I want work experience during my master's
Understand the options, from co-op and internships to research partnerships, and fit one into your program without derailing it.
In short
Start here, today. Look up your program's rules on co-op, internships and work terms, and note any deadlines for this year. Then book a meeting with your co-op office or career centre, and write down three questions to bring. This takes about 25 minutes.
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Find out what your program allows
Check whether your program has a co-op option, an internship course or a practicum, and whether a work term adds time to your degree. Ask how placements count towards graduation and whether you stay registered as a student while you work. Your graduate coordinator and co-op office can answer these quickly.
Talk to your supervisor early
If you're in a thesis program, raise the idea before you apply, not after you've accepted an offer. Explain how the placement could help your research or your career, and suggest when it would fit best. Supervisors are usually more open when the work connects to the thesis and the timing has been thought through.
Look at research-based options
If you want experience without pausing your thesis, look for placements built around research. Mitacs Accelerate, for example, funds internships in which a student works on a research project with a partner organization, with the academic supervisor helping to shape the research plan. Mitacs says internships start at four or six months, and that no work should begin until the award is confirmed.
Prepare your application materials
Write a short resume, not an academic CV, that leads with skills and results. Describe research tasks in plain language: “analyzed survey data from 400 respondents using R” tells an employer more than “thesis research”. Your career centre can review your resume, and many co-op offices run workshops before application season.
Check the rules if you're an international student
Whether you can work off campus, for how many hours and whether a work term needs a separate permit all depend on your study permit or visa and on your host country's rules, which change. Check the official government immigration website and talk to your international student office before you accept a placement.
Make the experience count
During the placement, keep notes on projects, tools and results, and add them to Wins and Accomplishments while they're fresh. Ask your workplace supervisor for feedback halfway through and for a reference at the end. Afterwards, connect what you did back to your degree, since it often makes a strong example in interviews and applications.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- Classmates are lining up co-op terms or internships, and you haven't looked into it yet.
- You're not sure whether a work term would delay your thesis or your graduation.
- You want experience outside the university but don't know how to raise it with your supervisor.
- You're an international student and unsure whether you're allowed to work off campus.
Why this happens
Work experience during a master's comes in several forms, and the names are used loosely. Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) defines co-op as alternating academic terms with paid work terms, and internships as supervised, structured work experience, paid or unpaid, often for academic credit. Its definitions also include research projects that take place mainly in workplaces. In Canada, Mitacs funds research internships in which graduate students work on a project with a partner organization.
The right option depends on your program and your goals. In a course-based professional master's, co-op or an internship can be the main way to build experience. In a thesis program, a work term can delay your timeline unless it's connected to your research, and the University of Victoria notes that many of its graduate students do co-op terms tied to their final projects or theses.
The hardest part is often timing. Placements are competitive, the University of Regina's graduate studies page states plainly that students are not guaranteed placements, and the search usually starts months before the work does. The sooner you know your program's rules, the more choice you'll have.
Worth a look (6)
- Types of WIL, Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL)Definitions of co-op, internships, workplace research projects and other kinds of work-integrated learning.
- Mitacs AccelerateResearch internships with partner organizations for students at Canadian universities, including international students.
- Co-op for graduate students, University of VictoriaAn example of how co-op works for graduate students, including work terms connected to theses and projects.
- Versatile PhDHelps PhD students and graduates explore careers beyond academia, with real career stories, job search guides and forums. Access is usually through your university's subscription.
- THEunijobsUniversity jobs around the world from Times Higher Education, including academic, research and professional roles, which you can filter by country and field.
- UN Young Professionals ProgrammeAn entrance exam that can lead to a first professional job at the UN, for young graduates from countries on that year's participating list. Exam subjects and countries change every year.
More on careers in and beyond academia in the resource library
When to bring someone in
Your co-op office or career centre is the best first stop for finding and applying for placements. Your graduate coordinator can tell you how a work term affects registration, fees and your graduation date. If you're an international student, speak to the international student office before you accept any off-campus work.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify