University of Alberta Augustana Launches Management Coop Program with Paid Internships

Quick Facts on Augustana ACE Program

The ACE program is a competitive, work-integrated stream of the Bachelor of Management. The hard numbers below come from the University of Alberta Augustana announcement and the ACE program listing.

Source: University of Alberta Augustana, October 29, 2026. Fees and figures apply to the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.

Why Augustana launched the Management co-op

The Augustana Management co-op program adds paid work terms directly to the Bachelor of Management degree. The move was announced on October 29, 2026 and targets rural career pathways in Alberta.

Dean John Parkins said a core priority is expanding high-impact academic programs and rural pathways for career advancement. Lecturer Brad Geddes said ACE is built into the Bachelor of Management at University of Alberta, not bolted on.

Camrose is small, with just over 1,000 students on the Augustana campus. About 13% of them are international. Local employers now get a direct pipeline of emerging management talent.

Key Insight: The ACE program formalises what Augustana already did informally. The campus runs over 2,500 hours of community placements each year, so local employer networks are deep. Co-op spots will likely favour students who already show up in those networks.

The announcement follows rising employer demand for work-ready management graduates in Alberta’s small cities. Jayla Lindberg, Manager of Work-Integrated Learning, said faculty and partners have been incredibly excited about the ACE program’s development.

Source: University of Alberta Augustana news release, October 29, 2026.

How the Augustana Management co-op works

The ACE program adds three paid work terms of four months each to the Bachelor of Management. Every internship runs a minimum of 420 work hours. Together, the three terms add up to 12 months of paid experience.

Students take three non-tuition work experience courses alongside the internships. These are AUWXP 901, AUWXP 902 and AUWXP 903. A non-credit orientation seminar comes first. Pre and post-internship career tasks run with every work term.

The ACE track stretches the degree to at least 4.5 years. Augustana lets a student slot work terms into fall, winter or summer, which keeps academic flow flexible.

What the ACE program gives you:

• 12 months of paid work experience on your Bachelor of Management transcript.
• Three AUWXP work term courses that formally record each internship.
• A cohort of peers doing the same track, which builds career networks.
• Employer recruitment access through Augustana’s Work-Integrated Learning team.

What the ACE program does not cover:

• Guaranteed job placements, since each internship is interview-based.
• Housing or relocation during work terms outside Camrose.
• Tuition during academic terms, which stays at the regular Bachelor of Management rate.

Source: University of Alberta Augustana Co-operative Education program listing.

Eligibility for the Management co-op program

A student must be a current Augustana Bachelor of Management student to apply to the ACE program. The campus will not accept co-op applications from outside the Bachelor of Management track.

The published eligibility bar is clear and binding:

• Completed between 24 and 75 units of course credit at Augustana.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3 on the 4.0 scale.
• Continuing enrolment in the Bachelor of Management at Augustana.
• Pass the Augustana Co-operative Education Orientation Seminar.

Admission is competitive. The minimum GPA on its own is often not enough, since a limited number of seats open each cycle. Prior work experience, volunteer roles and the quality of the student application all shape the final list.

Key Insight: If a student wants ACE, the real planning window is first year. Grades in the 100-level courses carry the most weight, because co-op applications open around 24 to 48 earned credits.

If X, then Y. If a student stays below the 2.3 GPA threshold, then the ACE application will not move forward. That means focused effort on the first-year Bachelor of Management courses shapes the entire co-op outcome.

Source: Augustana Co-operative Education eligibility page, University of Alberta.

Application timeline for Augustana co-op

The ACE program runs three application windows a year, each tied to a work term start. A student applies in the window matched to their planned first internship.

For the first ACE cohort, applications open on January 1, 2027. The deadline is February 28, 2027. First internships begin September 2027.

A student pays a one-time CAD 50 application fee (around INR 3,500). The fee covers all three co-op cycles across the degree. Students need to track Augustana’s Canada intake timeline for fall, winter and summer for the undergraduate side of the application.

Read More: How to Apply to Study in Canada with Dates and Requirements

Tuition and costs for the co-op program

Tuition for each ACE work term is around CAD 2,100 (around INR 1.45 lakh). This is a separate charge on top of the regular Bachelor of Management tuition during academic terms.

Conversions based on a CAD-INR rate of INR 68.99 as of November 9, 2026. Rates fluctuate; check the current rate before financial planning.

The 2027-28 intake carries a 5.5% increase for new international undergraduates. A student should also budget for the Canadian study permit fee, medical insurance and a laptop. See the cost of studying in Canada breakdown for Indian students.

Source: University of Alberta tuition and ACE program fees for 2026-27 and 2027-28.

