UBC Science Co-op has over 2500 students available for full-time paid work terms each year. Some of our students already have technical work experience. Explore our disciplines below.
Undergraduate students in Computer Science learn the fundamentals of programming constructs, models, and design before taking a Co-op position. Required courses integrate core computational and mathematical concepts giving the students an excellent base for learning and applying technical skills in your company. These students are passionate about computers and are eager to learn and contribute their knowledge and ideas to your team.
Sample Student Skills
- Software design, development and programming
- Webpage design and maintenance
- Database design
- Graphical User Interface development
- Statistical software packages and analysis
- Data cleaning, data manipulation
- Data summary, graphical displays
- Exploratory data analysis
- Statistical modelling and inference
- Modern statistical methods, statistical computing
- R/SAS programming
- Biostatistics
Individual Disciplines
One of the most competitive engineering programs at UBC, Engineering Physics prepares students for both R&D and traditional engineering positions. The unique five-year program provides comprehensive training in engineering along with a strong foundation in mathematics, physics and applied technologies. The program also provides hands-on experience to our students via instrument design (Robotics Competition) and project labs to prepare them for solving challenging technical problems in the workplace. Some students have won recognition for their outstanding extra-curricular accomplishments.
Engineering Physics students are well integrated into industries like aerospace, alternative energy research, robotics and automation, nanotechnology, electronics, optics and photonics, biotechnology, and software development. By understanding the theory behind new ideas, students play a critical role in the process of taking new ideas from concept to application.
Sample Student Skills
- Mechanical and electrical design
- Robotics and automation
- Automotive design and manufacturing
- Analog, digital and integrated circuits
- Software development and database development
- Product development and testing, data collection and analysis
- Prototyping and design
- Electronic assembly, testing and debugging
- Conducting laboratory experiments and instrument design
- C, Python, AutoCad, C++, Java, SQL
- Oscilloscopes, Multimeters, and other electrical engineering tools
- Solid understanding of engineering principles, standards and best practices
Individual Disciplines
UBC Land and Food Systems Co-op students are based out of a faculty that is a leader in integrated research and education on global issues surrounding human health, sustainable food supplies, and the responsible use of finite land and water resources. The program has a large number of students focused on gaining a broad education in food science, nutrition and marketing.
Sample Student Skills
- Conducting shelf life studies
- Preparing and extracting samples using a variety of techniques
- Performing basic laboratory skills used for microbial and chemical analysis
- Developing nutritional labeling and content information for a product line
- Assisting in conducting process flow charting and production flow evaluations
- Bacterial isolation and identification
- Product development
- Food analysis
- HACCP analysis
- Familiarity with regulations and labeling requirements
- Developing, implementing and maintaining quality assurance programs
Individual Disciplines
UBC Science Co-op students in Life Sciences provide assistance in clinical and laboratory research data analysis positions in both public and private sectors across Canada and internationally.
Sample Student Skills
- Molecular Biology: DNA/RNA isolation, PCR, gel electrophoresis, Southern transfers and DNA hybridization
- Protein Biochemistry: ELISA, SDS-PAGE, Western blot
- Cell Biology: Aseptic technique, mammalian and bacterial cell culture, cell counting, introduction to flow cytometry, fluorescence staining and imaging, microscopy, transformation and transfection
- Bioinformatic and Statistical Analysis
- Field Work: data collection and sampling
- Clinical Research Skills (experienced co-op students): chart reviews, ethics application creation, protocol development, patient recruitment, delivery of informed consent, survey administration
- Literature review, data collection, data analysis
Sample Job Titles
- Research Assistant
- Data Entry Assistant
- QA technician
Sample Employers
- Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
- Amgen British Columbia Inc.
- BC Cancer Research Centre
- Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre
- St. Paul’s Hospital
Individual Disciplines
Students from these programs have solid backgrounds in electronics optics, quantum mechanics, thermal physics, particle physics and biophysics.
Sample Student Skills
- Matlab, Python
- Data analysis using Excel and Maple
- Basic electronic skills, circuit design, and use of equipment like oscilloscopes, digital multimetres, and function generators
- Honours Electrical Laboratory
- Electricity and Magnetism
- Optics
- Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
- Thermal Physics
- Complex Variables
- Differential Equations
Individual Disciplines
UBC's Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS) is a dynamic, interdisciplinary department where basic sciences of physics, chemistry, geology, mathematics, computing and biology are applied to understand how the Earth and planets work. Students are gaining the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for addressing challenges and opportunities related to resource and water exploration or management; climate change; coastal, mountain and other natural hazards; ocean systems; and more. Research disciplines encompass geological sciences, geophysics, geological engineering, hydrogeology, and oceanography, as well as atmospheric, environmental and planetary sciences. Programs of study are integrated and flexible. The Science Co-op program partners our successful, energetic students with the requirements of employer to ensure the job gets done well.
Co-op students put theory into practice through relevant, full-time and paid Co-op opportunities with industry, government and non-profit organizations locally, nationally, and throughout the world.
Degree Specializations
Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
- Atmospheric Sciences
- Geophysics
- Oceanography
Sample Student Skills
There is a wide variety of possible job types, at levels of independance and sophistication depending on senority and experience. Examples include:
- Contribute towards measurement, instrument placement, sampling, drilling, river/stream flow and other field programs
- Data wrangling, plotting, and analysis. Students' programming skills are mainly Python-based
- Assist with laboratory work involving water, rocks, minerals, or other chemical processes
- Support geologic mapping activities, including making cross sections and strategraphic sections
- Assist in petrographic analysis, including identification of hand samples and thin sections of common rocks & minerals
- Mineral inventories and core logging
- Generate background research based on public domain, library or proprietary references
- Customer, partner or public engagement for market research, collaboration or education
Individual Disciplines
UBC Science Co-op Students in Environmental Sciences concentrate on understanding the major environmental issues facing human societies and adopt an integrative cross-disciplinary approach to the study of these issues.
Environmental Sciences
- Ecology & Conservation
- Land, Air and Water
Geographical Sciences
- Biogeography
- Climatology
- Geograpic Information Science
- Geomorphology
- Hydrology
Sample Student Skills
There is a wide variety of possible job types, at levels of independence and sophistication depending on senority and experience. Examples include:
- Contribute towards measurements, instrument placement, sampling, drilling, river/stream flow and other field programs
- Data wrangling, plotting and analysis. Student's programming skills are mainly Python-based
- Assist with laboratory work involving water, rocks, minerals, or other chemical processes
- Support geologic mapping activities, including making cross sections and stratigraphic sections
- Assist in petrographic analysis, including identification of hand samples and thin sections of common rocks and minerals
- Mineral inventories and core logging
- Generate background research based on public domain, library, or proprietary references
- Customer, partner or public engagement for market research, collaboration or education