To become a student in Coding Signal Transmission (CST) laboratory you need to follow the procedure for applying to the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department of the University of Waterloo. It will be also very beneficial to first send an email to Professor Amir K. Khandani with a short description of your background. If a potential match is observed, the applicant will be contacted and may be invited for a phone interview. In general, it will be useful if you include a phone number and a proper time to reach you.
If you are interested to join CST laboratory, you need to indicate A. K. Khandani as the suggested supervisor in one of the two application forms in the specified location. If you have established contact through e-mail prior to applying, you will be usually given some tips about sending the application package such that it is received and processed quickly.
You can direct your further inquires about the admission process or check the status of your application by sending e-mail to Ms. Wendy Gauthier. She is an extremely kind lady, but she is very busy, so please keep this in mind and please be very efficient with her time. It will be helpful if you cc A. K. Khandani in any such e-mail exchanges.
After your file is complete, it will be evaluated and possibly recommended to the department for admission. Following this step, the applicant will be sent a letter of offer from the ECE department which states the details of the offer (including the financial support). If you are interested in the offer, you need to sign the letter (indicating you are accepting the conditions of the offer) and send it back. To speed up the process, you may fax the letter directly to A. K. Khandani at 519-888-4338 or scan and email it to: khandani@uwaterloo.ca.
After your signed copy of the letter of offer is received by the department, you will be recommended to the university graduate office for admission and in due time a "permit to register" will be sent to you by the university graduate office. For international students, this final "permit to register" is needed to apply for visa (the departmental letter of offer is usually not accepted for immigration purposes, however, the details can be checked with immigration authorities). After you have received your visa, it will be very wise to plan to be in Waterloo at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
Once you are accepted, if you request, you will be assigned to one of the graduate students in the lab to answer your questions about living in Waterloo, and help you with your housing and other similar matters related to your initial settlement in Waterloo (prior and/or upon your arrival). This is a service you are expected to pay back to a future student after you are well settled.