In order to complete the UTMCIP and earn a transcript notation, students must complete all Work-Readiness Modules and apply for and successfully complete a 12- or 16-month work term, including all assessments and the final report. Regardless of the length and start date of their work term, students must complete their work term by the end of August prior to Year of Study 4 and resume full-time studies at the beginning of the Fall term in Year of Study 4.
Please refer to each of the drop-down menu below for details on program structure and completion requirements:
Students admitted to the UTMCIP will be guided through four Work-Readiness Modules that will help students prepare a co-op job search strategy, providing tools and training to increase their chances of success in the recruitment cycle, and learning workplace rights, responsibilities, and program policies. These modules also provide training on skills identified by employers as essential for workplace success.
Students complete the asynchronous modules sequentially, and will need to successfully complete each module before accessing the subsequent module. The four modules are:
Module 1: Work-Readiness – Assessing Skills and Developing a Profile
Module 2: Work-Readiness – Preparing for the Job Search
Module 3: The Recruitment Cycle
Module 4: Communication & Professional Practice
Module completion is mandatory to progress to the work term. The modules are for zero credit and have no associated tuition fees. They will not appear on transcripts but will appear on their ACORN account.
Students will be granted access to the University of Toronto Co-op Job Board to seek and secure a work experience during the recruitment cycle. The Job Board provides students with access to job postings and it is the student’s responsibility to secure a work experience. UTMCIP staff will actively work to onboard new employers and create diverse job opportunities specifically for UTM students. Students must actively apply to job postings on the Job Board and/or show evidence of application activity through a network job search and promptly respond to messages from UTMCIP staff. Students can expect to receive requests from UTMCIP regarding updates on job search status, confirming interviewing scheduling or specific job application details.
Students who prefer to secure their own work experiences through personal connections will be permitted to do so, but all self-secured work experiences must be vetted and approved by UTMCIP staff in accordance with tri-campus employer guidelines. These students will be expected to follow the normal work term sequences for the program.
Work terms begin following the student’s completion of Year of Study 3 and take place between Year of Study 3 and Year of Study 4. Depending on the work experience, students may begin their work term either in May (for a 16-month work term) or September (for a 12-month work term). Work terms consist of 12 or 16 months of paid, full-time work in the private, not for-profit, and/or public sectors. Students can participate in work terms offered locally, nationally, and internationally, the latter in consultation with UTM’s International Education Centre.
Students will be paid based on sector and industry standards for the duration of their work term. It is the responsibility of the student to honour the conditions of that work term. This includes the agreed-upon duration, working hours, and confidentiality requirements.
Work Terms Outside Canada
All students interested in participating in work experiences outside of Canada must first consult with UTMCIP staff, who will ensure that students have access to the necessary supports to succeed in an international work environment. All international work experiences must be vetted and approved by UTMCIP staff in accordance with tri-campus employer guidelines. Students must also review the University of Toronto’s Safety Abroad requirements.
Taking Courses While on Work Term
As per Co-operative Education & Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada accreditation recommendations, students may not enroll in full-time academic study during a work term, so that they may focus on their responsibilities and experiences in the workplace and gain the highest value from the work term. It is strongly recommended that students not take more than a maximum of one 0.5 credit course during each 4-month work period. In order to enroll in academic courses while on work experiences, students must first consult with their employer and receive approval from their academic unit. They will then submit to the EEU a Taking Courses While on Work Term request form, available on the UTMCIP website, with the appropriate sign-off from their employer and academic unit.
Student Failure to Secure a Work Term
Students who do not secure a work term will be removed from the UTMCIP stream in order to avoid incurring any additional program fees. Students will return to the regular program stream after consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor in the corresponding academic unit.
Work-Term Report
All UTMCIP students are required to submit a report before the end of their work term according to the template provided by the EEU.
Students may elect to withdraw from the UTMCIP stream of their program at any time and return to the regular program stream with no academic penalty.
Withdrawal Process:
- A student who wishes to withdraw from the UTMCIP must complete the UTMCIP Withdrawal Form available on the UTMCIP website.
- The EEU will review the student’s withdrawal request and work with the Office of the Registrar to drop the UTMCIP Subject POSt from their ACORN account.
- The EEU will inform the Undergraduate Advisor in the corresponding academic unit of the student’s withdrawal from the UTMCIP, who may invite the student for an academic advising meeting to ensure a smooth transition to the regular stream of the academic program.
To guarantee academic continuity, every effort will be made to enable students to return to their regular program stream in a timely manner. Any UTMCIP fees already incurred are nonrefundable. A student may be removed from their UTMCIP stream on ROSI by their academic unit in consultation with the EEU at any time for the following reasons:
- Professional misconduct, including but not limited to:
- The student left the employer without approval after acceptance of work term offer or during the work term.
- The student was dismissed with just cause by the employer from a work term.
- The student received an unsatisfactory work term performance evaluation by the employer.
- Academic misconduct as defined by the University of Toronto’s Code of Behavior on Academic Matters.
- Offences covered by the University of Toronto’s Code of Student Conduct.
A student removed from the UTMCIP stream of their program of study due to any of the above may appeal the decision by formally contacting the EEU in accordance with existing procedures for appeals. Allegations of academic misconduct and offences covered by the Code of Student Conduct will be handled through the division’s established processes and procedures.
Students that complete the mandatory Work-Readiness modules and 12 or 16 months of paid work experience will receive a transcript notation acknowledging completion of the UTMCIP stream for their academic program upon graduation.