Other Opportunities

Beyond coursework, the University of Manitoba offers diverse opportunities to gain real-world experience, build your resume, and offset education costs. Here’s what you should know as a first-year CS student:

Co-op Programs

Science Co-op lets you alternate academic terms with paid work placements (4-8 months) in tech companies, research labs, or government agencies. Benefits include:

• Earn while you learn: Average wage of $23/hour
• Industry connections: Build professional networks with employers like IG Wealth Management, National Microbiology Lab, and Ubisoft
• Academic credit: Complete 3+ work terms for a Co-op designation on your degree

Eligibility:

• Open to CS Majors/Honours after completing ~54 credit hours (typically end of 2nd year)
• Minimum 2.5+ GPA
• International students need a Co-op Work Permit

Start preparing early: Maintain strong grades and polish your resume. Learn more at Science Co-op. You can always visit the Computer Science Co-op Office at EITC E2-499 to ask all the questions you need.

Research Awards

The competitve and coveted Undergraduate Research Awards (URA) provide $7,000 for summer research under faculty supervision:

• 16-week full-time projects (May-August)
• Open to students registered for 24+ credits by the Winter VW date and 3.0+ GPA
• Fields: AI, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, and more

How to apply:

1. Find a professor researching your interest area
2. Submit a joint application (January deadline)

Pro tip: Search early, and be genuine! While they list out potential supervisors on the website, you can look for any Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor in the Department and ask them to supervise you, as long as their research genuinely interests you. You can see a list of all our faculty members here.

Note: There's are separate awards under the family of the Faculty of Science Undergraduate Student Research Awards. Most first year students, however, do not qualify for this, as you need to have completed 24 credit hours at the time of registration (February). First year students do qualify for the URA, as long as you make sure you'll have completed 24 credit hours by the end of the Winter term you write the application in.

Underclassman Internships

Many tech companies (mostly in the U.S.) offer specialized programs for first/second-year students. Key opportunities:

Find more: Track 500+ updated opportunities via:

• GitHub: Underclassmen Internships
• Tech Internships for First Years

Conferences and Competitions

• Internally, the CSSA and .devClub usually host events like the CSSA Game Jam, .devHacks, and Capture the Flag. Register and compete for free food, to learn new things, make friends, and stand out amongst your peers!
• We also usually go to the Canadian University Software Engineering Conference. You can check out last year's conference at Montreal here.
• Don't limit yourself to initiatives hosted by our students! If you have the time, attend hackathons by Devpost, MLH, Kaggle, and many more. The projects you'll build are indispensible when applying for jobs in the long run!

Volunteering

• Clubs like CSSA, WICS, and .devClub do recruit councilors and volunteer positions! Look out for applications on their Instagram, listed on the earlier section.
• There are also reputable initiatives like Let's Talk Science and AIESEC that you may consider, as well as all the clubs we have available in our university. Find one that suits you!
• Fun fact: You can attempt to volunteer for research labs! If applying for summer research awards isn't something you're ready for, or you want to strike a good impression with the Professor you're applying with, be bold and send that email!

Lastly, don't stress out too much about keeping track of everything. University isn't a race, it's each person's own marathon. We are listing all these resources just in case you have the time and energy and want to pursue them, but people have done just fine focusing on their studies! For deeper dives into applications/interviews, watch for our Second Year Guide (coming soon). 🌱