National accreditation of its graduate-level co-operative education programs demonstrates that the University of Windsor meets the highest standards, says Kristen Morris, manager of co-operative education and workplace partnerships.

Accreditation by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada required a review of all aspects of co-operative education, from job readiness programming, administration of the program, employment rates and approval process, monitoring of the work site, and assessment post work term.

In addition to the initial accreditation of the eight master’s programs in computer science and engineering, the University received re-accreditation of 24 undergraduate programs in business, engineering, human kinetics, and science disciplines.

“Achieving accreditation is important to our team and the University. It lets our students and employer partners know that our co-op programs uphold high standards,” Morris says. “We are proud to share this news with our faculty partners, our employer partners, and of course our students.”

Co-operative education, within the Office of Experiential Learning, sees students alternate between periods of work and study, affording them the opportunity to put their classroom learning into practice and gain valuable industry experience.

Provost Douglas Kneale noted the key role community employers play in providing unique experiential learning opportunities: “If students want to get a leg up on their career readiness, the University of Windsor has the co-op ladder to get you there.”

Find more information, including a full list of accredited programs, on the UWindsor co-op website.