
International co-op and work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities
There are many ways to search for international co-op and work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities:
- Search the Co-op and Career portal for international jobs (including those offered through the five programs below)
- Arrange your own opportunity—find postings on GoinGlobal or international job sites
- Already on an academic exchange? Join the local Canadian Chamber of Commerce to connect with Canadian companies overseas
Take part in the WACE Global Challenge
Participate in the WACE Global Challenge, a 4-week virtual program where multi-disciplinary cross-cultural student teams from around the world work collaboratively to solve a real industry challenge for an industry or community client (startup, NGO, or corporate).
Program dates: June 27, 2022 to July 22, 2022
Interested? Attend an information session with Sarah McQuillan, International Co-op Coordinator. Visit the Co-op & Career Portal and register for a session under ‘Events and Workshops’. Session dates include:
- May 3 @ 10:00am
- May 12 @ 4:00pm
Apply for the challenge by May 20, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.
Explore international co-op opportunities
Our international co-op opportunities are clustered within the five program below, representing specific regions of the world. (Positions available through these programs are posted in the Co-op and Career portal.)
TIP: To learn more about these and any other international co-op opportunities, please contact intlindigcoop@uvic.ca.
CANASEAN-COOP (Canada-ASEAN Co-op)
CANASEAN-COOP (Canada-ASEAN Co-op) helps students become global-ready graduates through work terms in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. You could receive a $6,000 scholarship and participate in a community engagement program during and after your work term.
Scholarships are provided through Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships. The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program is a joint initiative of the Rideau Hall Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. It was created through unique contributions from the Government of Canada, provincial governments, the private sector and individuals worldwide.
CANASIA-COOP (Asia)
CANASIA-COOP (Canada Asia Co-op) offers opportunities in Thailand, China, Japan and other parts of Asia.
CANCOM-COOP (Commonwealth countries)
CANCOM-COOP (Canada-Commonwealth Co-op) helps students become global-ready graduates through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-based work terms in Australia and Africa.
CANEU-COOP (Europe)
CANEU-COOP (Canada Europe Co-op) offers opportunities in Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
CANSAM-COOP (South America)
CANUSA-COOP (United States)
CANUSA-COOP (Canada United States Co-op) offers opportunities in the USA, especially in the Silicon Valley.
Through strategic initiatives in the Silicon Valley, UVic Co-op and Career has developed a strong network of employer relationships in the USA. Engineering opportunities with organizations like Tesla Motors, Intuitive Surgical and Zero Motorcycles are regularly posted on Learning In Motion.
Master of Public Administration students can also work with the United Nations in the USA.
TIP: You must obtain a J-1 visa before embarking on a work term in the USA.
See what UVic students have done on international co-op terms


Queen Elizabeth Scholars and the AIMS exchange
New funding received in 2018 will allow us to send 38 more students on work terms across Southeast Asia over the next four years! To learn more, visit https://www.uvic.ca/coopandcareer/events/news/current/2018-02-27-QEscholarfunding.php With funding provided by QES, UVic’s Canada-Commonwealth Co-op (CANCOM-COOP) program has awarded over 25 students with the prestigious title of Queen Elizabeth (QE) Scholar, offering them the chance to partake in international STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-based work-integrated learning. UVic also welcomes international QE scholars to campus to complete academic programs as part of the program. The CANCOM-COOP project partners with organizations across the Commonwealth to cultivate these international QES opportunities for students at UVic and abroad. To date, UVic QE Scholars have worked with CANCOM-COOP partners in Australia, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, where they have contributed to community-engaged learning initiatives on a global scale. One such QES partnership, between UVic and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), has provided both UVic and AIMS students the opportunities to take their scholarly pursuits abroad. This video showcases some of these extraordinary students' experiences with AIMS. To learn more about international co-op experiences available at UVic, visit uvic.ca/coopandcareer/coopabroad.
Indigenous International Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Exchange Program
See more videos from the International co-op opportunities at UVic playlist on YouTube.