The opportunity to participate in a co-operative education program with the academic rigor of PARM can provide a unique and rich experience for students enrolled in this program. The reality is, that, although a number of undergraduate and graduate programs offer co-op, it is rare that you will find the opportunity to include co-op in a graduate program with a multidisciplinary focus such as PARM.
Simply put, co-operative education is a component of academic study that involves students completing work placements, which are temporary but full-time in terms of scope, for the period of employment. These work placements involve the students working at a job where the role and tasks are related to the program of study. The work placement typically takes place either between academic terms and/or upon completion of all course work. The length of time for the co-op placement is typically the length of a full academic term of study, which is longer than what is typically experienced with a summer internship.
Co-op, while an optional part of the PARM program, can provide many benefits to the student experience, namely:
- Direct and practical experience related to the field of study (data science)
- Exposure and development of various skills and competencies, and the acquisition of knowledge that is separate from academic course work
- The opportunity to be paid a full-time salary during, or shortly after, completion of the program
- A possible change of location to a work placement unique and different from the campus experience
- The ability to network in the industry by making key professional contacts as a result of the co-op placement
The combination of PARM with co-op has the potential to provide the most complete and rewarding experience for students seeking a graduate program in data science and predictive analytlcs.
If you are curious to know more, get in touch with our team at the following link and we can answer all your questions.