Faculty of Engineering

In addition to technical knowledge and skill, the professional engineer requires an understanding of society. An ability to make intelligent judgments that encompass human and social values, as well as technical values, is inherent in that role. Such areas form an essential complement to technical studies in the education of an engineer. The Complementary Studies component of the curricula in Engineering (Bachelor of Applied Science or Bachelor of Software Engineering) requires that all students in Engineering receive instruction in the humanities and social sciences, engineering economics, communication, and the impact of technology on society.

The aim of the Complementary Studies component is to provide an understanding of our heritage and social environment, and of the ways in which science and engineering interact with them. These studies should develop sufficient interest to encourage further individual study.

Further objectives are that the Engineering student develop a broader intellectual outlook, a broader understanding of moral, ethical and social values, and an improved ability to communicate.

Requirements

The Complementary Studies component of the students' plan must satisfy the following:

1. At least one course must be taken that deals with the impact of technology on society. Courses which satisfy this requirement appear in List A – Impact Courses.
2. At least one course must be taken in engineering economics. Courses which satisfy this requirement appear in List B – Engineering Economics Courses. Note that core components of a plan may contain a course from this list.
3. At least two courses must be taken that deal with the central issues, methodologies, and thought processes of the humanities and social sciences. Courses that satisfy this requirement appear in List C – Humanities and Social Sciences Courses.
4. A minimum number of courses must be taken as required by a plan. The exact requirements vary according to plans; for details, see individual plan regulations. Courses which appear in Lists A, B, C, and D may be used to meet these requirements.
5. Provision must be made to develop the students' ability to communicate adequately both orally and in writing. The exact manner in which this requirement is satisfied varies according to plan; for details, see individual plan regulations.

Complementary Studies Course Lists

There are a number of other constraints that limit a students' selection from the lists below. These constraints are listed as notes at the end of this page.

Some courses may not be offered in the current academic year. Refer to the course offering lists (Schedule of Classes or Course Selection Offerings) or verify with the department offering the course.

List A – Impact Courses

• BET 360 Design Frameworks for Social Ventures
• BET 420 Entrepreneurship for Social Impact
• BME 381 Biomedical Engineering Ethics
• ENVS 105 Environmental Sustainability and Ethics
• ENVS 205 Sustainability: The Future We Want
• ERS 215 Environmental and Sustainability Assessment 1
• ERS 315 Environmental and Sustainability Assessment 2
• GENE 22A Topics for List A Complementary Studies Courses Taken on Exchange by Engineering Students
• GEOG 203 Environment and Development in a Global Perspective
• GEOG 207 Climate Change Fundamentals
• GEOG 368 Conservation/Resource Management of the Built Environment
• GSJ 205 Technology, Gender, and Social Justice
• MSCI 422 Economic Impact of Technological Change and Entrepreneurship
• MSCI 442 Impact of Information Systems on Organizations and Society
• NE 109 Societal and Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology
• PACS 315 Engineering and Peace
• PHIL 226 Biomedical Ethics
• SOC 232 Technology and Social Change
• STV 100 Society, Technology and Values: Introduction
• STV 202 Design and Society
• STV 205 Cybernetics and Society
• STV 208 Artificial Intelligence and Society: Impact, Ethics, and Equity
• STV 210 The Computing Society
• STV 302 Information Technology and Society
• STV 304 Technology in Canadian Society
• STV 305 Technology, Society and the Modern City
• STV 306 Biotechnology and Society
• SYDE 261 Design, Systems, and Society

Other courses may be acceptable for this requirement. Prior approval is required from the student's department associate chair.

List B – Engineering Economics Courses

• AE 392 Economics and Life Cycle Analysis
• BME 364 Engineering Biomedical Economics
• CIVE 392 Economics and Life Cycle Cost Analysis
• GENE 22B Topics for List B Complementary Studies Courses Taken on Exchange by Engineering Students
• MSCI 261 Engineering Economics: Financial Management for Engineers
• SYDE 262 Engineering Economics of Design

List C – Humanities and Social Sciences Courses

Course scheduling is an evolving process at the University of Waterloo and it is difficult to ensure access to all possible Complementary Studies courses. One of the steps taken to improve students' chances of having access to their Complementary Studies courses for those terms that have a Complementary Studies course requirement, is that course components (lectures, tutorials, or labs) of core engineering courses will not be scheduled during specified time slots. Currently, these slots are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., as well as evening time slots on Monday or Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The following humanities and social sciences courses are permissible. In general, all literature and civilization courses in language departments are approved as humanities and social sciences courses.

