Enhancing your Career-Personal & Professional Effectiveness

Two credits · Undergraduate

This seminar lays discusses career development. Students discover the skills they need for future employability. Through career management strategies, students will establish goals that will enable them to achieve their career goals and develop career resiliency. Topics covered include career development, self-assessment, reflection, and mission statements. Students will also be introduced to the electronic portfolio development process and the important role it can play in the career development process. Pass/fail. No credit. COOP 410-430 Co-operative Education Work Terms Co-op work terms parlay professional development theory and academic knowledge into practice in employment that is related to student’s degree program. While on work term, the co-op program staff and the student’s supervisor will monitor and evaluate the student’s progress. Students will document their work term learning objectives, participate in a work site evaluation by the Co-op staff, submit formal performance evaluation and write a reflective essay. Co-op work terms are paid and are full time hours (minimum 35 hrs/wk). Pass/fail. Two credits each. Note: Students will pay their co-op fee and the equivalent two credit tuition for each work term. Co-op Education in Graduate Studies Co-op Education is an option for students enrolled in the Master of Applied Computer Science (MACS). Admission to the Co-op Education program is based on the academic requirements of the MACS program and is a direct entry program. Students should be aware that the workload associated with a Masters-level degree requires additional time and effort than an undergraduate program. Admission and Progression Students will confirm their status in the Co-op program in September of their first year. The Co-op Office will notify new students of the confirm co-op status process in August. Students will have to confirm co-op status before add/drop date in September. Students’ degree programs and registration will be monitored, and academic averages will be assessed by term (December and April) and annually to determine eligibility to continue in the program. For continuation in the Co-op Education program, MACS students must achieve a passing grade of 70% in their academic courses, be actively engaged with the Co-op Education program, and be registered in and complete a minimum of nine MACS credits (three courses) per term while completing co-op requirements. If a student doesn’t maintain a passing grade and/or the number of credits per term, they will be removed from the Co-op Program and if they have secured a work term, they will become ineligible to continue the work term as a co-op student. The student will need to notify their co-op employer within 24 hours that they are no longer a co-op student. The employer can retain the student but if the employer is using a co-op funding program (i.e. CEI NS Gov), the student is not eligible to continue with a funded co-op work term. PD Training MACS students will complete their professional development training within the fall semester of starting the co-op education program. The professional development training assist students’ success within the program and their future work term. Students must successfully complete mandatory professional development training to be eligible for co-op work terms. Participation in the cooperative education program is voluntary, obtaining a cooperative education work assignment is competitive, and students are not guaranteed a co-op education work placement. MACS students complete eight months of work. Each work term for MACS students is three credits (six credits total) which are included in the 36 credits students need to complete for degree requirements. While on work term, students will be charged their co-op fee and the equivalent of three credits tuition. MACS students will complete work terms in the summer and fall which begin in the summer after the first year (this is the only option for work term sequencing). All work placements must be approved by the co-op office in advance. Failure to obtain the required approval of the work term from the co-op office may result in the work term not counting towards the program. After students complete their eight months of work experience, they return to StFX to complete their academic studies and COOP 530. Students are not permitted to finish their degree while on a co-op work term. During the work term, students complete mandatory work term assignments and are monitored/evaluated by the Co-op Program staff and their direct reporting manager at the workplace. To complete a work term successfully, Co-op students must obtain at least a satisfactory grade on their performance evaluation and complete all co-op assignments with quality and be submitted on time. For some work terms, students must provide the employer a confirmation of enrolment letter. Students may request the letter through Services@StFX. In the comments section of this form, indicate you are enrolled in the Co-op program. Co-op students should not use the confirmation of enrolment letter available in myData. The co-op work permit is required for international students to go on co-op work term and can be obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In order to obtain a co-op work permit, students must have a valid study permit and be enrolled in the StFX Co-op Education program. Students should be aware that work permit processing timelines could be lengthy (6-8 months). If a student has not submitted their co-op work permit application by the date indicated by the Co-op Education program or obtained a valid co-op work permit, the student will not be able to participate in the co-op job search. Withdrawing from Co-op Students may withdraw from the co-op education program by completing the online withdrawal form found on the co-op education program Moodle page. There will be no refund of fees collected for professional development seminars or work terms completed prior to the date of withdrawal. For students who withdraw before a PDS session, normal refunding rules will apply. Students will not be permitted to withdraw from the co-op program once they have accepted a co-op position whether they have registered for the work term course or not. The student must successfully complete the work term and the necessary work term assignments to receive a pass for the work term. The process to withdraw the student from Co-op Program will take place after the final grade has been entered for the work term. Co-op Completion Students who successfully complete all co-op requirements and all academic requirements for their degrees will receive a certificate of completion with their degree parchment. In addition, a co-operative education