How to Choose a Co-op at a Canadian University: 37 Co-op and Internship Programs at 12 Canadian Universities, Covering Required vs Optional, Number and Length of Work Terms, Pay and Co-op Fees, No Separate Co-op Work Permit for International Students From April 2026, and What It Means for Domestic and International Applicants (Including Students in China)
Co-op is how Canadian universities build paid work terms into a degree. This site has verified 37 co-op and internship programs at 12 Canadian universities from their official websites: 18 are optional and 3 required, every program that states a work-term length gives 4 months, 33 state that work terms are paid, and joining usually involves a separate co-op fee. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada states that from April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary international students no longer need a separate co-op work permit for placements required by their program.
Co-op is one of the things families value most when choosing a Canadian university: students alternate study terms with work terms, working full time for real employers during their degree. But "has co-op" can mean very different things: required or optional, how many work terms, how long, paid or not, how much it costs, and whether international students can join all vary by university. This site verified 37 co-op and internship programs at 12 Canadian universities from their official websites (before November 2026); this guide brings them together.
1. What kinds of programs the 37 are
- Type: 27 are co-op programs, 7 are internship programs, 1 is the University of Toronto engineering Professional Experience Year (PEY Co-op, website), and 2 are university-wide overviews where faculties run their own programs.
- University-wide or by faculty: some universities have one co-op office for the whole university (for example Waterloo and Victoria), while at others each faculty runs its own program (for example McGill and UBC); check which program applies to your major before applying.
2. Required or optional
| Participation | Programs |
|---|---|
| Optional (apply to join) | 18 |
| Required | 3 |
| Varies by program | 9 |
| Not stated | 7 |
- Most are optional: students apply to join after admission (or when applying) and must meet conditions such as grades.
- The 3 required programs: McGill's Software, Materials and Mining Engineering (website), Simon Fraser's Engineering Science (website) and Victoria's Engineering (website).
- "Varies by program" is mostly university-wide overviews, so check your intended major. Waterloo, for example, states that it has more than 120 co-op programs across six faculties, and that a co-op degree usually takes about five academic years (website).
3. Work terms: how many, how long, and paid or not
- How long: all 15 programs that state a length give 4 months per work term.
- How many: of the 13 programs that state a number, most require at least 3; Waterloo requires 4 to 6, Victoria's Engineering and Computer Science 4, UBC's Arts and Applied Science 3 to 4, and Calgary's Science at least 2.
- Pay: 33 of the 37 programs state that work terms are paid; the other 4 do not say. Salaries are mostly set by employers, and websites generally give no single figure.
- An extra year: work terms sit between study terms, so some programs take an extra year to finish; Alberta's engineering website, for example, states that the co-op degree takes one more year.
4. Co-op fees
Most universities charge a co-op fee on top of tuition, usually a one-time administration or application fee plus a course fee for each work term. These are the examples where the website gives specific amounts (as written on the website; some do not state a currency):
| Program | Fees stated on the website |
|---|---|
| Waterloo (university-wide) | CAD 836 per fee in 2026/2027, number of fees depends on the program; the website's examples are 8 fees totalling CAD 6,688 and 4 fees totalling CAD 3,344 (website) |
| Simon Fraser (university-wide) | one-time application fee of CAD 158.54 for domestic and CAD 472.40 for international students; CAD 932.08 per work term (no year stated on the page) (website) |
| Toronto Metropolitan (university-wide) | total co-op fee of $3,500.00, paid in instalments during studies, non-refundable (website) |
| UBC Arts (Vancouver) | one-time administration and training fee of $288.25; course tuition of $889.00 per work term (2026/27) (website) |
| UBC Okanagan | one-time administration and training fee of $282.75; course tuition of $871.75 per work term (2025-26) (website) |
| Western Engineering | application fee of 125 per year; 550 per confirmed work term (currency not stated) (website) |
Other universities (such as UBC Science and Applied Science, Guelph and the University of Toronto PEY) state that additional fees apply, but the pages read do not list amounts; check each university's fee schedule.
5. International students: no separate co-op work permit from April 2026
- The new rule: a notice from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) dated April 9, 2026 states that as of April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary international students no longer need a separate work permit to take part in work placements required by their program, such as co-op placements and internships, and may work for employers approved by their designated learning institution (IRCC notice).
- Conditions: the IRCC page lists all of the following: conditions printed on your initial study permit allowing you to work on campus; a letter from your institution confirming the placement is required for your program; a valid study permit (or an extension applied for before it expired); full-time post-secondary study at a designated learning institution; and the work placement totalling 50% or less of the program. There is no weekly hour limit for work placements, and depending on the work you may need a social insurance number (SIN). Secondary-level international students still need a co-op work permit (IRCC: student work placements).
- Not every posting is open to international students: UBC Arts states that the share of postings open to international undergraduates in 2024/2025 was 75% in fall 2024, 77% in winter 2025 and 66% in summer 2025, and that federally funded positions are generally not open to international students (website).
- This is policy information read in November 2026 and does not constitute immigration or legal advice; follow the latest guidance from IRCC and each university's international student office.
6. How domestic and international applicants (including students in China) can choose
- First check whether your major has co-op and whether it is required: majors differ a lot even within one university; optional programs usually require a separate application and grade requirements after admission.
- Budget for co-op fees and extra time: on top of tuition, co-op fees can reach several thousand Canadian dollars, and some programs take an extra year.
- Domestic applicants: compare the number of work terms and each university's employer network; some positions (such as federally funded ones) may be aimed mainly at domestic students.
- International applicants and students in China: from April 2026 you do not need a separate co-op work permit, but make sure your study permit includes the on-campus work condition and that you study full time; the share of postings open to international students varies, so ask each university's co-op office. Co-op details for each university are on its page in our university database under "Internships / Co-op".
Frequently asked questions
Is co-op required at Canadian universities?
Of the 37 co-op and internship programs this site verified at 12 Canadian universities, 18 are optional and 3 are required (McGill's Software, Materials and Mining Engineering, Simon Fraser's Engineering Science and Victoria's Engineering); 9 vary by program and 7 do not say. Optional programs usually require an application and conditions such as grades.
How long are co-op work terms in Canada, and are they paid?
All 15 programs that state a length give 4 months per work term; of the 13 that state a number, most require at least 3, and Waterloo requires 4 to 6. 33 of the 37 programs state that work terms are paid, with salaries mostly set by employers.
Do international students need a work permit for co-op in Canada in 2026?
IRCC states that from April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary international students no longer need a separate work permit for co-op or internships required by their program; conditions include a study permit allowing on-campus work, a letter from the institution confirming the placement is required, full-time study, and the placement totalling 50% or less of the program. Secondary-level international students still need a co-op work permit. This is policy information and does not constitute immigration or legal advice.
How much do co-op programs cost at Canadian universities?
Most universities charge a co-op fee on top of tuition. For example, Waterloo charges CAD 836 per fee in 2026/2027, with its website giving 8 fees totalling CAD 6,688 as an example; Toronto Metropolitan's total co-op fee is $3,500.00; UBC Arts charges a one-time $288.25 plus $889.00 per work term (2026/27). Check each university's fee schedule.
References
IRCC: Simplifying the co-op work permit requirement (April 9, 2026); IRCC: Work in a student work placement; Waterloo co-op; SFU co-op; TMU co-op; UBC Arts co-op; UBC Okanagan co-op; links for the other programs are on each university page on this site. The 12 Canadian universities counted: McGill, Queen's, Simon Fraser, Toronto Metropolitan, Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Guelph, Toronto, Victoria, Waterloo, Western. Pages read before November 2026; follow the latest information from each university and IRCC.