ASIP Frequently Asked Questions

GPA is not considered as part of the ASIP selection criteria for students who enter the program in their second year of study (Year 2). Eligibility requirements for ASIP can be found on the How to Apply to ASIP page. 

Yes, international students from eligible programs may participate. ASIP fees are the same for both domestic and international students. International students must obtain a co-op or intern work permit prior to their first work term. Upon entry to ASIP, students are provided a letter proving their registration in the program that can be submitted to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as part of their co-op work term application. Please note there may be some limitations. International students, for example, are not eligible for government-funded wage subsidy programs or some positions in the Federal government.

A SIN is not required for the ASIP application itself, however, students will need a Canadian SIN and a co-op work permit by the time their first work placement begins.

Yes, as long as you are enrolled in a program that is participating in ASIP and meet other eligibility requirements. 

Typically, students must be going into Year 2 (4.0 - 8.5 credits completed) as a full-time student in the upcoming Fall/Winter session to be eligible for the ASIP stream. However, we understand that some students who will be starting their second year of study may surpass the 8.5 credits threshold due to their transfer credits (whether from secondary school or postsecondary studies); we will consider Year 2 students who have additional transfer credits (up to 10 credits total) completed at the time of ASIP entry.

Yes, students must maintain full-time status throughout their time in the ASIP stream. Students with part-time status may be considered for the program if they have received accommodation from the University. 

Students must have a minimum of 4 credits and a maximum of 8.5 credits at the time of entry to the ASIP stream. However, we understand that some students who will be starting their second year of study may surpass the 8.5 credits threshold due to their transfer credits (whether from secondary school or postsecondary studies); we will consider Year 2 students who have additional transfer credits (up to 10 credits total) completed at the time of ASIP entry.

We will be using holistic admissions criteria to form the basis for admission to ASIP, so any prior work experience, volunteer, extracurricular and/or community involvement will be helpful to your supplementary application. More information on the admission criteria can be found on the How to Apply to ASIP page. To further gain experience, we recommend getting involved on campus – for example, join a student club, apply for a Work Study position, volunteer. Gaining experience will help develop your resume which will support you in both applying to ASIP and also in securing a work term. We recommend you connect with Career Exploration & Education to learn more about resources and opportunities available to you. Not sure where to start? Book a 20-minute online Career Start appointment. We also recommend checking out the Centre for Community Partnerships as they offer a variety of co-curricular experiential opportunities. 

For academic units where students in either a Major or a Specialist can apply to ASIP, a Specialist program will not be regarded higher than a Major program.

As of Fall 2022, students may be admitted to the ASIP stream of their program for the Fall term of Year 3, but entry will be dependent on space and will require approval of both the student’s academic unit and the Experiential Learning & Outreach Support office. Refer to the ASIP Eligibility page for further details regarding Year 3 entry.

Each work term must meet the following requirements¹:  

• 4-month term: 420 hours and/or 12 weeks minimum of full-time², paid experience  

• 8-month term: 980 hours and/or 28 weeks minimum of full-time, paid experience  

• 12-month term: 1540 hours and/or 44 weeks minimum of full-time, paid experience  

• 16-month term: 2100 hours and/or 60 weeks minimum of full-time, paid experience 

¹Students with accessibility or accommodation needs may be granted reduced hours and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  

²Full-time = a minimum of 35 hours/week.  

Students must receive some form of remuneration for their work. The expectation is that students will be paid based on sector and industry standards for the duration of their work terms, assessed according to the location of each student’s employment and the student’s level of expertise. Room and board, a research stipend, travel costs, an award or a scholarship may be alternative forms of payment, particularly for an international work term. No unpaid positions will be posted on the ASIP job board.   

We will report annually on student salaries when available, but as a new program we are currently unable to provide prior salary statistics. For reference, the average income for a University of Toronto Scarborough Arts & Science Co-op student in 2019 was $11,790 per 4-month work term.   

