Frequently Asked Questions

UTM offers a variety of different curricular experiential learning (EL) opportunities.

The UTMCIP is a co-op internship program modelled after the definition established by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada). Co-op internship programs include one work experience period (i.e., a minimum of 12 weeks and/or 420 hours full-time paid experience) where students receive an in-depth exposure to one employer organization, which provides students the opportunity for development commensurate with the length of the overall program.

Academic internships are courses that are designed to supplement classroom learning with practical work-based experience. They are offered in upper-year courses across academic programs and allow undergraduate students to apply specialized knowledge acquired in their field through a 100 to 200-hour work placement for academic credit. Academic internships may be paid or unpaid.

Students who participate in the UTMCIP do not receive academic credit. The UTMCIP Preparatory Program and Work-Readiness Modules are not credit-bearing and will not appear on the student's academic transcript. The work experience is zero-credit and will appear on the student's academic transcript.

Students that enroll in the UTMCIP will participate in a 12- or 16-month Work Term consisting of one full-time work experience between Year of Study 3 and Year of Study 4. As a result, the time to degree completion for students enrolled in the UTMCIP is normally expected to be 5 years.

As per CEWIL Canada accreditation requirements, UTMCIP students must return to full-time studies after completing their Work Term. Students returning for only one academic term must be enrolled in at least 1.5 credits in that term.

The UTMCIP is launching for the first time in Fall 2024. It is being piloted with limited enrolment among academic units that have existing work-integrated learning programming as part of their curriculum.

Following the pilot, the EEU plans to expand the UTMCIP to include additional academic units and programs in future years.

Students may elect to withdraw from the UTMCIP stream of their program at any time and continue in the regular program stream with no academic penalty. 

For details on how to withdraw from the UTMCIP, please refer to the Withdrawal from the Program section on the Program Structure webpage. 

The UTMCIP is a new co-op internship program run directly by the Experiential Education Unit in the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean at the Mississauga campus, which allows UTM to better meet the academic and professional needs of our student population. The Professional Experience Year (PEY) Co-op Program is run by the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the St. George campus and, while the UTMCIP and PEY Co-op Program may employ similar structures, the latter primarily enrolls Engineering students and targets a different student population with different career interests. The UTMCIP is exclusive to and tailored to meet the needs of UTM students, offering work-readiness preparation and work opportunities across a broader range of industries.

With the launch of the UTMCIP, UTM students will no longer be permitted to participate in the Professional Experience Year (PEY) Co-op Program offered by the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, effective immediately. 

UTM has introduced the UTMCIP as a co-op internship program run directly through our campus, which will allow UTM to better meet the academic and professional needs of our student population. While the UTMCIP and Professional Experience Year (PEY) Co-op Program have similar structures (i.e., include preparatory modules and a paid work experience between 12 and 16 months), the PEY Co-op Program primarily targets Engineering students in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and necessarily caters to a different student population with different career interests than UTM students. The UTMCIP is tailored to meet the needs of UTM students, offering students work-readiness preparation and work opportunities across a broader range of industries. 

Both UTMCIP students and PEY Co-op students use the same U of T Co-op Portal to identify and apply to job opportunities. The UofT Co-op Portal is a new university-wide system that brings together employers looking to hire UofT interns across all of the co-op programs offered by the St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough campuses. 

This option is not available to UTMCIP students at this time.

The UTMCIP is available to students entering Year of Study 2 as a full-time student in the upcoming Fall/Winter 2024-25 session. A full-time student will be enrolled in a minimum of 1.5 credits in each of the Fall and Winter terms. Both domestic and international students are eligible for the UTMCIP program. Students in Year of Study 2 and Year of Study 3 will not have the option to transfer into the UTMCIP (no ”late admission”).

Students with part-time status may be considered for the program if they have received accommodation from the University. An example of an accommodation may include, but is not limited to, having a reduced course-load accommodation with Accessibility Services. Students with part-time status who have received accommodation from the University and wish to apply to a UTMCIP stream must contact coopinternship.utm@utoronto.ca.

Please see Student Eligibility Requirements on the Information for Students page.

Students apply to the UTMCIP by adding the regular stream of a participating program in ACORN and then submitting an online application to join the UTMCIP stream of the same program. Please see the Application Process on the Information for Students page.

