A:
The
UCSI University Co-Op programme is
essentially an industrial/practical training component to be
added on to your tertiary education. It is a programme
that formally integrates classroom learning with workplace
training in co-operative
employer organisations offering students a comprehensive and
relevant work-plus-study experience. Students in the
UCSI
University degree and
diploma programmes will be required to complete a two-month
module of Co-Op for every academic year of study, in partial
fulfilment of degree and diploma
requirements. They will receive a grade upon completion of
each Co-Op Module.
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Q2:
Is it
compulsory?
A:
Yes,
the Co-Op Component is compulsory for
all of
UCSI
Universitys degree and
diploma programmes (with the exception of Medicine, Pharmacy
and Nursing degrees that have their own clerkship/industrial
training component).
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Q3:
What are the
advantages of the Co-Op programme?
A:
This
programme will allow you to benefit by
- Training
you in a work-setting that is relevant to your discipline
and field of study so that you may obtain the latest
knowledge of innovations and developments;
- Allowing
you to apply what you have studied in
UCSI
University in a real
working environment with more experienced colleagues and
supervisors;
- Enhancing
your
UCSI
University tertiary
education by learning from the experiences and supervision
of practicing professionals in the field;
- Giving
you an opportunity to prove yourself as a potential
candidate where the company you work for under the Co-Op may
nominate to employ you permanently upon your graduation;
- Receiving
pre-industrial-placement training by
UCSI
University's own staff
to prepare you for entry into the working world, e.g. you
will receive training in personal grooming, work etiquette,
communication skills, interview techniques etc.
- Setting
you apart from other graduates whereby you will graduate
with at least 6 months industrial training experience which
will add value to your degree; vii.(??? what does this
means)
- Granting
you an opportunity to earn some pocket money for two months
in the year as you may earn a basic salary as an intern in
the company with exceptions; and finally
- Expanding
your understanding of what it means to be a take on the
world graduate of
UCSI
University!
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A:
Students
must meet both academic and non-academic pre-requisites
below:
Academic
Pre-requisites
Students
must have:
?
Achieved
at least 80% course work in each
Year/Level.
?
Obtained
a minimum cumulative overall average (CGPA) of 2.0 (i.e.
50-59%) at the end each academic session. [NB: Most employers
require a minimum CGPA of 2.5 (65%) or
more]
?
A
student who has not met the academic pre-requisites is not
eligible for the Co-Op of that session and has to defer a
particular Co-Op term to the following year/whilst academic
pre-requisites are met.
Non-academic
Pre-requisites for Co-Op
Students
must:
- First
follow through the Co-Op course selection
- Then get the
advice and approval from the respective
faculty/school and proceed
with the payment of necessary fee(s). Failure to do so will
disqualify students for Co-Op for
that particular period.
- Next, register
with CECS by completing and submitting the online Co-Op
Job Application Form (CV)
- After that,
submit certified true hardcopies of supporting documents
(e.g. transcripts, letters of reference etc) to
CECS
- Applicants
must have attended and successfully completed Co-Op
workshops organized by CECS/UCSI University
- In
addition, there might be further requirements that employers
may impose on students, e.g. pre-employment and/or during
employment screenings, physical examination/medical
check-up, criminal record checks and drug testing. Failure
to participate in, complete or pass these types of
qualifying screening may affect students eligibility and/or
opportunity for Co-Op positions
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Q5:
Does this
extend the time of my degree
programme?
A: The
Co-Op programme does not in any way extend the time of study
for any undergraduate degree or diploma programme even though
UCSI University has added this extra two-month module (the
Co-Op takes place two months right after the traditional
two-month short semester). In other words, from now on, the
final semester of the year actually becomes 4 months (2
months, 2 months classes) as per other regular semesters.
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Q6:
Do I have to
pay additional fees to
participate?
A:
No, you do not
need to pay additional fees to participate in the Co-Op
programme. In fact, you as the student interns may instead be
paid a minimal salary/allowance during
training.