Students may work in the private, not-for-profit, and/or public sectors. Job opportunities on a U of T campus and with U of T partner networks (i.e., University Health Networks) will be encouraged and permitted. Students may pursue opportunities throughout Ontario, across Canada, or in international locations. 

The location of jobs is industry dependent. Students will not be required to relocate for work, but students willing to move and open to job opportunities in numerous geographical areas will increase their chances of securing a work term. 

Yes, students are encouraged to complete work terms outside of Canada. International work terms take significant advance planning, however, to secure appropriate work visas, accommodation, etc. Interested students should connect with their ASIP Coordinator early to discuss next steps.

Students entering the program in Year 2 will have the option of completing 12-20 months of work experience, with the following parameters:  

• Students can complete one short (4-month) work term and one work term of 8, 12 or 16 months, or one long immersive work term with one employer to a maximum of 16 months.   

• New work terms can begin in the Summer or Fall terms only.   

Students entering the program in Year 3 will have the option of completing 12-16 months of work experience, with the following parameters: 

• Students can complete one short (4-month) work term and one work term of 8 or 12 months, or one long immersive work term with one employer to a maximum of 16 months.
• New work terms can begin in the Summer or Fall terms only. 

View the allowable work term sequences. Only in very special circumstances will an alternate sequence be allowed, and will require approval from the Director, Experiential Learning & Outreach Support and Vice Dean, Undergraduate or their designate.  

We hope to have a wide range of opportunities available and students can apply to the positions that best meet their career goals. Students are not limited to the opportunities on the ASIP job board and are encouraged to seek interesting job opportunities on their own.

Students are permitted and strongly encouraged to search for opportunities outside of the ASIP job board. Experiences developed through a student’s personal connections will be expected to follow the allowable work term sequences. Self-generated jobs must first be approved by the Experiential Learning & Outreach Support office.  

No. Securing a work term is a competitive process and employers make the decisions on student selection. Students must be prepared to commit significant time to their job search. The more positions you apply for, and the more flexible you are with the type of work, the higher your likelihood of securing a position. The ASIP team will make every effort to prepare you for the job search and recruitment process to maximize your chance of success, but ultimately students are responsible for securing an opportunity. 

Students who are unsuccessful in securing a work term during the summer between Year 2 and Year 3 will be able to remain in the program and compete for work terms in the year between Year 3 and Year 5. These students may choose to take additional courses to accelerate their time to graduation, or work in jobs that would not otherwise be eligible for ASIP (i.e. part-time and/or unpaid). Students who don’t secure a work term in the year between Year 3 and Year 5 will return to full time studies and exit the ASIP stream.

As per Cooperative Education & Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada accreditation recommendations, students may not enrol in full-time academic study during a work term, such that they may focus on their responsibilities and experiences in the workplace and gain the highest value from the work term. Students will be permitted to take a maximum of one 0.5 credit course at the University of Toronto, or another institution through a Letter of Permission, during each 4-month work period, with the approval of their employer and the Experiential Learning & Outreach Support Office.

ASIP staff will facilitate community-building opportunities throughout your work terms to support you and help you navigate any work term conflicts or challenges. Student performance and wellness will be monitored while on work term through a site visit and/or student and employer check-in.

Students will be required to submit, at a minimum, a learning plan at the start of each work term opportunity, reflective reports at regular intervals during the work period, a work term evaluation, and a final work term assignment (which may have different formats depending on the student’s program). Employers will also be asked to submit a final evaluation of the student’s progress and performance. Students must receive a satisfactory on all components to get course credit, a final mark of CR.  Students who do not complete the final project, or who quit or have been terminated from their work term position, will receive an NCR. 

Submission of a formal written work term report allows students to demonstrate the learning that has taken place during a work term and for the institution to evaluate such learning. A formal written work term report is a requirement for CEWIL program accreditation.  

