At Seneca Polytechnic, your experience goes beyond the classroom.
We’re committed to creating dynamic, hands-on learning opportunities that empower you to grow, explore and thrive—both inside and outside the classroom. Whether you're preparing for your dream job or planning to continue your studies, you'll gain real-world skills and experiences that give you a competitive edge.
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is an experiential learning opportunity between Seneca Polytechnic, students and employers. Many programs at Seneca offer WIL opportunities that include at least one term in a formal work environment. These positions may be paid or unpaid and will typically involve full-time hours. In some programs, completing work experience is a mandatory requirement to graduate from the program.
A co-op work term is typically a paid position that is similar in length to an academic semester and requires a minimum of 420 hours of work. It is typically completed between two academic semesters.
A work term is similar in length to an academic semester and typically involves full-time work hours that may be paid or unpaid. It is typically completed between two academic semesters and requires a minimum of 420 hours of work.
Programs with an optional co-op stream provide the opportunity to participate in a co-op term(s) if eligibility requirements are maintained. A co-op work term is typically a paid position that is similar in length to an academic semester and requires a minimum of 420 hours of work.
Programs with an optional work term stream provide the opportunity to participate in a work term(s) if eligibility requirements are maintained. A work term is similar in length to an academic semester and is typically a full-time position that may be paid or unpaid and requires a minimum of 420 hours of work.
An internship offers a discipline-specific, supervised paid or unpaid work experience or practice placement for academic credit. Internships may occur in the middle of an academic program or after all academic coursework has been completed. Internships can be of any length but are typically longer than a single work term.
A professional practicum or clinical placement allows students to gain work experience under the supervision of an experienced, registered or licensed professional. Hours completed as part of a practicum or clinical placement are typically unpaid.
A field placement is a part-time or short-term hands-on experience in a relevant field of study that may be paid or unpaid.
The job search for a co-op or work term is student-driven, and participation in the co-op or work term stream does not guarantee that a work position will be secured. However, through Seneca Works, you will receive guidance and support through in-class career workshops and one-on-one coaching to help prepare for the work term.
Visit Co-op & Work Experiences for more information.
.jpg)
Graduate, Civil Engineering Technology
"The hands-on experience gained at Seneca is invaluable. It is highly attractive to employers across various construction sectors, making me a more valuable candidate and providing a competitive edge during the hiring process compared to other applicants."
Valedictorian and Graduate, Business Administration – Management and Honours Bachelor of Commerce – Business Management
"I didn’t wait for graduation to start my career. During my co-op, I networked, asked questions and was intentional with my learning. That mindset paid off. I received a full-time offer shortly after completing my program. It’s proof that with the right mindset and support system, you can turn any opportunity into a successful outcome."
Graduate of Cloud Architecture & Administration – Graduate Certificate
“If you’re thinking about Seneca, I’d definitely recommend it. The instructors are helpful, and the classes focus on practical skills that prepare you for the workplace. I gained valuable hands-on experience through labs and real-world projects built into the coursework. These projects allowed me to apply cloud architecture, security practices and automation tools in practical scenarios. They helped me strengthen my problem-solving skills and feel prepared for real industry challenges.”
.jpg)
Graduate, Marketing Management
“The soft skills and marketing knowledge I gained at Seneca directly helped me excel in my career. I use the knowledge, resilience and discipline I learned every day. The program’s work term gave me the opportunity to intern at Omnicom Group, which gave me real-life experience of the concepts taught in class. After four months, I was able to land a full-time role. For me, Seneca Polytechnic was always the top choice!”
Graduate, Human Resources Management
"In the Human Resources Management program, I was able to learn through industry-oriented and practical courses which provided me with hands-on learning experiences and real-world applications. My co-op during the program’s work term helped me build valuable connections, which led to a full-time job!"
Graduate, Honours Bachelor of Crime & Intelligence Analysis and Police Foundations
“My professors encouraged me to be motivated, engaged and confident about my career path. I’m now working at the Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario Court of Justice, as a court and client registrar. I started there as an intern during my program’s work term, and I’ve been there since. My program totally prepared me for my career—there’s no better educational institution that will offer what Seneca has.”
Graduate, Business Administration - Marketing and Honours Bachelor of Commerce - Business Management
"Ultimately, I chose this institution because I was impressed by the facilities and the breadth of the curriculum for my academic program. I chose to continue on to a degree program at Seneca because I loved the fact that there was work-integrated learning as part of the curriculum for the Business Management degree program. I also liked the multiculturalism that Seneca embodies, and the location of the numerous campuses is ideal for my day-to-day commute."
Graduate, Honours Bachelor of Crime & Intelligence Analysis and Police Foundations
“Without the opportunities provided by Seneca’s Police Foundations and Honours Bachelor Criminal Intelligence Analysis programs I would not be where I am today! Each program gave me extensive skills for a profession in the policing community. With hands-on work integrated learning, and technical skills learned in the classroom I was able to be hired by Toronto Police after graduating. The amount of networking connections offered by Seneca and learning from experts with real-world experience in the field allowed me the opportunity to begin my tenure as a Crime Analyst.”
Graduate, Chemical Laboratory Technology
“The Chemical Laboratory Technology – Pharmaceutical program at Seneca helped me to develop leadership and people skills. Through the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program, I was able to get a job as a chemical technologist at Ontario Power Generation. Never limit yourself; there is a sea of opportunities out there. Learn to swim strong with Seneca and go and get it!”
Graduate, Bachelor of Engineering (Software Engineering)
"My co-op at Alectra Inc. and research experience with AMD gave me the chance to apply what I learned at Seneca to real-world projects. I’ve grown from building test automation scripts in the classroom to contributing to cutting-edge industry solutions. This program has given me the confidence and skills to take on challenges I once thought were far beyond my reach."
The Academic Pathways team provides a number of services to help you continue your education with pathways to, within and beyond Seneca. Learn about pathways to Seneca from another institution, diploma-to-degree pathways and opportunities to build on your credentials with graduate studies at Seneca or one of our partner institutions.
Seneca Applied Research gives you the opportunity to collaborate with industries to address real-life business and technical challenges. Through curriculum-based partnerships, students can participate in hands-on learning experiences where they work with real organizations on collaborative applied research projects.
Seneca Works prepares you for success in today’s workforce and helps connect you with employers after graduation. Through one-on-one resumé critiques, interview preparation, employer on-site interviews, career fairs, plus a job bank of more than 16,000 companies posting more than 7,000 jobs per year, we help you reach your career goals.
Learn more about everything Seneca has to offer. Book a one-on-one program advising appointment, or take a campus tour to experience Seneca’s innovative learning spaces.
