Co-operative Education is a competitive entry program with acceptance based on many factors including, but not limited to, program demand, labour market conditions, student/staff ratios, student suitability to be a program representative, and a student’s demonstrated need and their potential to benefit from the program and its mandate. 

Basic eligibility criteria for the co-op program include the following:

• Be a full-time student enrolled in the Actuarial Sciences; Analytics; Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture; Biology; Business Administration; Chemistry; Computer Science; Economics; Environmental Studies; Financial Mathematics; Foods and Nutrition; Mathematics; Physics; or Statistics programs only.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher in all courses and a 2.7 in required program courses completed to date.
• Show an interest, aptitude, and assessed ability, usually determined through an interview, to combine successfully the academic requirements with the requirements of the co-op program.
• Be committed to completing the required number of work terms before graduation.

Students who meet these basic requirements are not guaranteed entry into the program. The number of seats allotted for each academic program varies each year. Admission offers will be granted at the discretion of the admissions committee in consideration of the above factors. The program aims to provide high-quality learning opportunities for students with various backgrounds, characteristics, and experiences.

Co-op program applications for 2025 are open from August 29 to September 17, 2025. The application deadline is 4:00 pm Atlantic, Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Applications cannot be submitted after this time.

If accepted into the co-op program, students will be instructed when to pay a one-time program acceptance fee (typically mid-October). After this, students will be registered as a co-op student.

Upon registration in each of the three Career Skills courses, the student must pay the equivalent of a course fee.

To view a current listing of fees, payment deadlines and options, please visit the UPEI Tuition and Fees page. 

Steps to complete your co-op application

1. Please view our instruction video or follow the steps below to complete your account registration and co-op application.
2. Visit co-opworkterms.upei.ca and click on 'Register' under 'Students'
3. Complete the registration page and submit the form. The Co-op Office will confirm your account registration within 1-2 days and inform you via email of the approval. Then you can log in to the system and start the application process.
4. Return to co-opworkterms.upei.ca and log in using the information submitted in the account registration process.
5. Once logged in, click on the 'Co-op' link under the dashboard on the left.
6. Select the program you wish to apply for, complete the application form, and ensure all four required documents are included:
   • your current resume
   • your statement of interest
   • a current letter of reference written specifically for Co-op
   • your unofficial UPEI transcript (to obtain a copy of your unofficial transcript, please download a copy through MyUPEI.
7. Please review the Co-op Student Guide prior to your application submission.
8. Once your application is completed, click 'Submit'. You will be directed to a confirmation screen.
9. The Co-op Office will contact applicants via email during the first week of October to discuss the next steps of the process.