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Co-op Placements

Co-op placements are becoming increasingly popular. In the Public Policy and Administration MA program, full-time students can earn one course credit on a Pass/Fail basis for a co-op placement through enrolment in PA8213 Co-op Placement.

Co-op placements provide opportunities for full-time, non-practitioner students to earn academic credit for relevant work experience, normally outside the university. They must be related to public policy and administration and to the student’s learning objectives in the program. Co-op placements offer students the opportunity to link theory with practice, to develop policy related core competency skills, to learn about professional practices in organizations in the field of public policy and administration, to develop their professional network and to gain appropriate work experience. It is normally completed during one term, usually in the Spring/Summer term with the Co-op Placement Report deadline on or before the last day of classes for that term. The Faculty Supervisor, a member of the Public Policy and Administration program, is the Instructor for the course for that student and assigns the grade for the work. The Co-op Supervisor is the on-site person who is in charge of the student’s activities and obligations in the co-op placement.

Aside from gaining “hands on” experience, placements provide networking and mentoring opportunities. Our students have held placements in a wide variety of organizations within government, the nonprofit and private sectors. The following are some of the organizations where MPPA students have completed co-op placements:

  • Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto
  • Alzheimer’s Society in Ontario
  • Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health
  • Citizenship and Immigration, Canada
  • City of Toronto (various departments)
  • Daughters and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities (Thailand)
  • Department of Employment and Social Development Canada
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada
  • Department of Justice, Canada
  • Heritage, Canada
  • Institute of Public Administration of Canada
  • Michener Institute
  • Mid Toronto Community Services Inc.
  • Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Government Relations and Communications
  • Ontario Chamber of Commerce
  • Ontario Cabinet Office
  • Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General
  • Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
  • Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services
  • Ontario Ministry of Education
  • Ontario Ministry of the Environment
  • Ontario Ministry of Finance
  • Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
  • Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport
  • Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing
  • Ontario Ministry of Labour
  • Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture
  • Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
  • Ontario Women's Directorate
  • Privy Council Office, Canada
  • Red Cross
  • Safe Kids Canada
  • Service Canada
  • Service Ontario 
  • St. Vincent de Paul
  • Toronto Community Housing Corporation
  • Toronto and York Labour Council
  • Toronto East General Hospital
  • Town of Oakville
  • Township of King
  • Transport Canada
  • Women’s College Hospital
  • York Region

Please note that placement opportunities vary from year to year. The MPPA program facilitates placements and in some cases students have taken the initiative in identifying placement opportunities which are then program approved. While obtaining a placement is not guaranteed, most students, who have wanted one, have been successful in securing a position.