Check Cost of Living in Canada for Indian Students

Paid internship pay and work terms

ACE internships are paid positions, not unpaid credit placements. Industry data from Alberta co-op programs puts average monthly pay for business and management interns at around CAD 3,600 (around INR 2.48 lakh).

Across three internships, a student earns four months of pay each time. At average Alberta rates, that is around CAD 43,200 across the ACE cycle (around INR 29.8 lakh). The spread is wide because employers set the rate, not the university.

Internships cover tasks that fit management training, which include:

• Market research, customer surveys and client reporting.
• Sales analytics, pricing work and records maintenance.
• Communications, content and internal process writing.
• Operations, scheduling and project co-ordination.

Any Alberta employer can register as an ACE partner, as long as the role is paid, management-linked and tied to the student’s degree. Students can also pursue roles outside Alberta or abroad, subject to work permit rules.

Key Insight: Business co-op pay in Alberta tends to rise with each term. Many employers set first-term rates near the floor and move students to higher bands by the third internship. A student who impresses in term one often gets a return offer at a stronger rate for term two.

Source: University of Alberta business co-op compensation data for Alberta employers.

Read More: Management Courses in Canada with Fees and Placements

Scholarships for Augustana Management students

International students entering Augustana in Fall 2026 and Fall 2027 can get the Augustana International Entrance Grant. The grant is worth up to CAD 11,000 per year (around INR 7.59 lakh).

The Bachelor of Management is one of the eligible programs. Students with superior academic records can also receive up to CAD 56,000 over four years through merit-based international scholarships at Augustana. One named award, the Cora Martinson International Scholarship, is open to students on a Canadian study permit.

Augustana also runs over 145 internal annual awards worth about CAD 485,000 in total. The application-based scholarship deadline is January 10 each year. Students need to be admitted first before most awards unlock. See the University of Alberta scholarships list for a full breakdown.

Source: University of Alberta Augustana scholarship and funding page.

Work permits for co-op students

A co-op work permit is separate from a study permit and sits alongside it. Indian students on an Augustana Bachelor of Management study permit need a co-op work permit before any ACE internship starts.

The application is free and runs through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Augustana’s international student services team supports the paperwork. The work permit links to the academic program, so it ends when the degree ends.

After graduation, Bachelor of Management students can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). The PGWP lets graduates work in Canada for up to three years. The length depends on the Bachelor of Management duration, which is three to 4.5 years with ACE.

If X, then Y. If a student completes the ACE program and the Bachelor of Management, then they can stack up to three years of PGWP on top of 12 months of co-op experience. That means four years of Canadian work history before any Permanent Residence application.

What Indian students get at Augustana

Augustana trades the scale of Edmonton for a smaller, quieter campus in Camrose. For Indian students, the trade-off cuts cost of living and boosts faculty access. The campus is about an hour southeast of Edmonton.

What Indian students gain at Augustana:

• Lower accommodation costs than Edmonton, with on-campus rooms from around CAD 10,800 per year.
• Faculty-led classes rather than large lectures, with class sizes under 40.
• Access to India study tour opportunities as part of the Bachelor of Management.
• Entry into the broader University of Alberta credential, ranked #96 in QS World 2027.

What Indian students need to plan for:

• Winter weather in Camrose is harsh. Student reviews flag seasonal low mood as a real issue.
• The Bachelor of Management internship pool is regional, with most roles in Alberta.
• Smaller student community, which means fewer Indian student networks than at Edmonton.

Indian students also need IELTS or an accepted alternative test score before admission. The current Augustana admission bar sits in the low 70s average, with IELTS 6.5 overall required. See the IELTS score requirements for the Canada student visa.

Bachelor of Management at Augustana overview

The Bachelor of Management (BMgt) at Augustana is a direct-entry undergraduate business degree. It combines business management with a liberal arts and science core.

The main specialisation is Management and Business Economics. Students can pair it with a Music minor or elective courses from arts and science. The regular Bachelor of Management is three years. With ACE, it becomes 4.5 years with 12 months of paid work.

Course tracks cover planning, organising and directing resources inside firms. Case competitions and community-based projects are central to the teaching style. Students can also take the India study tour to earn credit while studying culture and development.

For the full catalogue of options at the main University of Alberta campus, see the University of Alberta programs listing. For broader business options across the country, review business universities in Canada.

Source: University of Alberta Augustana Bachelor of Management program listing.

Also Check:

The Augustana Management co-op program gives Indian students a rare chance to pair a Canadian business degree with 12 months of paid work. The first cohort starts in September 2027, so the application window opens in January. Students should sort the Bachelor of Management admission and study permit first, then line up the ACE application for early 2027. A clear GPA plan in year one is the single biggest driver of co-op entry later. For most Indian applicants, the Camrose campus trades scale for cost, access and a smoother route to post-study work in Canada.