Ranked the #2 comprehensive university in Canada (Maclean’s University Rankings 2025), the University of Victoria (UVic) offers one of the country’s largest co-op programs.
Co-op, or co-operative education, lets you combine your studies with paid work placements while earning your degree. You can gain up to 16 months of experience in your field and earn an average of CAD $50,000 by the time you graduate!
With 300+ co-op options available, UVic makes it easy to find a placement that matches your career goals and helps you stand out to employers.
Want to know more? Here are four subject areas where a UVic co-op can give you a real edge. Or, if you’re ready to join this top university now, you can apply below!
Computer Science
With computer science skills in such high demand among employers, UVic offers a range of co-op placements to prepare you for this fast-moving industry.
Whatever your area of interest may be, UVic co-op has a placement for you. From developing virus-detection apps for plants to writing and testing code for licence plate recognition, UVic’s computer science co-ops offer real-world preparation for a range of roles, such as:
- Intelligence Developer
- Programmer
- Security Analyst
- Software Developer
- Systems Administrator
- Technical Writer
- Web Developer
On top of building key skills for these fields, you’ll also be well rewarded — undergraduates earn an average of CAD $3,400 per month. And if you go above and beyond, you could be named Co-op Student of the Year, an award that recognizes outstanding contributions to your employer, UVic, and the community, with a CAD $500 prize for the winner! This award is also available for business and engineering students.
69% of UVic co-op students get job offers before graduation
1,3o0+ employers hire UVic graduates every year
including Google, Tesla, Meta, Canadian Space Agency, and Warner Brothers
100,000+ co-op placements since UVic launched the program
Engineering
With a ranking of #4 in Canada for research in Physical Sciences and Engineering (Leiden University Rankings 2024), it’s no surprise that the University of Victoria also boasts one of the finest engineering co-op programs in the country.
This program has been available for over a decade, meaning UVic has connections with a vast array of employers in the engineering field, including:
- Ballard Power Systems
- Canadian Space Agency
- Electronic Arts Canada
- Tesla
On top of these excellent partnerships, UVic is one of the few Canadian universities to integrate co-op placements into undergraduate engineering programs. This means you don’t even need to make a separate application! Whether you study civil engineering or biomedical engineering, you’ll automatically have four terms of paid work experience embedded in your core curriculum.
Commerce
The University of Victoria offers Canada’s only undergraduate business program with mandatory co-ops — BCom Commerce — making it a unique degree that sets you apart from the competition.
Along with studying at the prestigious Peter B. Gustavon School of Business — holding both AACSB and EQUIS accreditations, which fewer than 1% of the world’s business schools have — you’ll get to work for established co-op employers in the private, public and non-profit sectors.
In Victoria, placements for this co-op range from Deloitte to British Columbia’s Ministry of Agriculture, but the opportunities don’t stop there. You can also travel the world! This could involve working in a sales department in Japan, a trainee of operations at a spa in Germany, or as a project development assistant in Vietnam — to name just a few!
Other companies offering co-op placements include:
- AbeBooks
- Bateman Foundation
- BC Ferries
- BC Ministry of Transportation
- Canadian Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong SAR)
- Downtown Victoria Business Association
- KPMG LLP
- National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces
- Scotiabank
Explore studying abroad
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Science
At UVic, you can choose from 30+ science degrees, giving you a superb variety of co-op opportunities. And with the University ranking an incredible #1 in North America for international research collaboration (Leiden University Rankings 2023), you’ll benefit from outstanding connections with laboratories, research institutes, and employers — both in Canada and across the globe!
Planning to study biochemistry or microbiology? Through UVic’s co-op programs, you can join leading research institutes working in immunology, molecular biology, genomics, and proteomics, or gain hands-on experience with pharmaceutical and biotech companies — all preparing you for diverse and exciting career paths.
And if you’re looking to earn a degree in earth sciences or oceanography, you’re in great hands. Along with ranking in the world top 150 for earth sciences and #29 for oceanography (Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities 2024), UVic offers some unique co-ops — from oceanographic data processing in Tokyo to petrophysics with Natural Resources Canada — that provide the ideal launchpad for career success.
These are just a handful of examples! Students in physics, astronomy, mathematics, or statistics also have multiple fields they can explore through UVic’s co-op program, such as:
- computational and quantum physics
- medical research
- investment analysis
- modelling and analytics
- survey methodology
Ignite your career at UVic with Kaplan
Want to get an edge in the job market through one of UVic’s incredible co-op placements? If so, Kaplan can help!
With us, you’ll be guided through the UVic application process, receiving expert support to find a degree program that suits your chosen career path.
To learn more, get in touch with one of our advisors, and they will be happy to explore your options with you.