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Q7:
When do I start
the Co-Op?
A:
The Co-Op
Placement usually takes place in the months of
November-December of every year. Only
graduating students (i.e. students who have completed all the
academic modules to their degree programme but have not
completed Co-Op components) may carry out their Co-Op
placement commencing January, May and September
annually.
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Q8:
What do I do if
I do not qualify for the Co-Op
yet?
A:
For that
two-month period, you will be considered to be on semester
break.
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Q9:
Do I have to
undertake the Co-Op if I want to transfer overseas under the
IDP?
A:
You will have to
undertake the Co-Op for the number of academic years that you
are studying at
UCSI
University (e.g. if you
are embarking on the equivalent of a 2+1 programme, you will
need to undertake at least two Co-Op
components).
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Q10: What if I am a
students transferring from another institution with
exemptions?
A:
Students
transferring to
UCSI
University from other
institutions with exemptions will not be given exemptions
for Co-Op unless they have
relevant working experiences.
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Q11:
Would this
Co-Op be really an advantage over other universities who do
not have it?
A:
As students, you
will appreciate that one of the anxieties you may face as you
undertake the present degree or diploma of your choice is
whether you will be able to get a good job after you graduate,
with the economy and job market always being uncertain in the
future.
Furthermore,
there are sometimes concerns about how practical and
applicable your theoretical education programme will be in the
real working world outside, and whether what you are studying
in the classroom - or even the laboratory - is going to be
relevant to you when you go out to work.
Even more, you
may sometimes also ask what is it that will set you apart as a
UCSI University graduate in comparison to all the other
graduates of other universities (especially when you wish to
be more marketable and in demand when you graduate from UCSI
University).
With the above
considerations in mind,
UCSI
University unveils its
Co-Op Component to set you apart from all other tertiary
students in the country and thus give you a huge advantage
over other
graduates.
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Q12:
Can I do 4 or 6
months in a row instead of three 2-month
periods?
A:
Requests to change the study and work sequence for a students
programme will be considered by the Academic Board of UCSI
University upon recommendations by the relevant Head of School
(comprising of representation from the students School in
which the student is enrolled). An application from the
student (if possible, to be supported by an employer and/or
field coordinator) must be made to the appropriate Head of
School and/or the Co-Op supervisors, and students can only
apply if they have already gone through at least one Co-Op
component already.
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Q13:
Will I get
paid, and how much?
A:
Generally,
UCSI
University will
encourage employers to pay a minimum of RM400 per month for
student interns; this is no guarantee that the employers will
do so. Some may pay less, but there will certainly be examples
of others who will pay more.
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Q14:
What if I am
placed in a company that is far
away?
A: UCSI
University will endeavour to only appoint employers within the
Klang Valley; however, some national or multi-national
companies may have either out-station or off-shore companies
which may be presented to students as options only if the
students so choose to take it
up.
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Q15:
Will I be
guaranteed a placement?
A:
Yes,
UCSI
University will assure
every student a placement in a company for their Co-Op
component.
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Q16:
Will I need to
be interviewed first?
A:
Yes, most if not
all job placements will require at least one round of
interviews by the potential employer. There will be a great
deal of competition for placements in the more lucrative or
attractive companies, and the potential employers will reserve
the right to interview and select their student interns
accordingly.
Arising from the above, good academic scores as
well as a well-prepared interview process by the
student-candidate will always stand them in good
stead.
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Q17:
Will I be
assured of a placement that is relevant to my
degree?
A: Yes, UCSI
University will endeavour to ensure that the objective of the
Co-Op is met, which is to provide relevant and appropriate
industrial training pertinent to the discipline of the degree
or diploma
undertaken.
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Q18:
What if I dont
get a placement because I didnt pass an
interview?
