Welcome to Spring 2026 – Important PhD Program Reminders

Course requirements for PhD students:

A minimum of 4 graduate-level courses is required for a PhD student holding a MASc degree or equivalent.

• At least 2 of these courses must be selected from the list of approved core courses in your approved area of specialization, as specified in your letter of admission, unless you have already fulfilled this course requirement during a University of Waterloo ECE MASc program.
• The remaining 2 courses may be taken outside the Department, but must be from the Faculties of Engineering, Mathematics, or Science.
• All PhD students are required to take a minimum of 2 ECE courses toward their degree requirements.
  • Core courses may be applied toward this 2-course minimum. The supervisor must approve course selections.
• It is expected that candidates will maintain a minimum cumulative average of 78% in their coursework. To obtain credit, an individual course must be passed with a minimum grade of 75%.

Milestone requirements:

PhD Comprehensive Background Examination

• Detailed ECE-specific Comprehensive Background Examination information
• The examination will be held before the end of the third term, or the fourth term if continuing from an incomplete MASc. The main objective of this examination is to satisfy the Department that the candidate has a broad knowledge of their field and a thorough technical background to pursue their research. Candidates will also be questioned on their background preparation.

PhD Comprehensive Proposal Examination

• This examination will be held before the end of the sixth term, or the seventh term if continuing from an incomplete MASc.
• A research proposal is a report of no more than 50 pages, including tables, diagrams, and references. The proposal will identify the research problem, review the relevant literature, describe the tasks planned to solve the problem, and propose a timetable for the completion of the project and the defence of the PhD thesis.

PhD seminar:

• The seminar will provide you with experience in preparing and presenting your work.
• The seminar must be held no later than the end of the third year, or ninth term, or tenth term if from an incomplete MASc.

Thesis and defence:

• The thesis topic is determined by the student and supervisor(s), in consultation with an advisory committee. The proposed research program is also evaluated during the Comprehensive Proposal Examination.

Students enrolled in either a collaborative or direct-entry PhD program should consult the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar for their degree requirements.