Students can apply to the UTMCIP during either round of the program selection request period. Round 1 runs from March 5 through April 30, 2024, and Round 2 runs from June 3 through August 23, 2024. The last day to submit an application is Friday, August 23, 2024. Late applications to the UTMCIP will not be accepted.

Students must add the regular stream of an academic program in ACORN before submitting an application to join the UTMCIP stream of the program. 

Students will be able to accept or refuse the invitation to join the UTMCIP on ACORN between August 24th to September 15th, 2024. If a student fails to accept an invitation to join the program on ACORN by September 15th 2024, they will not have an opportunity to join the UTMCIP after this deadline.

Please note that while students can accept or refuse invitations to the regular program stream at any time before the September 15th deadline, UTMCIP invitations can only be accepted or refused between August 24th and September 15th, 2024.

Students invited to join the UTMCIP stream of a program on ACORN may refuse the invitation between August 24th to September 15th. If no action is taken to accept or refuse the invitation by the deadline, students will automatically be refused entry and they will not have a further opportunity to join the UTMCIP.

International students will require a co-op work permit for participation in the UTMCIP in addition to a valid study permit. Both items can be addressed once you have been admitted into the program. For additional information, please visit https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/international/career-counselling-international-students/working-canada/co-op-work-permit.

You are encouraged to contact the International Education Centre for support.

Please see the Office of the Registrar’s webpage on Academic Standing for full details. Students are also encouraged to speak with the Undergraduate Advisor in their department.

Students cannot enroll in more than one co-op program at the University of Toronto. Students cannot be enrolled in both the UTMCIP and complete a University of Toronto certificate with an experiential learning component. 

Upon admission to the UTMCIP, students will be enrolled in a series of four Work-Readiness Modules to prepare them for the employment Recruitment Cycle. 

Following completion of all four modules, students will be granted access to the University of Toronto Co-op Portal, which they will use to secure a work experience for their 12- or 16-month Work Term.

UTMCIP Work-Readiness Modules must be completed sequentially. Each module has a firm deadline, typically aligned with the end of the academic term, that must be met in order for students to unlock the successive module. For example, the deadline to complete Module 1 for students who joined the UTMCIP in September 2024 is December 3, 2024. Students are welcome and encouraged to complete the module before this deadline.

Please note that the UTMCIP Work-Readiness Modules include quizzes and/or assignments with recommended deadlines to allow the assessment team to provide students with tailored and meaningful feedback. Recommended deadlines can be found on Quercus. If students miss the recommended deadlines, they may receive a reminder e-mail from UTMCIP staff, but the quizzes and/or assignments will remain open until the module completion deadline. 

Students who fail to complete a module will be given an opportunity to retake it once before moving on to the next module. They will not be required to pay an additional fee for the retake. Students that do not complete the required modules within the designated timeframe will be removed from the UTMCIP stream and continue in the regular program stream after consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor in the corresponding academic unit. 

In situations where extenuating circumstances may prevent a student from completing a Work-Readiness Module, students are strongly encouraged to contact the UTMCIP staff for guidance and support.

UTMCIP timelines are fixed and students must complete program components sequentially. Students must complete the Preparatory Program before beginning the Recruitment Cycle and Work Term. Please see the “Program Sequence” section on the Information for Students page for more details.

While it is not necessary at the time of application to the UTMCIP, all international students will require a valid work permit and Social Insurance Number (SIN) to participate in a work experience. UTMCIP staff will connect international students with the UTM International Education Centre for guidance on the required documentation, which will be issued to international students by the Office of the Registrar at least 6 months prior to securing local work experiences so that they have sufficient time to apply for a work permit.

In order to participate in the Work Term, international students require  a co-op work permit. To obtain one, you must:

1. Have a valid study permit.
2. Keep the UTMCIP Co-Op letter for international students included with your admission into the program.
3. Apply online at least 6-months prior to the start of your placement. If your study permit is set to expire before or during your placement, apply for a new study permit and your co-op work permit at the same time

You can find additional information on how to apply for your co-op work permit here. For support with your application or if you have any questions around your participation in this program as an international student, please contact the International Education Centre.

Students who participate in the UTMCIP will be expected to apply to and secure their own work experiences with support from UTMCIP staff.