Anthropology: All ANTH
Architectural Engineering: AE 101
Arts: ARTS 490 (Topic title: Global Engagement Seminar)
Business Entrepreneurship and Technology: BET 100, BET 300, BET 320, BET 340, BET 350, BET 400, BET 430, BET 450, BET 460, BET 580
Classical Studies: All CLAS
East Asian Studies: EASIA 100R
Economics: All ECON, except ECON 211, ECON 221, ECON 311, ECON 371, ECON 412, ECON 421, ECON 422, ECON 471
English: All ENGL, except ENGL 109, ENGL 119, ENGL 129R, ENGL 140R, ENGL 210E, ENGL 210F
Environment: ENVS 195, ENVS 205
Fine Arts (FINE): see home department associate chair
French Studies: FR 296, FR 297
Gender and Social Justice: All GSJ, except GSJ 371 (may be acceptable at the discretion of the associate chair when a course outline is shown)
General Engineering: GENE 22C (Topics taken on exchange by Engineering students), GENE 412
Geography and Environmental Management: GEOG 101, GEOG 202, GEOG 203, GEOG 368
Gerontology: GERON 201
History: All HIST, except HIST 400-level courses
Human Resources Management: All HRM
Human Sciences: HUMSC 101, HUMSC 102
International Studies: INTST 101
Kinesiology: KIN 352, KIN 354
Knowledge Integration: INTEG 120, INTEG 210, INTEG 220, INTEG 221, INTEG 251
Legal Studies: LS 101, LS 202
Management Sciences: MSCI 211, MSCI 263, MSCI 311, MSCI 411
Music: MUSIC 140, MUSIC 253, MUSIC 256, MUSIC 334, MUSIC 355, MUSIC 363
Peace and Conflict Studies: All PACS
Philosophy: All PHIL, except PHIL 145, PHIL 200J, PHIL 216, PHIL 240, PHIL 256, PHIL 257, PHIL 441
Planning: PLAN 100
Political Science: All PSCI, except PSCI 314, PSCI 315
Psychology: All PSYCH, except PSYCH 207, PSYCH 256, PSYCH 261, PSYCH 291, PSYCH 292, PSYCH 306, PSYCH 307, PSYCH 312, PSYCH 317, PSYCH 391; PSYCH 400-level courses need approval of the Department of Psychology
Public Health Sciences: HLTH 320
Recreation and Leisure Studies: REC 230, REC 425
Religious Studies: All RS
Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies: All SMF
Social Development Studies: All SDS, except SDS 150R, SDS 250R, SDS 251R, SDS 350R, SDS 398R, SDS 399R
Social Work: All SOCWK, except SOCWK 390A, SOCWK 390B, SOCWK 398R, SOCWK 399R
Society, Technology and Values: All STV
Sociology: All SOC, except SOC 221, SOC 280, SOC 322, SOC 498, SOC 499A, SOC 499B
Studies in Islam: SI 121R, SI 132R, SI 221R, SI 230R, SI 231R, SI 315R
Theatre and Performance: THPERF 100, THPERF 200

List D – Other Permissible Complementary Studies Courses

While the following courses may not be used to satisfy Requirements 1, 2, or 3, they may be used to satisfy Requirement 4. For details, see departmental regulations.
Accounting and Financial Management: AFM 131
Applied Language Studies: APPLS 205R, APPLS 301, APPLS 304R, APPLS 306R
Architectural Engineering: AE 491
Civil Engineering: CIVE 491
English: ENGL 109, ENGL 129R, ENGL 191, ENGL 192, ENGL 210E, ENGL 210F
English for Multilingual Speakers: EMLS 101R, EMLS 102R, EMLS 110R, EMLS 129R
Environment: ENVS 201, ENVS 401
Environmental Engineering: ENVE 391
Fine Arts (FINE): see home department associate chair
General Engineering: GENE 22D (Topics taken on exchange by Engineering students), GENE 315, GENE 415
Health: HEALTH 100, HEALTH 105
Management Sciences: MSCI 454 
Music: MUSIC 100, MUSIC 231, MUSIC 240, MUSIC 246, MUSIC 254, MUSIC 255, MUSIC 260, MUSIC 361
Philosophy: PHIL 145, PHIL 200J, PHIL 216, PHIL 256, PHIL 257
Psychology: PSYCH 256, PSYCH 307, PSYCH 312, PSYCH 317
Recreation and Leisure Studies: REC 100
Speech Communication: SPCOM 100, SPCOM 191, SPCOM 192, SPCOM 223

Notes

1. Some University of Waterloo online courses may be taken during a student's work terms. Also, courses taken at another university during a work term may be eligible for a transfer of credit if approved by the student's associate chair for undergraduate studies.
2. Students who register early are most likely to get their choice. Attempts to register later may be prevented if the class is already at capacity.
3. For descriptions of the content of courses, see the Course Description section of this Calendar. These courses are usually listed under the subject code of the academic unit, board, or faculty responsible for offering the course, e.g., CIVE – Civil Engineering, PHIL – Philosophy, etc.
4. Students who wish to take linguistic and grammar courses must have their choices approved by their home department associate chair for undergraduate studies and, if approved, students must also be assessed by the language department to determine their skill level with the language. Such courses may only be used to satisfy Requirement 4 above.
5. Students are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary prerequisites.
6. Departments and boards may impose additional constraints with respect to the C and D lists of the Complementary Studies Requirements. Review the various plan descriptions for further information.
7. In exceptional circumstances, associate chairs for undergraduate studies may accept other courses as satisfying a specific Complementary Studies Elective (CSE) requirement. Normally, such consideration will only be given when students are returning from exchange or being offered advanced admission.
8. Access to some courses is not controlled by Engineering and students may not qualify for some courses on these lists.