Go beyond your program’s degree requirements and milestones to explore where your studies can take you. Whether you pursue a future career in Academia, Industry, or want to build your own start-up, Waterloo Engineering has supportive programs to help you get there.
Focus on one career path, or explore them all
You can explore the different professional development activities that can lead you to a variety of careers in diverse industries.
The vast number of workshops, training sessions, conferences, certificates, and experiential programming at your disposal will help you pave your path to success and support your individual career development.
Academia
Enhance your skills and gain the experience that can help you start your career as a professor, teacher or researcher at any university or college.
University of Waterloo has a reputation in academia; our world-renowned faculty members and graduate researchers are known for solving problems that change the world we live in.
TEACHING INSTRUCTION COURSES
Develop and strengthen your teaching skills:
> Fundamentals of University Teaching (FUT)
> Certificate of University Teaching (CUT)
Offered through the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
GRADUATE STUDIES RESEARCH TRAVEL ASSISTANTSHIP
Apply for funding to attend professional conferences and present your research
Offered through UWaterloo's Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) and the Graduate Studies Endowment Fund (GSEF)
MITACS STEP
Training and skill development in:
> Project management
> Interpersonal and entrepreneurial skills
Offered through Co-operative Education & Centre for Career Action, partnered with Mitacs Step
WRITING AND COMMUNICATIONS WORKSHOPS
Attend grad specific workshops on:
> Grad Writing Cafe
> Dissertation Boot Camp
> Speak like a Scholar
> Fundamentals for Writing your Thesis
> Support for Postdoctoral Fellows as Writers
> Support for Predoctoral Fellows as Instructors
Offered through the Writing and Communication Centre
VOLUNTEER WITH ENGINEERING OUTREACH
Gain experience and give back to the community
Offered through Engineering Community Outreach
BECOME A TEACHING ASSISTANT OR SESSIONAL LECTURER
Teaching assistantships offer graduate students the chance to support the learning of undergraduates while building skills that will support them in their own academic careers.
THREE MINUTE THESIS COMPETITION (3MT)
Develop and refine your presentation and research communication skills in the 3 Minute Thesis Competition (3MT)
Compete in the Engineering division, with the chance to move on to the university, provincial and national level
ACADEMIC INTERVIEW WORKSHOPS
Become better prepared for an academic interview. Learn about a typical campus interview schedule, how to analyze interview questions, and evaluate and develop effective responses.
Offered through Co-operative Education & Centre for Career Action
WRITING INSTRUCTION COURSES
Attend workshops on a variety of communication-related topics throughout the term that are designed to help students engage with a particular topic through participation and practice.
Offered through the Writing and Communication Centre
LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE
The Student Leadership Program (SLP) is a broad-based, experiential series of workshops available to current students.
Offered through the Student Success Office
ACADEMIC CAREER CONFERENCE
Full-day conference to better prepare you for the academic work search, including document and interview preparation as well as advice and insights from faculty members.
Offered through the Centre for Career Action
TEACHING ASSISTANT TRAINING
ExpecTAtions is a mandatory two-day workshop for students who wish to become a Teaching Assistant. Students who attend and successfully complete all required components receive a certificate noting their achievement.
Offered through the Faculty of Engineering's ExpecTAtions course
Industry
Build your network and develop transferable skills that are highly sought-after by top employers.
Waterloo Region is one of Canada's leading technology hubs; it's a place where industry-leading businesses thrive. Many of our graduate students research solutions for relevant problems in industry and our faculty members are well connected and develop lasting partnerships with key industry players.
CAREER EXPLORATION WITH A GRADUATE CAREER ADVISOR
Meet with one of the two career advisors who specialize in graduate students' career development
Offered through the Centre for Career Action
CAREER FAIRS AND INDUSTRY NETWORKING
Attend on campus industry events and networking opportunities
Offered through the Centre for Career Action
THREE MINUTE THESIS COMPETITION (3MT)
Develop and refine your presentation and research communication skills in the 3 Minute Thesis Competition (3MT)
Compete in the Engineering division, with the chance to move on to the university, provincial and national level
MITACS STEP
Training and skill development in:
> Project management
> Interpersonal and entrepreneurial skills
Offered through Co-operative Education & Centre for Career Action, partnered with Mitacs Step
CENTRE FOR CAREER ACTION GRADUATE WORKSHOPS
Attend workshops covering topics such as:
> Parallel Career Planning
> Translating Academic Experience to Industry
Offered through the Co-operative Education & Centre for Career Action
CONFERENCE FOR NON-ACADEMIC CAREERS
Take part in conferences designed to better prepare PhD students and post docs for careers outside of academia
Offered through GRADventure Professional Skills initiative
VOLUNTEER WITH ENGINEERING OUTREACH
Gain experience and give back to the community
Offered through Engineering Community Outreach
WRITING INSTRUCTION COURSES
Attend workshops on a variety of communication-related topics throughout the term that are designed to help students engage with a particular topic through participation and practice.
