When you enrol in a Social Sciences co-op program option, you will adjust your timeline for completing your degree by adding three full-time, paid work terms into your academic plan, creating an alternating pattern with your academic terms. Here are the details:
- Each work term will be full-time, paid work experience, approximately four months (12 weeks and/or 420 hours) in duration.
- Students are recognized as having full-time status during their work term.
- Applying to eligible job postings is built into the academic experience of each co-op program option.
With the exception of the three required work terms and related preparatory courses, the academic requirements of each program option are identical to the non-co-op requirements of each respective Honours programs.
Work Term Sequences
The standard timeline to complete a Social Sciences degree with a co-op program option is five years, including the first year of full-time studies that has already been completed at the time of application.
This also includes the three full-time work terms, which are required for co-op program completion.
The alternating pattern of ‘academic terms’ and ‘work terms’ is known as a work term sequence.
Students admitted to co-op will be able to use the work term sequence as a planning tool, so you’ll know when you will be taking courses, when you will be on a work term and when you will have the summer off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are international students eligible to participate in the co-op program with a Study Permit?
Yes, international students are eligible to apply for any of our three level two co-op program options.
As an international student, when you are admitted to your co-op program option, you will receive documentation that will help you to obtain a valid co-op work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
We recommend applying for the work permit as early as possible after admission in order to account for processing times.
How does the co-op job search phase work?
Our co-op team continually seeks out employers to post lots of co-op job opportunities to OscarPlus (McMaster’s job posting and application system).
It is each co-op student’s responsibility to actively pursue employment for an upcoming work term. Like most co-op programs in Canada, McMaster does not ‘place’ students into roles that have been set aside for them. Our co-op students must actively apply for jobs and are hired by co-op employers based on application and interview processes.
The job search process is fully supported by co-op staff, including exclusive Job Search courses for co-op students during the search term. The search process itself is a key learning experience in co-op programs like ours and has proven to have lasting benefits for co-op students.
Students will normally seek a co-op job during the term prior to their intended work term, which we call the ‘search term’. During their search term(s), co-op students will typically browse and apply for jobs using OscarPlus.
What happens if I am not successful in securing a job for my next scheduled co-op work term?
In the rare event that a scheduled work term doesn’t work out, you will be able to work with your co-op Team and your Academic Advisor who can support you to develop a plan for success in the program.
The toolkit of solutions might involve re-organizing the planned pattern of work and academic terms, making strategic use of summers and developing an adjusted timeline that fits your needs.
How and why do employers post co-op jobs for McMaster students?
Employers in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors connect with us to hire co-op students to support their recruitment plans and to establish partner reciprocal relationships.
Employers can post jobs freely on the OscarPlus job board and the co-op team promotes positions to qualified co-op candidates.
Employers often choose to hire co-op students specifically because their critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, creativity, and flexibility are highly valued by employers.
The Faculty’s Careers & Experiential Education team does outreach and employer development to find new employer partners and support repeat job postings.
If you are an employer looking to hire a co-op or internship student, email hire.socsci@mcmaster.ca.
Do other Social Sciences programs at McMaster have co-op options?
No, not at this time. While the introduction of co-op is beginning with the three program options above, all students in the Faculty of Social Sciences are eligible for elective internships and are supported with career advising and experiential opportunities.
What is the difference between ‘co-op’ and an ‘internship’?
The meanings of the terms ‘co-op’ and ‘internship’ have various meanings at schools and workplaces around the world. In the context of McMaster’s faculty of social sciences, there are key differences:
- Co-op experiences are built into a program of study and require application and admission on a limited enrolment basis.
- Internships can be completed by students in any Social Sciences B.A., Honours, or Combined Honours program, as long as they have completed the prerequisite career planning course, Social Sciences 2EL0.
- Co-op students have required work terms built into their degree requirements.
- Internships are elective, meaning that students can complete zero, one, or more as they wish.
Despite these differences, both opportunities involve paid work, the integration of work and learning, and built-in career development elements.
How Do I Apply for Admission to a Level II Co-op Stream?
Applicants must first let us know they are interested by submitting the Supplementary Application Form. The second step will be a Video Interview. The final step will require students to rank their program option(s) of choice during the Level II Program Selection Process. For details, see the Application Information page.
Can I rearrange the timing of the planned work terms in the standard co-op work term sequence?
No, not typically. The standard work term sequence on the co-op website needs to be the starting point for academic planning, job development, and required course scheduling. There are several reasons why. For example, our application-support courses (e.g. SOCSCI 3JS1) will not be available in every semester, so the scheduling of work terms will need to be planned according to our standard work term sequence, or a close variant.
In addition, accredited co-op programs in Canada require that work terms be completed with at least one full-time academic term scheduled in between each of them, in a sequence ending with a final study term. In addition, work terms must make up a certain minimum proportion of the overall in-program experience for each student. These requirements create limited parameters in which viable pathways to program completion must be able to work.
As the best and most workable pathway to success, the standard work term sequence will need to be the shared ‘Plan A’ for all co-op students. While our planned student support structures will allow some flexibility for assisting and accommodating co-op students with unforeseen circumstances, in most cases, we will not be able to support alternate sequences based on preference without adjusting the planned graduation date.
I’m not in Level I. Can I still apply and complete extra years if needed?
Yes, but preference will be given to Level I students. Upper-level students are permitted to submit the Supplementary Application and undertake the interview process, but should consider the timeline and financial implications of completing the required alternating sequence of co-op work terms and full-time academic terms.
Social Sciences Co-op Fee Information
Students enrolled in a co-op program option will pay the following fees:
A $200.00 co-op admin fee will be paid each academic year (e.g. in September) in which a student is enrolled in a co-op plan. This fee will go towards funding elements of co-op support outside the work term, including:
- Application-related costs associated with the OscarPlus Job Posting System
- Instructional costs for tuition-free courses
- Resources for exclusive events and workshops etc.
A $750.00 work term fee will be paid during each of the paid work terms throughout the program. The fee will be associated with each of the new co-op work term ‘courses’, Social Sciences 2WT0, 3WT0, and 4WT0, and will therefore only be paid when the student has successfully obtained a full-time paid position for that work term.
Most students will pay this amount a total of three (3) times – once for each work term course, as required by the degree requirements. This fee will go towards funding elements of co-op support outside the work term, including:
- Work-term-related costs associated with the OscarPlus Job Posting System
- Staffing costs for employer outreach and job development
- Staffing costs for student and employer support during the work term, etc.
These fees have been approved by the McMaster University Fees Committee. They can be compared to the fees from other Faculties in this University Document on 2022/23 and 2023/24 Miscellaneous Fees.
Contact Us
Questions about program options? Email socsci.coop@mcmaster.ca.
For academic guidance, connect with an Academic Advisor.
For career-related goals, make an appointment with our Career Development Advisor.
If you are an employer looking to hire a co-op or internship student, email hire.socsci@mcmaster.ca.