Completion of the INT courses (the work terms) is required for students to be eligible to graduate from the ASIP stream of their program, but the courses carry zero academic weight and do not count towards the 20 credits required for graduation.

The ASIP team will regularly connect with employers across a wide variety of sectors and industries to develop work term opportunities. Job opportunities will be posted on the ASIP job board. Students are also strongly encouraged to search for positions independently to increase their chances of success.  

Once accepted into the ASIP stream, the Experiential Learning & Outreach Support office will provide participating international students with a letter stating that the intended employment through the ASIP stream is an essential part of their program. This letter is required for your co-op or intern work permit application. It is each student’s responsibility to apply for their co-op or intern work permit as soon as possible after receiving acceptance into the ASIP stream. The processing time to receive the work permit can take in excess of 180 days and students will not be able to begin their first work term without their co-op or intern work permit. The Immigration Advisors at the Centre for International Experience are available to advise students on their work permit applications.  

No. Work-study students work part-time (an average of 8 hours/week), on campus and continue with their academic studies while working. Work-study positions are a maximum of 100 hours for the Summer term and 200 hours for the Fall/Winter term. ASIP work terms will be full-time (at least 35 hours/week) immersive opportunities, and students must complete a minimum of 420 hours or 12 weeks of work per 4-month term. Students may work on or off campus and are limited to the number of academic courses they can take while participating in an ASIP work term (a maximum of one 0.5 credit course per term and only with prior approval from their employer and the Experiential Learning & Outreach Support office). Both work-study and ASIP opportunities are paid. 

Yes, students participating in a work term will be considered full-time.

Yes, you must maintain full-time status for Fall/Winter sessions to remain enrolled in the ASIP stream of your program. Students with part-time status may remain enrolled in the ASIP stream of their program if they have received accommodation from the University.

A student enrolled in 3.0 credits or more in the Fall/Winter Session is considered full-time. 

Students must stay in good academic standing or on probation to remain in the ASIP stream. Further details can be found in the Academic Calendar. 

Students must be enrolled in an eligible program to participate in the ASIP stream. Students who transfer to a program not included on the list of eligible programs must exit the ASIP stream.

The professional development courses are in addition to your academic requirements and should not impact your selection of courses and do not count towards the maximum credit load. 

No. The ASIP work term structure has been set up so as to not impact the scheduling of academic courses. You will take one full year away from full-time academic studies to pursue your work term opportunities, and then continue with your regular course load in your fifth year.  

Students may elect to withdraw from the ASIP stream of their program at any time and return to the non-ASIP stream with no academic penalty. Professional Development courses and work terms completed up until that point will be reported on the student’s transcript. Any ASIP fees already incurred are non-reimbursable (the full fee refund schedule is available on the Office of Student Accounts website).

A student may be removed from the ASIP stream at any time for reasons of: 

1) Professional misconduct. Professional misconduct includes: 

• 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.   

A student required to withdraw from the ASIP stream of their program of study due to professional misconduct will have the option to appeal the decision. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and can include consideration through the Experiential Learning & Outreach Support Office, the Offices of the Associate Dean, Student Affairs, Vice-Dean, Undergraduate, and relevant representation from academic programs and registrars’ offices. 

2) Academic misconduct, as defined by the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. Instances of academic misconduct will be addressed through the Faculty’s established processes and procedures. 

 3) A student receives a No Credit (NCR) grade on either the professional development or work term courses.

Students will pay part-time student incidental fees while on ASIP work terms. This will allow continued access to student services, including health insurance.

Yes. The ASIP fee is a program fee paid over six (6) instalments and reflects the full cost of running the program. Work-term fees are mandatory regardless of how you go about finding a placement.

No. Students will not be required to pay tuition while on a work term unless they choose to take the maximum allowable one 0.5 credit course, in which case they would pay the individual course fee.

