The objective of the Master's degree programs in Systems Design Engineering is to demonstrate individual accomplishment of a high professional and academic standard. This challenging opportunity is open to candidates who have successfully completed an Honour's Bachelor degree at a recognized university and who have shown the capability and determination for postgraduate studies.
Due to the broad spectrum of research fields within the department, candidates will be considered with degrees in such areas as: architecture, communications, economics, environmental studies, geography, mathematics, computer science, psychology, sociology and all engineering based disciplines. Students whose Bachelor degree programs do not supply them with sufficient background in mathematics, computer science, science and technology are required to enter a qualifying program of courses at the undergraduate level before admission to candidature for the Master's degree.
Admission requirements for students admitted to the Master's program are as follows:
- An Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with at least an overall B standing (75%) from a recognized university.
- Three letters of reference on forms provided in the application package or downloaded from the Graduate Studies Office website. Two of these references must be from academic sources.
- Completed Supplementary Information for New Applicants form downloaded from the Graduate Admission section of the Systems Design Engineering website.
- Proof of competency in English, if applicable. A score of at least 550 (213 for the computer based version) is required on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and a score of 4.0 is required on the Test of Written English (TWE). For more information, see [Academic Regulations - English Language Proficiency Certification.]
Students who do not meet the academic requirements outlined above may be considered for admission to a transitional, probationary or qualifying program depending on their academic background. For more information on the University of Waterloo's general admission regulations, see the Graduate Studies Calendar for [Academic Regulations - Categories of Admission to the Master's Program.]
Deadlines for applications vary. For applicants who are outside of Canada, complete application packages should be received by the Graduate Studies Office aproximately eight to ten months prior to program entry. Applicants who are within Canada should submit their complete application packages to the Graduate Studies Office aproximately six months prior to program entry. Students are admitted for September, January and May terms.
In the Department of Systems Design Engineering, a Master's degree can be pursued by either of the following two options:
- MEng (Coursework and Research/Design Paper) option
- MASc (Research Thesis) option
This option is a general program which builds upon the foundation of the Systems Design Engineering undergraduate program,or its equivalent. This program is suited to the individual who desires a deeper knowledge of the fields encompassed by Systems Design Engineering for application throughout a professional career rather than stressing the importance of research and the generation of new knowledge. The normal duration of this program is 16 months.
The minimum requirements for this program are as follows:
This option is intended for those students who wish to become involved in a particular research area in greater depth than is possible in the MEng option. In comparison to the MEng option, the course requirements are considerably reduced so that students can devote more time to their research and to the preparation of a MASc thesis. The normal duration of this program is 16 months.
The minimum requirements for this program are:
- Satisfactory completion of four graduate courses (0.5 unit weight per course) counting towards degree credit from the University of Waterloo satisfying the following criteria:
- at least two courses from Systems Design Engineering at the 500, 600 or 700 level
- at most one course at the 500 level
- at least one course at the 600 level
- All course selections are arranged by the supervisor(s) in consultation with the student and are subject to the approval of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.
- Submission of a thesis embodying the results of independent research work to the satisfaction of an examining committee which includes the supervisor(s), at least one other member of the professoriate of Systems Design Engineering and at least one other faculty member chosen from outside the student's area of research. The topic of the thesis is arranged by the supervisor(s) and the student.
- Please note: These requirements are in addition to satisfactory completion of any transitional courses that may be specified at the time of admission.
Each graduate student is required to present a seminar on the thesis or research/design paper in order to fulfill all degree requirements. These seminars allow candidates to communicate the results of their research work and should not be interpreted as an oral examination of their thesis. Candidates in our Master's degree programs normally hold their seminar in the term the thesis is submitted to their readers.
The Faculty of Engineering requires that no more than one-half of the courses used for credit toward a graduate degree may be taught by a candidate's supervisor(s). In the case of co-supervision in small research groups, it may be necessary to relax this rule; however, the student's file must contain a statement of formal approval from the Department and endorsement from the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Engineering.