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What is a Co-op?
As defined by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada), “Co-operative education is a program that formally integrates a student’s academic studies with work experience with participating employers”. The Co-op criteria includes:
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- Each work situation is developed and/or approved by the Co-op educational institution as a suitable learning situation;
- The Co-op student is engaged in productive work rather than merely observing;
- The Co-op student receives remuneration for the work performed;
- The Co-op student’s progress on the job is monitored by the Co-operative educational institution;
- The Co-op student’s performance on the job is supervised and evaluated by the student’s co-operative employer;
- Time spent in periods of work experience must be at least 30% of the time spent in academic study.
What is Master of Information (MI) Co-op?
The Master of Information (MI) Co-op is an option within the MI program for select students to complete 2 consecutive co-op work terms (8 months) and gain professional experience in their relevant field of study. The MI Co-op is a partnership between students, employers, and the academic institution, i.e. University of Toronto, Faculty of Information.
Who are MI Co-op Students?
MI Co-op students are selected based on their academic excellence, interpersonal skills, and their readiness to actively engage in professional roles. Our students come with high academic achievements from a variety of undergraduate programs and may already have some professional experience in the workforce. They are enrolled full time and have completed the majority of their core and required courses for one or two MI concentrations. For a sample of our Co-op students’ placements, please click the button below:
MI Concentrations
There are seven concentrations in the MI program. Click on each concentration to see a sample list of roles our alumni hold and employers hiring our alumni.
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- Archives & Records Management (ARM)
- Culture & Technology (C & T)
- Critical Information and Policy Studies (CIPS)
- Human-Centred Data Science (HCDS)
- Information Systems & Design (ISD)
- Knowledge Management and Information Management (KMIM)
- Library and Information Science (LIS)
- User Experience Design (UXD)
Previous Co-op Employer Participants
In 2020–2021, some of our MI Co-op students are employed as:
Title:Organization:
| Accessibility Coordinator | Desire2Learn |
| Archives Assistant | UNESCO |
| Business Analyst | BMO |
| Co-op Assistant | Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University |
| Data Scientist Co-op | CIBC |
| Digital Technology Intern | Procter & Gamble |
| Information Management Analyst | Department of Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI), University of Toronto |
| Information Management Co-op | Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade |
| Interaction Designer | Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) |
| IT Co-op Project Management Analyst | Deloitte Canada |
| Policy Intern | Amazon |
| Product Design Co-op | Capital One |
| Quercus Documentation Coordinator & Technical Support Assistant | Faculty of Information, University of Toronto |
| Records Management Intern | Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) |
| User Experience Co-op | Ontario Digital Service (ODS) |
| User Experience Design Intern | Tangerine |
| User Experience Design + Junior Project Manager |
Ride Flag Technologies |
MI Co-op Work Criteria
To qualify as a paid co-op work term, the role needs to be:
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- Summer Co-op: Minimum of 8 consecutive weeks and up to 4-months; an 8-month work term is also an option.
- Fall Co-op: Minimum of 10 consecutive weeks and up to 4-months.
- Full-Time: Minimum of 30 hours a week.
- Paid: $23–33 per hour (suggested) and higher.
- Supervised by a professional in the field.
- Relevant work experience appropriate for a graduate student.
- A positive and productive learning experience for the student.
Timeline
For MI Co-op students starting their studies in September, the Co-op work terms will be:
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- Summer (May-August)
- Fall (September-December)
- Summer–Fall (May-December)
Summer Co-op (May–August) or Summer + Fall Co-op (May–December)
Action:Suggeseted Timeline:
| Submit Job Postings | January–April |
| Interview Students | Anytime |
| Student Placements | May–August or May–December |
Fall Co-op (May–December)
Action:Suggeseted Timeline:
| Submit Job Postings | January–July |
| Interview Students | Anytime |
| Student Placements | September–December |
Employer Requirements
To ensure a positive experience for all three parties involved in this partnership, a signed agreement will be required at the beginning of the work term, along with an on-site visit during the work term and evaluation completed at the end of the term.
Supervisor
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- Supervisors must be professionals in their fields.
- Upon the completion of the project, the supervisors will be asked to provide an overall evaluation of the student’s work.
- The MI Co-op Director will provide ongoing support to you and the student as needed.
On-Site Work
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- It is anticipated that all work hours, or the majority of the hours, will be conducted on-site to enable the student to gain some exposure both to the culture of your institution and to the values of the information profession.
- In order to help students develop an understanding of the culture of information organizations, students should receive an orientation to all aspects of your institution’s services and responsibilities.
- Desk space must be available for students to do their Co-op work, as well as appropriate equipment, software, and access to other necessary tools, as needed.
- The Co-op role should allow students to experience the organizational culture as much as possible by involving students in day-to-day tasks such as meetings, in addition to their specific projects.
Evaluation
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- During the Co-op work term, the MI Co-op Course Instructor and/or Careers Services staff may conduct a site visit, if interns are in the Greater Toronto Area, or organize phone or web meetings to discuss student progress.
- At the end of the work term, both the supervisor and the student will complete an assessment form about their work in the context of overall learning objectives, anticipated outcomes, and applied professional development.
Tax Credit
The MI Co-op program is a government-recognized co-operative education program. Ontario employers may be eligible for a Co-op Education Tax Credit, which is a refundable tax credit of up to $3,000.
For more information visit the Ontario Ministry of Finance.
How to Participate
For more information, please contact the Faculty of Information Careers Office:
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- Email: coop.ischool@utoronto.ca
