Engineering
Engineering Co-op is mandatory for undergraduate students studying:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Software Engineering
Office & contacts
Our regular business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Office: ECS 204
engrcoop@uvic.ca
250-472-5800
Co-op coordinators
Biomedical engineering
Ash Senini (ECS 230)
asenini@uvic.ca
Civil engineering (student # ends in 0-3)
Kelly Stegman (ECS 232)
kellystegman@uvic.ca
Civil engineering (student # ends in 4-9)
Leo Spalteholz (ECS 228)
leos@uvic.ca
Computer engineering
Monty Raisinghani (ECS 231)
montyr@uvic.ca
Electrical engineering (student # ends in 0-3)
Kelly Stegman (ECS 232)
kellystegman@uvic.ca
Electrical engineering (student # ends in 4-9)
Monty Raisinghani (ECS 231)
montyr@uvic.ca
Graduate students (except MTIS and MADS)
Wendy Beairsto (ECS 226)
wbeairsto@uvic.ca
Master of Engineering in Applied Data Science (MADS)
David Woodward (ECS 225)
davidwoodward@uvic.ca
Master of Engineering in Telecommunications and Information Security (MTIS)
Imen Bourguiba (ECS 224)
imenbour@uvic.ca
Mechanical engineering (student # ends in 0-4)
Calvin Tripp (ECS 220)
ctripp@uvic.ca
Mechanical engineering (student # ends in 5-9)
Susan Fiddler (ECS 222)
sfiddler@uvic.ca
Software engineering: (student # ends in 0-4)
Ash Senini (ECS 230)
asenini@uvic.ca
Software engineering: (student # ends in 5-9)
Imen Bourguiba (ECS 224)
imenbour@uvic.ca
Undeclared engineering
Wendy Beairsto (ECS 226)
wbeairsto@uvic.ca
Career educator
Karae White (ECS 210)
karaewhite@uvic.ca
Undergraduate programs
As an undergraduate student, you can take part in these co-op formats.
- regular full-time work term
- entrepreneurial co-op
- parallel co-op (part-time)
- work term transfer
- work term challenge
Learn more about these types of co-op.
What is required?
For undergraduate students:- mandatory co-op—part of your degree program
- automatically enrolled; no application required
- 4 work terms required
- must complete ENGR 130 (Introduction to Professional Practice)
Average salaries
You'll receive a salary from your employer during each co-op work term. Co-op salaries vary according to many factors, including:
- your previous work experience
- the industry you're working in
- the responsibilities of your co-op job
Here is an average monthly salary for a full-time work term in engineering:
- undergraduate: $3,456.20
- graduate: $4,258.55
View detailed engineering salaries or salaries for all programs.
Fees
As a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSEng) student, you must:
- complete 4 co-op work terms
- pay your co-op tuition fee on an installment plan, with one installment per term
- start paying your co-op tuition fee at the beginning of the first year
Tuition fee installment plan:
- domestic students: 8 installments of $380.49
- international students: 8 installments of $707.34
If you're a bridge student admitted directly into third year, you'll start paying the fee when you begin your third-year courses.
If you challenge a work term, you'll pay one fewer installment per challenge. If you're a transfer student, you may transfer up to 2 work terms and pay two fewer installments.
Work terms
Co-op work terms occur in the fall, spring or summer terms and are typically 4 months in length.
If you would like access to search for co-op jobs, please complete our co-op jobs access form.
Work term transfers
If you have received credit for an engineering work term at a previous post-secondary institution before attending UVic's engineering program, you can receive work term transfer credit that counts toward your engineering co-op requirement.
First year students and second year transfer students can transfer (or challenge) a maximum of 1 work term. Third year bridge students can transfer (and/or challenge) a maximum of 2 work terms.
You must apply to transfer a work term during your first term in the engineering program at UVic by submitting the work term transfer form.
Work term challenges
If you have completed relevant engineering work experience before attending UVic's engineering program, you can receive work term challenge credit that counts toward your engineering co-op requirement.
You are required to submit assignments (including a work term challenge report) to complete a work term challenge.
First year students and second year transfer students can challenge (or transfer) a maximum of 1 work term. Third year bridge students can challenge (and/or transfer) a maximum of 2 work terms.
You must apply to challenge a work term during your first term in the engineering program at UVic.
Learn more about:
Sample jobs & employers
Here are a few sample jobs. For specific examples, contact your co-op coordinator.
- audio software engineer with Electronic Arts Canada
- design and production co-op student with Creo
- engineering co-op student with Ballard Power Systems
Potential career paths
- healthcare engineer
- structural designer
- environmental analyst
- software engineer
- cyber security officer
- big data analyst
- project manager
- application developer
Graduate programs
As a graduate student, you can take part in the optional co-op or work experience program.
Program facts
- master's students: complete 2 work terms (8 months of work) to receive a co-op designation, or 1 work term to receive a "work experience" endorsement on your degree
- doctoral students: complete 3 work terms (12 months of work) to receive a co-op designation, or 1 work term to receive a "work experience" endorsement on your degree
- work terms do not have to be continuous—you can work for different employers on different work terms
Application requirements
- you must have your grad supervisor's permission to participate in the co-op program and each specific work term
- you must complete your first co-op work term before the academic term in which you complete your academic requirements (defend your thesis or equivalent)
- you must complete regular work term requirements (including Introduction to Professional Practice, competency assessments and a work term report)
How to apply
To apply, complete and submit the graduate co-op application form.
