MBA Co-op

The Co-op Option provides an opportunity for participants to integrate their academic studies with work experience in co-operating organizations. The MBA Co-op Option is the most recent program available through Laurier Co-op. The first students enrolled in August 2006, and began their first work term in January 2007.

Follow this link to download a pdf on the MBA Co-op program.

MBA Co-op Employment Data - Work Term 1

Program Features

Designed to attract high-calibre, recent graduates
A full-content MBA, comprised of 20 courses and approximately 700 hours of in-class participation, with an emphasis on collaboration and team leadership
An innovative, integrated core curriculum which provides students with a strong foundation for success.
Two four-month work terms enhance student learning in our innovative accelerated MBA.
Follow this link to the MBA Co-op academic program.

Applying

Students apply for co-op when they submit their application for Laurier’s MBA program. Those admitted to this limited-enrolment and competitive program will be automatically enrolled in the Co-op Option. Please see the Laurier MBA site for more information about the application process.

Work Terms

The development of suitable work-term employment for co-op students is under the direction of the Department of Co-operative Education. Students apply to employers with whom they are interested in working. The majority of work term opportunities are located in the greater Toronto area. While employers are encouraged to conduct interviews on campus, a number of them require students to travel to their place of business.

After completing the first academic term from late August to December, students complete a work term from January through April. Students return to campus from May through August, then pursue their second work term from September to December. Towards the end of the work term, students discuss their experience in a work term report. MBA Co-op students return to campus for a final academic term from January to April.

To obtain the co-op designation, students must complete all the requirements of both their academic program and the option. Students completing the option will have the notation of "Co-operative Option" appended to their transcripts and noted on their degree. No academic credit is given for participation in co-op.

Some recent recruiters of Laurier MBA Co-op students:

Accenture
Cadbury Schweppes Americas
Earth Renew Organics
General Mills
Guy Carpenter & Co.
Industry Canada

Johnson & Johnson
Mercer Consulting
McCain
Novartis
UBS Securities

Please see a more comprehensive list of sample employers who hire Laurier Co-op students.

Student Testimonial

"Both my co-op positions were extraordinary. I worked on 14 client engagements, reporting to the management teams of the top 100 firms in North America in my first work term!”
Ronald Bell, MBA Co-op, Imperial Oil, Sarnia and PricewaterhouseCoopers, IT Advisory - Advisory Services, Toronto

Sample Job Descriptions

Assistant Brand Manager, Unilever Canada - Track sales trends, conduct brand and competitive analysis and deliver targets for financial growth.

Associate, Equity Research, Scotia Capital - Perform financial analysis such as market comparisons, company valuations and financial modelling.

Analyst, Strategic Planning and Execution, Telus - Perform quantitative analysis to provide insight into key business metrics. Increase efficiency and improve client service by producing operational reports.

Job Search

Students prepare for the job search by attending workshops and individual counselling sessions. An in-depth orientation program is provided during the month of August.

Although employment cannot be guaranteed, every effort is made to ensure that suitable employment is available for students admitted to the option. We approve positions that provide students with productive assignments that will contribute to their learning. The Co-op Office monitors each student’s progress and employers supervise their students, evaluate their performance and provide compensation.

Co-op Fees

All co-op students pay an administrative fee in addition to regular tuition. This fee helps the University to recover a portion of the cost of maintaining and promoting the co-op programs. Administrative costs include salaries, travel expenses, telephone charges and the printing and mailing of resumes and promotional materials. Laurier does not receive any government assistance to operate co-op.

The fee is $568.85 per academic term, as of July 1, 2009. For MBA Co-op students, a two-term fee is charged with tuition for the fall term, followed by a final one-term fee payable with tuition for the spring term. The university reviews co-op fees annually and applies modifications to the fall term.

For detailed information about fees, please look for the MBA Co-op document under Co-op Fees.