1.         Objective and Rationale

In total, four satisfactory work term reports are required to partially fulfill the Honours Economics (Co-op) Degree requirements. The objective is to report and reflect on the student’s co-operative work experience during the preceding work term. In addition to honing one’s critical thinking and report-writing skills, the work report provides an opportunity for the student to reflect on the co-op work experience in terms of new insight and new areas of knowledge. We encourage students to integrate work experience and academic knowledge when preparing the work report.

2.         Topic Selection and Work Report Format

While students are expected to write a summary report of their normal activities during their work term, we do advise students to narrow down their work term experience and select a topic for careful economic analysis.  Work term reports are written for, and become the property of the University of Waterloo.Work completed for the employer may be incorporated in the report, however, it cannot be submitted as the work term report. A report may not be withheld from the University by employers because the reported content/data are deemed to be classified or confidential. A confidential work report, however, may be submitted directly to Professor John Burbidge and must be supported with a letter from the employer.

The work term report should represent the student’s own effort and be restricted to between seven and ten pages plus appendices. Work reports should follow the structure and format outlined by the Department of Co-operative Education and Career Action which is available on the Internet for your convenience at:

3.         Due Date, Submission and Evaluation

Work term reports are due within seven days of the start of an academic term. The reports should be submitted to the Undergraduate Program Assistant, Taryn MacLean, Department of Economics, HH 214. The letter of submittal accompanying the work term report should be addressed to Professor John Burbidge, Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, Department of Economics.

Work reports are evaluated on the basis of analytic content, communicating skills and technical proficiency by faculty members of the Department of Economics. They are graded as Outstanding, Very Good, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory or Unacceptable. The evaluation is neither converted nor included in the student’s grade average. However, an unacceptable designation requires revision and re-submission or results in a loss of credit.

Work reports constitute an integral part of co-op and University studies. Some students have used their work report as the basis for subsequent related work or research. Others have shown their work reports to prospective employers with good results.  Each term, two outstanding work reports (one junior and one senior) are selected to receive the Faculty of Arts Work Report Award.

John Burbidge

Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies

Hagey Hall 125 | 519 888-4567, ext. 37204

 

Department of Economics
University of Waterloo
Hagey Hall of Humanities
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519 888 4567 x33695 FAX: 519 725 0530

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