Why should I do Graduate Studies in Engineering?

Graduate studies means continuing your studies beyond the BASc degree to a master's or doctorate degree. There are several reasons for doing this:
  • to specialize in a particular area in which you're interested in working
  • to prepare for advanced engineering jobs, which require more knowledge than the basic BASc gives
  • to prepare for careers in research and development. Most graduate programmes of study give an apprenticeship in research methods as well as education in a particular field.
  • to prepare for a university career. A PhD is a pre-requisite to a career as a professor.
  • to work on your ownmajor project. Many students enjoy graduate work because it gives them the opportunity to focus on a project which is all their own - a very satisfying experience, and one that cannot always be had in industry.
  • to gain some experience in teaching through working as a teaching assistant.
What's it like?
Requirements
Funding
How to start

Research in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science


Salary Expectations with a Graduate Degree

A graduate degree is a worthwhile investment. The 1998 members' salary survey of Professional Engineers Ontario gives the following figures for average engineer's salaries with different levels of education (for more details see web site):
  • BASc: $68 600
  • MASc: $73 900 (+8%)
  • PhD : $81 600 (+19%)
These may seem like fairly modest increases, but in terms of lifetime earnings a graduate degree pays for itself very handsomely.


What's the life of a grad. student like?

Very different from being an undergrad. There are few courses (except in an M.Eng programme), and most of your work is thesis research, which can include lab experiments, designing and debugging equipment and instrumentation, computer simulations, reading, and researching the literature. Many students attend conferences and present papers on their work, and some research projects involve work in industry or government labs. Your thesis work will be guided by your supervising professor, who plays a major role in mentoring your studies and research, and will usually (but not always) originate the topic of your thesis. You have much more independence than an undergraduate. You can also start any time - most programmes will admit students in the Fall, Winter or even Summer semesters.


What are the requirements?

To be admitted to graduate studies you need a minimum CGPA of 6 (7 for a PhD) and recommendations from two professors. We offer three graduate degrees:
  • the Master of Applied Science (MASc).
    This is a research-based master's degree, whose main component is the research project and thesis. Only 6 courses are required. This degree typically takes about 2 years to complete.

  • the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)
    A master's degree primarily based on course work, and requiring 9 courses plus a 9 credit project. This is much less popular than the MASc. It is intended primarily for people who want to strengthen their knowledge in a particular area, but are not interested in research and development. You cannot get into a PhD programme with an M.Eng degree.

  • the doctorate (PhD).
    This is again a research degree, and is based on three courses plus a major research thesis. It is the gateway to senior research positions in industry and government as well as to university careers. It takes typically 3 - 4 years to complete.

Some institutions have different names for their master's degrees - for example, the name M.Eng is sometimes used for a thesis master's as well.


How can I pay for it?

Most graduate students (except in the M.Eng programme) have some degree of financial support, so you won't necessarily be adding to the mountain of debt you've piled up doing your undergraduate degree. There are a number of means of financing:
  • Scholarships

    The main graduate scholarships are:
    Applications for all these must be submitted in early October, and the scholarships are awarded late March.

  • Teaching assistantships

    Most MASc and PhD students get TA's. These involve up to 10 hours work per week assisting a professor in a course by demonstrating labs, leading tutorials, and grading. A 10 hour per week TA for one semester pays $3,000.

  • Research assistantships

    These are paid from the research funds of the supervising professor, and the amount depends on the professor and project.

Funding is usually not available to M.Eng students.


Do I need to have a brilliant original idea to be accepted?

No - professors usually have a variety of research topics for which they are looking for students, and all that you need is to decide what area or topic you're interested in. Most graduate students get started in their research this way. If you do have an original topic that you want to work on, you will have to find a professor willing to supervise it, and you will probably need funding from a scholarship, because most professors' funds are earmarked for specific projects of their own.


OK - I'm interested - how do I start?

Start by deciding what areas interest you and find out who is working in that area. Use the Web to find out what professors are working on, then contact professors with whom you might want to work to see if they're accepting new students. If possible, visit the professor(s) you're interested in and talk to their graduate students. Then you can fill out the necessary application forms. It's best to have an agreement with a specific professor before you apply - if you don't, your file will typically circulate among professors in the department in search of a supervisor and you may not be accepted as quickly.


Last updated: