Cooperative education

This article is about combining classroom education and work experience. For the study and education about co-operative societies, see co-operative studies. For a classroom organization around academic and social learning experiences, see Cooperative learning.

Cooperative education (or co-operative education) is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience.

A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op" or work-study program, provides academic credit for structured work experiences, helping young people in school-to-work transition.

It falls under the umbrella of work-integrated learning (alongside internships, service learning, and clinical placements) but is distinct, as it alternates a school term with a work term, reflecting a partnership between the academic institution and the employer, intended to advance the education of the student.[1]

The University of Waterloo operates the largest post-secondary co-op program in the world, with nearly 20,000 co-op students enrolled over three semesters in more than 120 programs.[2][3][4][5]

  1. ^ "Co-operative Education Definition". www.cafce.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  2. ^ "About Co-operative Education". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  3. ^ "University of Waterloo: Rankings". Maclean's. Rogers Media. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  4. ^ "The world's largest co-op program". Ontario Universities. Council of Ontario Universities. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Cooperative Education in Canadian Universities". canadian-universities.net. Hecterra Publishing Inc. Retrieved 20 January 2019.