Frequently Asked Questions

Our undergraduate and graduate students represent a variety of academic disciplines in the most diverse faculty at UBC.

Undergraduate students come from a combined 40+ majors across the BA, BFA, and BMus degree programs, including the social sciences, humanities, and creative and performing arts. There are also students who specialize in the Bachelor of International Economics and the Bachelor of Media Studies.

For skills and expertise at the graduate level, you can hire co-op students from several programs: UBC iSchool, Master of Public Policy & Global Affairs, MA English and History, and various PhD programs.

Hiring a UBC Arts Co-op student is a great way to expand your workforce for special projects or peak periods.

99% of our employers would recommend our program to other organizations in their field and would also hire another student from us in the future.

We pre-screen candidates, so you have access to consistently high quality applications. We prepare students for workplace success with the most rigorous selection process and intensive pre-employment training of any co-op program in BC.

See our top 5 reasons to hire a UBC Arts Co-op student.

  • Students are available starting in January, May, and September each year.
  • Hiring begins up to four months before the start date.
  • Posting early gets you access to the biggest pool of available candidates.
Start DatePost Your Job
JanuarySeptember-December
MayJanuary-April
SeptemberMay-August

Job postings must be for full time, paid work experiences that are 1 or 2 work terms in duration (normally 4 or 8 months).

Each work term must be a minimum 420 hours over the course of 12-16 weeks and fall within the standard academic term (i.e., January-April, May-August, or September-December)

Students must be hired as an employee of the organization and be placed on payroll. You cannot hire a student as an independent contractor.

You can reach out to students directly to schedule interviews, making sure to also let us know which students you've shortlisted.

If you need additional support, we can also help arrange these interviews on your behalf.

Hiring a student takes 4 steps:

  1. Post a Job: Sign into Symplicity, our recruitment portal, to create and post your co-op position.
  2. Review Applications: We’ll email you a package of shortlisted applicants for you to review.
  3. Interview Students: You can reach out to students directly to schedule interviews, making sure to also let us know which students you've shortlisted. If you need additional support, we can also help arrange these interviews on your behalf.
  4. Make an Offer: Select a candidate and we’ll assist with making the offer.

It's up to co-op employers to determine their student salaries and to ensure that they are at or above minimum wage for the jurisdiction where the student is working.

To help attract candidates, we encourage employers to offer salaries that are competitive for the industry, role, experience and skills required, and degree level.

For reference, below are average Arts Co-op student salaries. If you'd like advice on a competitive salary for your specific co-op opportunity, please contact us.

Average Monthly Salaries by Sector 2022/23*:

SectorUndergraduate Co-opGraduate Co-op
Public$3,303$3,646
Non-Profit$2,909$3,639
Private Business$3,561$3,986
* Based on 35 hours per week

Beginning November 1, 2023, all employers in British Columbia must include the expected pay or pay range for jobs that they advertise publicly. This includes opportunities posted with the UBC Arts Co-op Program.

The requirement also "applies to jobs advertised in other jurisdictions if the position is open to B.C. residents and may ever be filled by someone living in B.C., either in-person or remotely."

The Pay Transparency Act will help address the gender pay gap that "disproportionately impacts Indigenous women, women of colour, and immigrant women, as well as women with disabilities and non-binary people."

A well-crafted and inviting job description with pay information will help you attract more applicants. If you have questions, please contact RJ Jose, our Manager, Business Development.

Yes, visit our funding resources page to learn about how you can access subsidies and grants.

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