Information for Co-op Employers

• About Faculty of Computer Science Co-op
• How to choose your Student Employee
• Important Dates (links to Students page)
• Employer Responsibilities
• Salaries

 

About Faculty of Computer Science Co-op

The Faculty of Computer Science's co-operative education program offers students for four, eight, 12 or 16-month work terms. Students are available year round, with work terms beginning in January, May or September.

Undergraduate students require four work terms, each four months long, to complete the co-op program. Masters students require two four-month work terms.

Why hire a UNB computer science student?

• Undergraduate and graduate students available year-round
• Co-op students may release regular employees for higher-level tasks
• Co-op students often accept full-time employment with the co-op employer
• Lower labour costs for co-op students than for full-time employees
• Co-op provides a valuable link between the needs of the industry and the resources of the university

 

How to choose your Student Employee

The process of hiring a student begins three months before their scheduled work term. The coordinator for the co-op program will assist in matching students with employers in a fair and equitable manner. The sequence of events leading to the filling of a position is:

1. Develop a job description
2. Create an account in the co-op system and submit job postings.
3. Review student applications in co-op system
4. Select applicants for interview using co-op system
5. Schedule interviews with co-op assistant
6. Rank candidates in order of preference using the co-op system
7. Co-op staff places students in jobs according to rankings and other program criteria
8. Co-op staff confirms match with each employer who emails offer letter to co-op office
9. Student accepts offer
10. "Second round" interviews are used to quickly place any remaining unplaced students in jobs.

 

Employer Responsibilities

These are reasonable requirements which one might expect. Employers will observe normal legal hiring practices. In a few instances students may need assistance in locating accommodations. Employers are expected to provide a suitable introduction to the work environment for the student and to offer appropriate on-the-job supervision throughout the term.

Supervisors are asked to initial students' professional log sheets at the end of their work term. A copy of the student evaluation is to be given to the student by the employer and is discussed at an exit interview.

 

Salaries

The figures below indicate average salaries paid to UNB undergraduate and graduate computer science co-op students from January - December 2024.

Work term	W1	W2	W3	W4	W5	W6
Undergraduate salaries	21.00	22.00	23.00	24.00	24.00	24.50
Graduate salaries	25.00	26.00

It should be remembered that UNB students in some circumstances will undoubtedly require salaries higher than the average. Students are advised to consider many factors along with salary in judging the attractiveness of jobs; these factors will include: location, nature of work, skills required, exposure to advanced technology, dress codes, living accommodations, opportunity to travel, personal career development and other relevant topics. Clearly there will be justifiable reasons for specific salaries to be appreciably higher (or lower) than the average.