verification, you must download it from Mosaic. Instructions can be found here.

If you are an international student and your employer is requesting verification that you are legally able to work in Canada, McMaster University cannot provide this information. A student’s citizenship status is protected under FIPPA privacy legislation. It is the responsibility of the employer to verify the student is legally able to work in Canada for the duration of the co-op.

To access job postings, students must (1) be eligible to register a co-op during that term, and (2) accept the terms and conditions for each 4-month work term. The Centre for Career Growth and Experience has established terms and conditions to participate in the co-op program. When you click on the Get Hired! (Co-op Program) tab in OSCARplus,
before gaining access to postings, you will be prompted to agree to the terms and conditions of the co-op program. Click the link to read and accept the terms and conditions. Alternatively, follow the steps below.

• Log into OSCARplus.
• On the left Dashboard menu, click Engineering -> Get Hired! (Co-op Program) -> Co-op Job Postings.
• Locate your upcoming work term and click Accept Terms and Conditions. Read and accept the terms and conditions to access job postings starting in that term.
• If you cannot see the link to the terms and conditions for a term in which you believe you are eligible to work, please email thecentre@mcmaster.ca.

Students must return for one full-time study term after finishing their final co-op work term. If a student in a mandatory co-op program is approaching their final study term but has not completed all required co-op work terms, their academic advisor will place a co-op hold on their Mosaic account. This hold prevents students from enrolling in academic courses to ensure they remain eligible for co-op, and subsequently, can complete their degree requirements. The Centre will only remove the hold once a student has met their mandatory co-op requirement.

If you have a co-op hold on your account but would like to discuss the potential to enrol in an academic course, you must contact your Academic Advisor.

Yes. To legally work in Canada, an international student requires a valid co-op work permit. This allows the student to work full-time during regular academic terms. To apply for a co-op work permit or extension, please follow the steps outlined on our website: International Students – Co-op Work Permit.

When you receive your work permit, or if you already have a valid co-op work permit, send a copy to thecentre@mcmaster.ca. When we receive a copy of a work permit, our office adds the expiry date to OSCARplus so that, prior to registering a co-op work term, the Centre’s administration team can confirm a student is legally able to work in Canada. This information is not shared with employers, faculty, or staff outside of the Centre for Career Growth & Experience

McMaster’s Immigration Advising team provides guidance and answers questions related to study permits, visas, working in Canada, and more.

They can be reached:

1. By email: immigration@mcmaster.ca
2. By appointment: from your OSCARplus dashboard go to the “Student Success Centre tab > Appointments > International Student Services > Book by Appointment Type > Immigration” and select the topic that pertains to your needs.
3. Via drop-in hours at MUSC B118. No appointment is necessary. Please visit the Immigration Advising website for the designated days and times.

Students must complete both the Mid-Point Check-In and the Student Work Term Reflection in their OSCARplus co-op record prior to the deadlines given by the Centre team. If these tasks are not completed, a grade of NC (not complete) will be assigned to the student record and credit will not be given for the work term. Students are responsible for monitoring their McMaster emails while on co-op to ensure they do not miss these important deadlines. Please see the instructions below for how to complete these mandatory tasks.

1. Log on to OSCARplus. From your dashboard, click the Co-op tab and locate the work term.
2. To view the work term record, click the link of your employer’s name.
3. When viewing the work term record, locate the Mid-Point Check-In and Student Work Term Reflection on the left-hand side.
4. Depending on what task you must complete, click either Mid-Point Check-In – No Record or Student Work Term Reflection – No Record.
5. Once the appropriate option is selected, click Create Record.
6. Fill out the form accordingly. Once complete, click Submit.

Although we strongly encourage employers to complete the evaluations, they are not mandatory and are not required for you to receive a grade of COM (complete) for the co-op work term.

If your employer has not received the evaluation, please review the supervisor details listed in the Student Work Information section of your co-op work term record on OSCARplus. If it is incorrect or missing, please update your supervisor’s name and email address and then contact our Recruitment Assistants at engcoop@mcmaster.ca to have a link to the evaluation sent to your employer.

To edit your supervisor’s email address:

1. Log on to OSCARplus. From your dashboard, click the Co-op tab and locate the work term.
2. To view the work term record, click the link of your employer’s name.
3. When viewing the work term record, click the maroon Edit button at the top of the record and update the supervisor’s name and email address in the Student Work Information section.
4. When finished click the maroon Save button at the top or bottom of the page.
5. If you are on a long-term co-op, please ensure to edit all future work term records. Changes made to one work term record will not automatically carry over into future terms.

A work term record is set to Pending status when our office is unable to enrol a student in the co-op course on Mosaic. To view the reason why a work term is pending:

1. Log on to OSCARplus. From your dashboard, click the Co-op tab and locate the work term.
2. To view the work term record, click the link of your employer’s name.
3. Locate the job title in the Transcript Notation Details section to view the reason for pending and action required to receive an approval. There may be more than one action item.

A student must be enrolled in the co-op course on Mosaic, for each 4-month co-op work term, to earn co-op credit that is used to fulfil co-op degree requirements. Enrolment in the course code is also necessary to pay the co-op work term fee, receive a grade, and have the co-op appear on a student’s transcript.