Academic curriculum in Computer Engineering

Student walking
The curriculum is designed to teach fundamental physical and engineering sciences that form the basis of the work of computer engineers. It looks like this:

  • prescribed core courses,
  • five technical elective courses,
  • two natural sciences elective courses, and
  • four complementary studies elective courses.

The normal recommended program involves a course load (excluding seminars and work reports) of five or six courses per term. Laboratory exercises are compulsory where they form part of a course. Approval from the Department is required for departures from this recommended program. Permission to carry more than the normal load in any one term is at the discretion of the Department and is dependent on both the student's previous term average and cumulative average.

The first three academic terms: Each cohort is a blend of electrical and computer engineering students – these students share all courses in the first three academic terms.

The next three academic terms: two shared core courses, two program-specific courses, and one elective of each student's choice.

The last two years: all electrical and computer engineering students merge again to take their chosen technical electives in each student's own personal areas of focus.

There are six co-operative work terms and the normal rules of Co-operative Education apply, as further described in the Engineering Co-op section. With permission, the requirement for co-operative work terms may be reduced by one four-month work term.