Students will only be required to pay the two final ancillary fees if they secure a work term between Year 3 and 5. Any requests for refunds of ancillary fees for the PDC and INT courses will be regulated by the Faculty of Arts & Science refund schedule, available on the Office of Student Accounts website. Fees will be refunded according to the refund schedule only after the course is cancelled. Students must formally withdraw from the ASIP stream of their program to avoid additional charges.

Significant resources are required to run a quality co-op internship program. Student Development staff lead the professional development curriculum and help students to prepare for their work term opportunities. Business Development staff work to curate new work term opportunities for students through attending events, trade shows, professional organizations, connecting with alumni, and holding one on one meetings with individual employers. ASIP Coordinator staff maintain relationships with employers, help students in their job search, and support students during their work terms. Operations staff manage the day-to-day administrative work of running the program, including posting positions, coordinating interviews, tracking student progress, enrolling students in appropriate work term courses, facilitating the admission process, data reporting and analysis, etc.

The total cost of participating in the program is spread out over six (6) instalments. We commit to doing everything we can to keep program costs at a minimum while building a quality program with high student success.

No. The Professional Development courses are graded as CR/NCR and do not count toward your CGPA.

Completion of the four Professional Development courses (PDC220H1/PDC221H1/PDC320H1/PDC321H1) is required for students to be eligible to graduate from the ASIP stream of their program, but the courses carry zero academic weight and do not count towards the 20 credits required for graduation.

No. The CR/NCR grading scheme for the Professional Development courses does not contribute to the 2.0 credit limit for you to select the CR/NCR option for courses.

The Professional Development courses must be taken in addition to your other academic requirements. The Professional Development courses are designed to be supportive and not to hinder students’ academic progress. In terms of time commitment, there will be 1.5-2 hours of course content per week, plus approximately 30 minutes per week of additional work outside of class. Students will also need to put significant effort into applying to jobs, interviewing for positions etc., and the courses will help support students through that process.

Students will progress through a series of Professional Development courses that will enable them to make the most of their journey through the program, including preparing a personalized career and work plan, providing tools and training to increase their chances of success in the recruitment cycle, and learning workplace rights, responsibilities, and program guidelines/requirements.

Students will also participate in a series of foundational skill development courses that will provide training in skills identified by employers as essential for workplace success in the evolving world of work. Students will be able to select from a series of modules depending on their own unique needs and career plans. Progress through these courses will be assessed through participation, completion of a series of development exercises and personal assessments, building personal learning goals and development plans, and reflection exercises.

Yes, students were actively consulted as we developed the new program. Focus groups, surveys and one-on-one consultations were held from December 2019 to February 2020 with student representatives from the A&S First Year Foundation Council, A&S Student Union, Recognized Study Group Student Leaders and individual students. Additional consultations about ASIP were held with the A&S Student Union executive, Student Union Representatives and Department of Computer Science Student Ambassadors in 2020. 

As ASIP continues to grow and evolve we will continue to actively solicit student input and make regular program modifications to improve the student experience. We will also be hiring students to support our programming and launching a Peer Mentorship Program once the program is established.  

Leaders of academic programs interested in allowing students from their programs of study to participate in ASIP should connect directly with Vicki Lowes, Director, Experiential Learning & Outreach Support, at vicki.lowes@utoronto.ca. 

The A&S 2020-25 Academic Plan calls for an ambitious plan to expand experiential learning (EL) opportunities available to undergraduate students across all A&S disciplines, with a goal for every A&S student to have the opportunity to participate in at least one high-quality, academically-linked EL opportunity prior to graduation.  The Faculty has also pledged to introduce supports and programming to help prepare students for meaningful engagement in these EL opportunities and to address barriers to participation.

The A&S 2020-25 Academic Plan supports the President’s Three Institutional Priorities of reinventing undergraduate education to better prepare students for lifelong success in the labour market, deepening relationships with local partners in the public, private and non-profit sectors and increasing opportunities for international student mobility.