Offered through the Writing and Communication Centre
Build a start-up
Access the space, tools resources and mentorship you need to take your idea from product creation to commercialization.
In the pursuit of tackling real-world problems through their research, many of our graduate students turn their solutions into real businesses. Local incubator programs, coupled with a thriving start-up ecosystem make Waterloo the spot where entrepreneurial dreams become a reality.
WRITING AND COMMUNICATIONS WORKSHOPS
Attend grad specific workshops on:
> Grad Writing Cafe
> Dissertation Boot Camp
> Speak like a Scholar
> Fundamentals for Writing your Thesis
> Support for Postdoctoral Fellows as Writers
> Support for Predoctoral Fellows as Instructors
Offered through the Writing and Communication Centre
MITACS STEP
Training and skill development in:
> Project management
> Interpersonal and entrepreneurial skills
Offered through Co-operative Education & Centre for Career Action, partnered with Mitacs Step
ACCELERATOR CENTRE WORKSHOPS
The Accelerator Centre is an award-winning startup accelerator dedicated to building and scaling sustainable, globally competitive companies and giving startups the highest probability of long-term success.
Learn more about services offered through Accelerator Centre
VOLUNTEER WITH ENGINEERING OUTREACH
Gain experience and give back to the community
Offered through Engineering Community Outreach
GRADUATE STUDIES RESEARCH TRAVEL ASSISTANTSHIP
Apply for funding to attend professional conferences and present your research
Offered through UWaterloo's Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) and the Graduate Studies Endowment Fund (GSEF)
VELOCITY
A one-stop-shop for all things entrepreneurship:
> Velocity Workshops
> Velocity Garage incubator
> Velocity Residence
> Start-up coaching
Learn more about how Velocity can support you
TAKE BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND TECHNOLOGY COURSES
The Conrad School is the academic engine for entrepreneurship on campus, offering programs that are entrepreneurial by design.
Offered through the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business
ENTREPRENEURSHIP WORKSHOPS
Learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur through on-going workshops hosted in partnership with Velocity .
Offered through Co-operative Education & Centre for Career Action
CONFERENCE FOR NON-ACADEMIC CAREERS
Take part in conferences designed to better prepare PhD students and post docs for careers outside of academia
Offered through GRADventure Professional Skills initiative
LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE
The Student Leadership Program (SLP) is a broad-based, experiential series of workshops available to current students.
Offered through the Student Success Office
THREE MINUTE THESIS COMPETITION (3MT)
Develop and refine your presentation and research communication skills in the 3 Minute Thesis Competition (3MT)
Compete in the Engineering division, with the chance to move on to the university, provincial and national level
Student stories
Mohammed Nasser
While pursuing his PhD, Mohammed discovered a passion for teaching, starting as a Teaching Assistant with a dream of becoming a teacher. He leveraged the professional development resources on-campus to help him turn that passion into a fulfilling career as an Instructor and Lab Developer at University of Waterloo.
Mohammed earned numerous teaching awards throughout his graduate career, including the Amit & Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional teaching by a student and was included each term on the Dean’s List for outstanding teaching.
"My success is largely due to the many options offered free of charge to all students. These opportunities have greatly enriched my study and career here at UWaterloo." - Mohammed Nasser, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Anjie Liu
Anjie Liu, a civil engineering graduate student, is using simulation software to help traffic controllers decrease vehicle emissions. Her research leverages technology and data from Miovision, a world-leading company in smart cities.
This past year, Anjie competed in the University's 3MT competition. Participating in this competition helped her develop presentation and communication skills, while providing invaluable networking opportunities.
Have any questions? Contact us!
Connect with us
Get in touch with an engineering grad studies representative today! They'll be able to help you with:
- Finding the right type of graduate program
- Providing information about different professional development opportunities
- Our application process and procedures