34
Programs of Study
34.2
Internship and Cooperative Education Programs
34.2 Internship and Cooperative Education Programs
Students in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences have the opportunity to complete a paid work experience component as part of their program. Two options, detailed in §§34.2.1 and 34.2.2 are available.
34.2.1 Internship Program
The Internship Program (IP) is coordinated by the Faculty and is open to students registered in one of the Faculty programs.
The IP provides experiential learning to augment academic study with an four-, eight-, 12- or 16-month period of paid, discipline-related work experience with a cooperating employer. Students need to have completed 36 credits, including a minimum of 12 ALES credits. Upon completing the work experience period students return for at least one academic term. To accommodate the work experience period, students normally require between four and five years to complete the full degree requirements.
Students can apply for acceptance into the IP in their second year of study if they are in good academic standing, are legally permitted to work in Canada, and are registered in one of the academic programs offered by the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. International students must apply for a working visa when applying to the program. Application forms are available at Student Services (231 General Services Building). Applicants must meet a spoken English requirement (see §13.3.2).
Students apply to the program two months before their start date. Students registered in the IP receive assistance in finding suitable work placements. The Internship Coordinator and CAPS: Your U of A Career Centre are responsible for working with IP students to help them conduct an active job search. Students can approach employers to hire them as interns as well as compete on posted internship placements. Students can start internship terms in January, May or September. The ultimate responsibility for securing work, however, rests with the student and there is no guarantee that all qualified students will be placed.
While engaged in work experience, IP students are enrolled in WKEXP courses, pay part-time tuition and are considered full-time students at the University of Alberta. To successfully complete the IP, students must complete a minimum of eight months of the following WKEXP courses: WKEXP 981, 982, 983. All WKEXP courses are 
0 and are graded on a pass/fail basis. Grades are determined by the student's job performance, as evaluated by the employer, and by the student's final report, as evaluated by the Internship Coordinator and Faculty mentor.
Further information about the IP can be obtained by contacting the Internship Coordinator in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.
Students should be aware that under Alberta's Protection for Persons in Care Act, they may be required to satisfy a criminal records check before being allowed to serve a period of internship/coop work. See §23.8.3 for further details.
34.2.2 Cooperative Education Program
General Information: The Cooperative Education Program is coordinated by the Faculty of Business and is open to students registered in Agricultural/Food Business Management or Forest Business Management programs. Details are described in §64.5 BCom (Cooperative Education Program).
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Course Sequence: The required courses for Cooperative Education students are the same as provided in the BSc Agricultural/Food Business Management Program or BSc Forest Business Management Program. In addition, Year 3 includes Introduction to Cooperative Education (non-credit seminar) and WKEXP 911. Year 4 (and 5) include WKEXP 912 and WKEXP 913. Note that the final term in the Cooperative Education Program must be a school term. |