Students enter the recruitment cycle after completing all four Work-Readiness modules of the UTMCIP Preparatory Program. During this time, students will be granted access to the University of Toronto (UofT) Co-op Portal, where they will be able to discover and apply to University-approved job postings.

University of Toronto (UofT) staff work closely with employers to populate the UofT Co-op Portal with job opportunities that are substantial and relevant to UofT undergraduate students in a wide variety of academic disciplines. Our employer partners recognize the value that UofT undergraduate students bring to the workforce and specifically seek highly skilled students through the UofT Co-op Portal to contribute to their organizations. 

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. Hiring into self-secured work experiences will still flow through the University of Toronto (UofT) Co-op Portal and students will be expected to follow the normal work term sequences for the program. 

The Recruitment Cycle intentionally mimics a real-world job search process. It is the responsibility of the student to search for, apply to, and interview with employers. While the UTMCIP cannot guarantee that students will be hired by employers, UTMCIP staff will make every effort to prepare students for the Recruitment Cycle and help them navigate the job search process.

Students who do not secure a work experience for a Work Term will be removed from the UTMCIP stream in order to avoid incurring any additional program fees. Students will continue in the regular program stream after consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor in the corresponding academic unit, in alignment with departmental undergraduate advising processes.

A Work Term consists of a 12- or 16-month paid, full-time work experience in the private, not for-profit, and/or public sectors. A student's Work Term begins following the completion of Year of Study 3 and takes place between Year of Study 3 and Year of Study 4. Depending on the work experience, students may begin their work term at the earliest on May 1st (for a 16-month work term) and at the latest on September 1st (for a 12-month work term). Any work experiences that begin between May 2nd and August 31st must be 12 months in duration.

Students will be paid based on sector and industry standards for the duration of their Work Term. It is the responsibility of each student to honour the conditions of that work term. This includes the agreed-upon duration, working hours, and confidentiality requirements.

Job opportunities available in the UofT Co-op Portal will indicate whether the Work Term will be 12 or 16 months in length. Work Terms (including self-secured) may begin as early as May 1st (for a 16-month Work Term) and at the latest on September 1st (for a 12-month Work Term). Any Work Term beginning between May 2nd and August 31st will be 12 months in duration.

Students can participate in work experiences offered locally, nationally, and internationally, the latter in consultation with UTM’s International Education Centre. All work experiences will be vetted and approved by UTMCIP staff in accordance with tri-campus employer guidelines.

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. 

All work experiences facilitated through the UTMCIP are paid positions. Students can expect to be paid based on sector and industry standards for the duration of their 12- or 16-month Work Term.

Students may not enroll in full-time academic study during a 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 Term, students must first consult with their employer and receive approval from their academic unit. Students must complete and submit a request form, available on the UTMCIP website, with the appropriate sign-off from their employer and academic unit. 

Students are required to notify UTMCIP staff in the EEU of any challenges or issues that they may encounter while completing their work experience. UTMCIP staff will work closely with campus partners to ensure that students receive the necessary support to succeed in the workplace.

UTMCIP Program Fees are applied under ancillary fees on student accounts. Students should pay their account balance by October 15 to avoid monthly service charge fees. Interest is accrued on outstanding balances on the 16th of each month.

Questions related to student accounts should be directed to Financial Aid Advisors in the Office of the Registrar.

The UTMCIP is an optional paid program.

Every student registered in the UTMCIP is required to pay UTMCIP Program Fees as established by the University. These fees cover the cost of operations including, but not limited to, registration, stakeholder relations, program staffing, business development, curriculum design and iteration, delivery of preparatory program through mandatory Work-Readiness Modules, ongoing student support, and grading. UTMCIP Program Fees are calculated in accordance with the Government of Ontario and University of Toronto policies and paid over a series of six installments. Please refer to the Program Fees section on the Information for Students webpage.

Students will only be charged tuition fees if enrolled in courses while on Work Term. Students will still be expected to pay the corresponding UTMCIP Program Fees during this time.

Please contact a Financial Aid Advisor in the Office of the Registrar with any questions related to OSAP.

UTMCIP Program Fees are applied under ancillary fees on student accounts. Some scholarships may cover ancillary fees. Please consult the terms of your scholarship offer and/or speak with a Scholarships & Awards Officer in the Office of the Registrar to confirm.