The UBC Arts Co-op Program offers undergraduate and graduate students in the Faculty of Arts enriched educational experiences for personal and professional growth.
We work closely with employers and community partners from around the world to provide unique workplace learning opportunities in industries related to your studies.
Located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, we are a community of faculty members, students, and support staff, all working together to support each students’ career growth.
Since our program’s inception
7,958 work terms
$75.2 M student earnings
609 work terms abroad
44 countries where students have worked
years and counting
Our Mission
The UBC Arts Co-op Program offers students enriched educational experiences for personal and professional growth by working with diverse community partners and sectors to provide transformative workplace learning. The UBC Arts Co-op Program aims to:
- Provide students with opportunities for career exploration, and support their diversification of experience and skill sets
- Develop skilled professionals who can strengthen the workforce in new and innovative ways
- Enable students to be engaged citizens who contribute positively to a global society
- Build student capacity for leadership
- Foster student and alumni connections to UBC as well as the local and international communities
Values
Student Centred
Student experience is at the heart of all we do. We meet each student where they are in their career journey, recognizing and supporting each person’s strengths and aspirations.
Community
We nurture inclusive, caring, respectful communities in which students, employers, alumni, staff and faculty feel that they belong, connect and thrive.
Growth
We support our community to develop mindsets that intentionally build a foundation for continuous learning and growth.
Excellence
We are committed to continually evaluating and improving our work with integrity, transparency and innovation.
Joy
We foster an approach that helps individuals find joy, meaning and fulfillment in their work.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
The UBC Arts Co-op Program welcomes, respects, and includes students with multiple and diverse backgrounds and identities, and seeks partnerships with workplaces that empower all members of the community.
Our Roots
The UBC Arts Co-op Program started as a pilot program for students in the Department of English. As a result of the growth and success over the past 20+ years, our program is thriving and includes students across all undergraduate disciplines within the Faculty of Arts. We also offer graduate co-op programs in the UBC iSchool (Library, Archival, and Information Studies), Masters of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA), and select MA and PhD programs.