A:
UCSI
University will
do its best to find alternatives or allow students to seek
their own placement if they so desire. In addition,
UCSI
University will provide
counselling and look into how to enhance a students chances
of obtaining a job successfully (and this will include
providing an analysis of why an interview might not have been
successful).
Whatever the case, if a student fails to secure
employment through any interview process administered by an
employer through
UCSI
University, every effort
will be made to assure that a student finds alternative
suitable work
experience.
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Q19:
Can I choose
the company I want to work for?
A:
The employment
process is highly competitive and factors such as academic
performance, skills, motivation, maturity, attitude,
professional conduct, flexibility and performance potential
determine whether a student is offered employment or not.
Although
every effort is made by
UCSI
University to find the
best fit of work term positions for students enrolled in the
different degree programmes, the openly competitive nature of
the process means that no guarantee of a students first
choice of employment can be made.
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Q20:
Can I choose a
company not on UCSIs list?
A:
Every student
must accept the choice of placement provided by
UCSI
University unless the student has a
company that is willing to take him/her in and be subject to
UCSI
Universitys terms and
conditions.
UCSI
University would be more than happy to consider suitable
company participants that the student wishes to recommend, but
any such recommendation for the students own choice of
employer needs to be submitted to UCSI University at least one
month before commencement of the particular students Co-Op
component.
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Q21:
Will companies
really want a student out of first year
university?
A:
Companies will
receive student interns for the following
reasons:
Receiving
student(s) who will work for the company for two months at
very minimal wages (each company will normally pay a minimal
salary of RM400 per month for two months);
- The
company will take in intelligent, highly-motivated and
well-trained student workers who will bring with them a
high-level of enthusiasm and motivation to succeed in the
job (the students will be marked and graded for their
internship as a final motivation for doing
well);
- The
company will have the opportunity to identify potential
candidates which they may come to value and may choose to
re-appoint as a permanent employee in the
future;
- The
company will be taking in interns who will carry with them
the latest cutting-edge knowledge and theoretical basis that
will enhance the work situation and possibly even provide
some upgraded training to some of their
staff;
- The
employment of interns will make up for whatever short-fall
companies may have from time to time concerning manpower in
the company, and
UCSI
University will be
able to help fulfil the companys need for temporary workers
in the respective company.
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Q22:
Are there
criteria to the types of places I can work at (e.g. can I work
at a little shop near my house)?
A:
UCSI
University will
assure that each participating employer meets the following
criteria of being able to provide the
following:
? Each
work situation is developed and/or approved by
UCSI
University as a suitable
learning situation.
? The
UCSI
University student is
engaged in productive work rather than merely observing or
playing the role of clerk or
secretary.
? The
UCSI
University student
receives remuneration for the work
performed.
? The
UCSI
University students
progress on the job is monitored by the universitys
appropriate School
personnel.
? The
students performance on the job is supervised and evaluated
in partnership with the students
employer.
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Q23:
What if I dont
like the boss/supervisor I am assigned to (or what if the
supervisor doesnt like me); may I ask for transfer
elsewhere?
A:
Unless the said
superior is clearly found to be abusive or acting
inappropriately in any way towards the student by way of words
and/or actions, the student may not ask
UCSI
University to transfer
him/her out elsewhere. Such requests must always come with
reasonable justifications.
UCSI
University will
have a Code of Conduct for Employers (as well as for students
in the programme) which will govern the workplaces in which
UCSI University Co-Op students find employment. The University
has a commitment to its students that they, while engaged in
University-related activities on and off campus, shall be free
from harassment or discrimination. If either situation occurs
in a Co-Op workplace, students should contact their Head of
School, the UCSI University Co-Op coordinator, any of the Vice
Presidents of UCSI University or
UCSI
Universitys Corporate
Legal Advisor. Similarly, issues of safety or expectations to
engage in any behaviour that may pose a risk to the students
well-being should be brought to the attention of the students
Co-Op supervisors / CECS staff
immediately.