Co-op and careers

A passion for literature and language didn’t just lead Katie Yakovleva to do a double major in English and Slavic Studies; it also compelled her to pursue a co-operative education position in the marketing department for international online bookseller AbeBooks.

Co-op led philosophy and history student Esther Walsh to Vietnam where she spent three months working with disadvantaged youth at KOTO (Know One, Teach One), a hospitality training program, where young people from the streets or from low-income families are given room and board, restaurant training, work experience and life coaching.

Greek and Roman studies student Emily Golumbia says the UVic Co-operative Education Program (co-op) has been “instrumental” in helping her launch a career in the museum sector. Emily has spent three co-op terms working in museums: one as an interpreter at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, and two as a curatorial assistant at the Haida Gwaii Museum.

A series of co-op placements has allowed Professional Communications student Jennifer Polack to kick-start a career in communications and build a network of contacts in the Indigenous community. An Indigenous student herself, Jennifer is particularly interested in lending her skills to Indigenous-led businesses and projects.
Co-op helps you start building your career while you're still at university. It's designed to work around your academic courses, so you'll complement what you're learning in class with practical workplace experience.
Co-op enables you to try out a range of jobs before you graduate; gain work experience and skills; and make connections with employers. And you get paid for the experience!

Download our guide for moving from student success to career satisfaction!
Meet our alumni
History and environmental studies
Slavic Studies
Professional communications
French
Learn more
Discover co-op
Develop your career
- Attend career development workshops
- Explore résumé, cover letter and interview resources
- Meet with a career educator
Gain hands-on experience
- Explore what you can do with your degree
- Work with community through volunteer and extracurricular opportunities
Search for work
Contact co-op
- General inquiries: coopinfo@uvic.ca, 250-721-7628
- Find your co-op office