At the beginning of each academic term, students are asked to update their resumes and begin seeking employment for the following work term. The co-op program is mandatory upon admission to the SFU Engineering program. The co-op program offers a unique opportunity for students to apply their learned theoretical skills in the real world, and to further learn practical knowledge in those industries. As well, it is indeed an excellent way to establish contacts in industry. Most of our co-op students are placed in the Greater Vancouver area, but we encourage students to accept opportunities in other regions, such as Ontario.
Many students also find work in other countries such as Germany or Japan.
The genres of jobs that graduates get varies greatly, but most fall within the categories of software programming or hardware design. Our strong entrepreneurial encouragement has led to some managerial positions, and several graduates have even initiated their own businesses.