designation will be displayed in the degree awarded section of their official transcript. Co-op Education in Post-baccalaureate Diploma Studies Co-op Education is an option for students enrolled in the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Enterprise IT Management (PB DIP ENITM), Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Business Studies (PB DIP BUS), Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Data Science, Post- Baccalaureate Diploma in Digital Marketing (PB DIP DM), Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Accounting Studies, and Post- Baccalaureate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence (PBD AI). Admission and Progression Admission to the Co-op Education program is based on the academic requirements of the PBD programs and is a direct entry program. Students will provide the Co-op office with a decision regarding their participation in the Co-op program. The decision will be finalized before the posted add/drop course dates outlined in the academic calendar. Students will confirm their decision to complete Co-op in the same month that they started their first-year classes. For PBD programs that have two intakes of students per year (September and January) students who start their academic program in January will be eligible to apply to Co-op in September of the same year that they started their academic program. January intake students should reach out to the Co-op Office to discuss the process. Students’ degree programs and registration will be monitored, and academic averages will be assessed by term and annually to determine eligibility to continue in the program. For continuation in the Co-op Education program, PBD students must achieve a passing grade of 60% in their academic courses, be actively engaged with the Co-op Education program, and be registered in and complete a minimum of 12 credits (4 courses) per term while completing co-op requirements. If a student doesn’t maintain a passing grade of 60% in all academic courses, and the number of credits per term, they will be removed from the Co-op Program and if they have secured a work term, they will become ineligible to continue the work term as a co-op student. The student will need to notify their co-op employer within 24 hours that they are no longer a co-op student. The employer can retain the student but if the employer is using a co-op funding program (i.e. CEI NS Gov), the student is not eligible to continue with a funded co-op work term. PD Training PBD September students will complete their professional development training within the fall semester of starting the co-op education program. PBD January start students will be eligible to enroll/start the Co-op program in September of the same year that they started their academic program. The professional development training assist students’ success within the program and their work term. Students must successfully complete mandatory professional development training to be eligible for co-op work terms. Work Term Participation in the cooperative education program is voluntary, obtaining a cooperative education work term is competitive, and students are not guaranteed a cooperative education work placement. PBD students complete four months of work in the summer between first and second year (this is the only option for work term sequencing). The work term is three credits which is included in the 48/60 for students in the PBD in Enterprise IT Management, Digital Marketing, Business Studies and Data Science credits students need to complete for diploma requirements. For students in the PBD in AI and PBD in Accounting Studies, the three credits is considered additive credit to the 48 credits students need to complete for diploma requirements. While on work term, students will be charged their co-op fee and the equivalent of three credits tuition plus associated fees. The work term must be approved by the co-op office in advance. Failure to obtain the required approval of the work term from the co-op office may result in the work term not counting towards the program. After students complete their four months of work experience, they return to StFX to complete their academic studies and COOP 451. Students are not permitted to finish their degree while on a co-op work experience. During the work term, students complete mandatory work term assignments and are monitored/evaluated by the Co-op Program staff and their direct reporting manager at the workplace. To complete a work term successfully, Co-op students must obtain at least a satisfactory grade on their performance evaluation and complete all co-op assignments with quality and be submitted on time. For some work terms, students will be required to provide the employer a confirmation of enrollment letter. Students may request the letter through Services@StFX. In the comments section of this form, indicate you are enrolled in the Co-op program. Co-op students should not use the confirmation of enrollment letter available in myData. The co-op work permit is required for international students to go on co-op work term and can be obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In order to obtain a co-op work permit, students must have a valid study permit and be enrolled in the StFX Co-op Education program. Students should be aware that work permit processing timelines could be lengthy (6-8 months). If you have not submitted your co-op work permit application by the date indicated by the Co-op Education program or obtained a valid co-op work permit, you will not be able to participate in the co-op job search. Withdrawing from Co-op Students may withdraw from the co-op education program by completing the online withdrawal form found on the co-op education program Moodle page. There will be no refund on fees collected for professional development seminars or work terms completed prior to the date of withdrawal. For students who withdraw during a PDS session, normal refunding will apply. Students will not be permitted to withdraw from the co-op program once they have accepted a co-op position whether they have registered for the work term course or not. The student must successfully complete the work term and the necessary work term assignments to receive a pass for the work term. The process to withdraw the student from Co-op Program will take place after the final grade has been entered for the work term. Students who successfully complete all co-op requirements and all academic requirements for their degrees will receive a certificate of completion with their degree parchment. In addition, a co-operative education designation will be displayed in the degree awarded section of their official transcript. MACS Co-op students will complete the following co-op courses. Attendance is mandatory for co-op courses.