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Did you know that MDA has been a supporter of university and college student education in Canada by offering work terms for co-operative (co-op) and non co-op programs in a variety of engineering domains for over twenty years?
Each year, we invite the best and brightest students from universities and colleges across Canada to our Richmond, Brampton, and Montreal offices to work on a diverse range of projects. In our highly competitive program, students work as a full member of the project team and are held accountable for their results.
A co-op/work term placement with MDA not only allows you to apply what you have learned in the classroom but also provides you with practical experience. You get great experience for your resume and a great network for that all-important job search after graduation! Join us to learn more!
We post our co-op/work term openings with co-op offices and placement coordinators coast to coast, three times a year. There are a number of different programs, including some non-technical placements, so be sure to check out our postings at your co-op office!
STUDENT FEEDBACK | FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | CAREER FAIRS
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Students who have worked at MDA consistently rank us as one of the best companies to work for. Here are some comments from students who have worked with us:
| "Working with MDA for over a year has been a fun-filled work experience. My work...has provided me with the opportunity to use my software engineering techniques and object-oriented programming skills in a corporate setting. I feel much more confident while working on assigned tasks and have a clearer picture of what I want to do in the future." |
"I definitely had a lot of fun and it was great to meet MDA employees from all areas of the company. At the end of my work term, I gained much additional knowledge in programming, testing, and the tight schedules of software engineering. But I also have with me all the friendships I have made while working at MDA." |
DARJIT
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KELVIN
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"In the past year as a coop, I got the opportunity to work for the CASSIOPE project in the Space Missions group. The work environment and team members are wonderful and helpful. I got to work on configuration management project, trade-off studies, Use case analysis, design work for the ground segment and gained an invaluable experience in system engineering. This experience has helped me in improving both my technical and soft skills. Not to mention, it was fun working on something that will end up in Space soon !!"
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"Throughout my co-op life at MDA, I not only have improved my C++ programming and testing skills, but also have learned Crystal Reports and InstallSheild Developer. I often utilize my C++ programming skills, MFC skills, and database knowledge acquired from my projects at school to my work packages." |
IMRAJ
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VICTOR
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"An internship at MDA has been a great learning experience. Not only did I get to work among other software engineers to solve algorithm problems but I also got to learn about other subjects that I would have never encounter from school. To top it all off, the people at MDA are amazing. Provided a work environment that is balanced in both productivity and fun, the four-month internship seemed to fly by."
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"Currently, I am on a year long co-op placement at MDA working on the AgriSAR project. I have worked with C, Matlab, and IDL programming languages for analysis of a time series of agricultural images acquired by the RADARSAT-2 satellite. My problem solving skills are constantly being improved while working on different aspects of this project. Working with a team of experienced researchers has been great as there is always something new to learn and exciting to work on. I would recommend MDA to any co-op students looking for an interesting and challenging job to complement their studies and develop skills that will be useful in their future careers." |
DIANNA
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JEEVAN
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How long are the work tems?
The Richmond and Montreal locations offer a variety of 4 and 8 months work terms and internships beginning in January, May, and September, depending on project requirements.
For our Brampton location we offer 4 or 16-month work terms or internships. The 4 month internships are offered in January, May and September. The 16 month internships start in May and students return to school the following September to complete their academic program.
Consult your co-op office to determine when to apply for these work terms.
What programs do you recruit from?
Our Brampton and Montreal location prefers students to have completed their third year (although we will evaluate all applications) in one of the following disciplines: Electrical, Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or Engineering and Computer Sciences.
Our Richmond location prefers students to have completed their second year in one of the following disciplines: Engineering Physics, Computer Science, Applied Physics/Mathematics, Aerospace, Software, Electrical, Computer, Mechatronic, and Systems Engineering. We also have opportunities for students in professional programs on an as needed basis.
What will I do as a Co-op / Work Term student?
You'll become a contributing member of a team developing a component of a larger project in progress. Typically, you'll be assigned a "work package" on which you will work individually with the support of the team. For example, your work package could consist of a well-defined piece of software expected to take 1-3 months to design, develop, implement and test. Or you could have to model in 3D and produce associated documentation of pieces of flight equipment which will go on a satellite!
Depending on the project, expect to apply your knowledge of engineering or programming methodologies on complex assignments using CATIA, Pro-Engieer, NX, Nastran, Pspice, Mentor Graphics, HFSS, C/C++, Java, Perl, Ada, or CORBA, in UNIX.
What will be expected of me?
You'll participate fully on the project team, with deadlines and full accountability for your work package. Expect weekly team meetings and reviews, where we will want to hear your ideas and input. You'll be expected to take the initiative to learn about the environment, get involved, ask lots of questions, and take advantage of the resources available to you.
What about the work environment?
At MDA there is a hierarchy in each business area (Project Managers, Project Engineers, Team Leads), although we work hard to maintain an atmosphere where everyone is recognized as a key to our success. And every day is casual day.
How will I be compensated?
In addition to your salary you'll receive statutory holiday pay, vacation pay and flex time benefits. MDA Richmond also likes to recognize outstanding effort and contribution by awarding co-op and work term scholarships to students who are returning to school. At the end of each work term period, a selection committee reviews the scholarship applications and chooses recipients based on their performance relative to their peers.
As a temporary employee you are also eligible to take MDA courses, which are courses offered internally, ranging from programming languages to engineering process to time management. These courses are taught throughout the year by MDA staff.
Is it all work and no play?
Not at all! We pride ourselves on the number and diversity of social and sports activities organized by employees. Whether it's hockey, soccer, volleyball, tennis, basketball, ping-pong, yoga, or running, we have a range of fun, fitness related activities to keep you happy and healthy.
MDA Brampton's Recreation Club offers a variety activities ranging from live theatre, group trips, Blue Jays games and casino trips to family picnics and Christmas parties.
MDA Richmond has active Social and Fitness Committees which provide a variety of social events throughout year, including golf tournaments, curling events, skit nights, MDA Day at a local amusement park, Christmas parties, and a number of sports clubs including hockey and running clubs and our always competitive Summer Volleyball league.
MDA-Montreal's Social Club is busy every year providing an assortment of activities. Popular events include our "Day Up North", a fun-filled day of skiing, tubing, alpine roller coaster riding, finishing off with a sugaring party. Other events include Casino Night, the annual summer picnic, golf tournament, Christmas parties, rock climbing, and kart racing!
A well-equipped fitness facility is available to staff at all locations.
How do I apply?
MDA posts co-op opportunities at school co-op offices every February, June and October. Submit your application package (which should include your resume, a cover letter and latest transcripts) through your school's Co-op Coordinator or Placement Coordinator. We'll take care of the rest!
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You'll find MDA employees at many Engineering and Computer Science Career fairs and other events. At these fairs or events you will have an opportunity to meet some of our team members and to explore the career opportunities at MDA.
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