Due dates each term
- January 21 for spring intake
- September 21 for fall intake
International students should apply at least 2 semesters before the intended work term to ensure that there is enough time to receive a co-op work permit. For example:
- summer work term: submit your intake form and attend the Introduction to Professional Practice workshop in the fall of the previous year
- fall work term: submit your intake form and attend the spring intake workshop in the same year
Get support
We're here to support you with every step in your co-op journey, from applying to co-op to making sure you're supported at work. Contact your co-op coordinator or office for assistance.
If you identify as having a disability or a mental health condition, if you belong to an equity group, or if you identify as Indigenous, we have additional supports for your co-op experience.
Co-op Student of the Year
2021 winner - Haneul Jang
Learn more about Haneul’s story.
Are you an excellent ambassador for the Engineering and Computer Science Co-op and Career Program and the Faculty of Engineering? If you’ve contributed to your co-op employer, UVic, ENGR Co-op and Career and the community, you could be the next co-op student of the year.
Winners receive:
- $500
- a framed certificate
- recognition on the co-op website
As a winning student, you may get to represent UVic provincially for the Association for Co-operative Education in BC/Yukon award and nationally for the Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) award.
The runner-up receives $250.
This award is by nomination only by your co-op coordinator.
Co-op Work Term Report Award
Each term, the Vancouver Island Engineering Society (VIES) Awards Committee recognizes undergraduate engineering students for their outstanding co-op work term reports (completed the previous term). Award recipients receive:
- $300
- an award certificate
- a congratulatory letter from VIES
Nomination process
Work term report markers (including faculty, co-op coordinators and teaching assistants) nominate outstanding reports based on:
- the feasibility of the project
- the clarity of the problem and the solutions
- the potential execution of the project (including actionable plans and recommendations)
Representatives from VIES review the nominated reports and select the winners based on the following criteria defined by IEEE Victoria, Iron Ring Camp 23 and VIES:
- IEEE criteria (Communications): the student clearly identified the problem, the plan of work, conclusions and recommendations.
- Iron Ring Camp 23 criteria (Client impact): the student applied a methodical approach to solving a client's technical problem, considering the costs/benefits of the solution and the impact on the client's business.
- Vancouver Island Engineering Society (VIES): the student demonstrated high-level engineering skills and enterprise, as well as professional expertise. This may include making substantial contributions to a research project or completing an entrepreneurial co-op work term that demonstrated building skills and technical innovation.
VIES awards are sponsored by:
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Victoria Section (IEEE)
- Iron Ring Camp 23
- Vancouver Island Engineering Society (VIES)
Spring 2021 winners:
- For: Excellence in professional communications
- With: Bell Canada
- Topic: Assessment of On-Premises Vulnerability Scanners
Alexander (Master of Engineering in Telecommunications and Information Security) worked with Bell Canada’s Network Services Technology team testing the unified security platform for SD-WAN services as a continuation of work in the previous work term. An evaluation of the Nessus and OpenVAS vulnerability scanners was completed including functionality, cost, availability, and compatibility. The Nessus Professional Edition scanner was recommended as the best option.
This report was very well written and made very good use of all elements in a professional report. Cyber security is an important field of research for Bell as data security is an increasing concern for most organizations. Detailed recommendations were provided that indicated the best strategy for implementing a “vulnerability” scanner for the Vancouver TD Lab.
- For: Demonstration of benefit to the client
- With: Morgan Stanley
- Topic: Methods to Encrypt Basis Calculation with Gainskeeper at Shareworks
Stephan’s (software engineering) work term was with Shareworks by Morgan Stanley in Calgary as a software developer as part of a team. The company develops software to manage corporate employee stock options and shared equity. In this project, client data is to be shared with a third party company, Gainskeeper, to perform cost basis calculations. The project reviewed file encryption algorithms DES, 3DES, AES and RSA. Criteria for comparison were encryption time, decryption time, memory used and entropy. AES Blowfish software was recommended.
This report provided a differential comparison of encryption and decryption tools operating between Shareworks and GainsKeeper. This process is critical for the employer and the quantitative analysis demonstrated the Blowfish’s algorithms were the best solution which provides significant benefits to the many clients of Morgan Stanley services.
- For: Demonstration of high level engineering skills and enterprise
- With: Codan Radio Communications
- Topic: Consistent Automatic Tuning of the MT-4Z Varactor Filter
Luke’s (electrical engineering) fourth co-op term was with Codan Communications as a software developer. He was part of a team working on the MT-4Z receiver, a Mountain Top Repeater which is a critical part of BC’s emergency radio network. Specifically, a varactor filter is used as a front-end bandpass filter. Auto Tune was modified to find the strongest signal to account for the inherent variance in data readings. Additional research was recommended.
This report was well written and of high value to the employer, Codan Communications. Luke’s report is an excellent balance of clarity, high value to the company and their end user clients, and technical difficulty. Specific auto-tune optimization strategy was developed to address weaknesses in the automatic tuning process for the front-end varactor bandpass filters. This is part of an ongoing research programs that will lead to enhanced performance over various frequency bands. This was a technically demanding project that was well executed.