It also aligns with the University of Toronto’s White Paper, “Rethinking Higher Education Curricula: Increasing Impact Through Experiential, Work-Integrated, and Community-Engaged Learning”, which called for an expansion of all types of EL to enhance both the student learning experience and the University’s ability to support broader community and societal needs. Development of ASIP is just one step towards our efforts to expand EL opportunities available to A&S students and to meet the Faculty’s goals. 

There have been increasing calls from A&S students to grow co-op internship opportunities and to develop student development programming and job opportunities that meet the needs of students from a wide range of disciplines. We strive to meet the needs of these students through the development of ASIP. ASIP will provide customized support, training and business development for sciences, social sciences and humanities students from A&S.    

ASIP was designed to meet or exceed the quality and accreditation criteria established by Cooperative Education & Work Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada. CEWIL requires:

The program includes alternating periods of academic study with periods of work experience in appropriate fields of business, industry, government, social services and the professions in accordance with the following criteria: 

1. Each work term is developed in partnership with the employer and approved by the co-operative education program as a suitable learning environment; 

2. The student is engaged in productive work for which the student receives remuneration; 

3. The co-op curriculum supports student learning goals, personal evaluation and reflection; 

4. The student's performance in the workplace is supervised and evaluated by the student's employer; 

5. The student's progress during their work term is monitored by the co-operative education program; 

6. Both work and academic terms are full-time and follow a formalized sequence. The total amount of co-op work experience is normally at least 30% of the time spent in academic study. A work term is defined as a minimum of 12 weeks and/or 420 hours full-time paid experience; 

7. Co-op programs begin and end on an academic term; 

8. The student completing multiple work terms is normally exposed to the work environment during more than one season of the year. 

No. A&S students entering their first year of studies at U of T in Fall 2020 and beyond will no longer have access to PEY Co-op.

PEY Co-op is transitioning to a new co-op programming model. Faculty of Arts & Science students from eligible programs who were in their third year of study during the 2021-2022 academic year were eligible to participate in the outgoing version of the PEY Co-op. Eligibility requirements for PEY Co-op can be found on the U of T Engineering website.

Yes, students may participate in work-study positions when they are not on a work term.

Yes. The time to degree completion for students enrolled in ASIP is normally 5 years.

As per CEWIL Accreditation requirements, students must return to full-time studies after completing their work term requirements. Students returning for only one term must be enrolled in at least 1.5 credits in that term.

The addition of ASIP to any new programs must first be approved through the university governance review process. Unfortunately, we are only able to admit students from the list of eligible programs. Our hope is to grow ASIP to include additional academic programs each year, pending academic unit consultations and labour market assessment, with thoughtful and progressive growth envisioned with each subsequent Fall term.

In the first few years of launching ASIP, we expect to admit approximately 450 students across all eligible academic programs. Given the significant costs to students to participate in the ASIP stream, our intention is to closely control enrolment numbers until we can demonstrate a high success rate for students. In subsequent years, as we grow our network of employers and work term opportunities, we hope to open the program to a greater number of students and programs.

Students who complete all ASIP stream requirements will graduate from the ASIP stream of their program of study. This will be identified on their transcript with the notation “A&S Internship Program”.

The ASIP program is administered by the Faculty of Arts & Science Experiential Learning & Outreach Support Office and operates out of a purpose-built co-op/internship space, the Experiential Learning Commons, at 255 Beverley St.

The Experiential Learning Commons houses both the Engineering PEY Co-op and ASIP teams, along with the Employer Relations Team from the Division of Student Life. It features 16 interview rooms, workshop space, event space for hosting employer partners and student consultation rooms.

The 255 Beverley St. location is a flagship space on the St. George campus for professional development activities for students and for welcoming our employer partners. In joining together in one physical location, we aim to provide a seamless experience for employers recruiting students on the St. George campus. It also allows us to share front office staff and ongoing operating expenses to minimize program costs for students.