Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (Nanotechnology) - Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Engineering 7

Engineering 7 (E7) Building on Waterloo's East Campus.

Become a skilled problem solver, leader and innovator able to create mechanical systems and electro-mechanical designs while engaging with cutting-edge technological developments in the world of nanotechnology with the Master of Applied Science in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Collaborative Nanotechnology program.  

Whether you’re working towards a career in academia or upgrading your skills for new job opportunities, you’ll benefit from the breadth and depth of knowledge of our faculty members and will be prepared for a rewarding career that will make the world a better place. You’ll also gain perspectives on nanotechnology through excellent educational resources, a diverse network of expert instructors across the Faculties of Engineering and Science, and world-class research opportunities.

Careers pursued by MME graduates include automation, automotive, aerospace, forensics and more.  

Our co-location with the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Systems Design Engineering, and the world-class Student Design Centre promotes extensive collaboration between the three departments for the purposes of teaching, research, and providing support to our many student design teams.

Research project opportunities for this program

This research project will utilize an existing experimental set-up at the University of Waterloo's Fire Research Facility to develop medium-scale compartment fire experiments. The candidate will form a critical part of the UW Fire Research Facility team and will benefit from collaborations and discussions with partner institutions and industry within the mass timber construction and fire safety engineering sector in Canada.

This project will develop highly sensitive optical techniques to probe and quantify in-situ particle and gas emissions of Li-ion battery cells as they approach thermal runaway during their safety venting phase. Lasers and optical equipment available at the UW Fire Research Facility will be used to target the time evolution of select gas and solid species and concentrations along with particle size distributions. Resulting data from this work will be used to tailor highly sensitive low-cost sensors to enable early detection of thermal runaway.

This project will utilize high-speed imaging, lasers and instruments to evaluate explosion risk in BESS facilities. A reduced-scale enclosure with optical accessibility will be developed, with explosions simulated by recreating the gas mixtures found from thermal runaway vent gas measurements. Flame acceleration will be induced to generate turbulence by incorporating obstacles into the enclosure that are representative of battery racks in BESS enclosures. The results of this work will help inform future BESS enclosure design and gas venting strategies.

Program overview

Department/School: Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering
Admit term(s): Fall (September - December), Winter (January - April), Spring (May - August)
Delivery mode: On-campus
Program type: Collaborative, Master's, Research
Length of program: 24 months (full-time)
Registration option(s): Full-time, Part-time
Study option(s): Thesis

Application deadlines

  • February 1 (for admission in September)*
  • June 1 (for admission in January of the following year)*
  • October 1 (for admission in May of the following year)*

*NOTE: all relevant documents pertaining to your application must be uploaded within 10 business days of the date of your submission, and before the deadline, as indicated above.

Supervisors

Admission requirements

  • The Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering requires either
    • (i) a 75% overall standing in the last two years, or equivalent, in a relevant four-year honours bachelor's degree or equivalent, or
    • (ii) a 75% overall standing or equivalent, in a relevant four-year honours bachelor's degree or equivalent, as the minimum requirement for admission to a master's program for applicants educated at a Canadian institution.
  • A 75% overall standing or equivalent, in a relevant four-year honours bachelor's degree or equivalent is the minimum requirement for admission to a master's program for applicants educated outside of Canada.

Degree requirements

  • Review the degree requirements in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree.

Application materials

  • Resume
  • Statement of interest
    • A statement of maximum 500 words explaining your interest in and fit for the program you’re applying to, uploaded as a supporting document in the online application. Review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion.
  • Program-specific questions (PSQ)
    • These are questions specific to the program you’re applying to. They can be viewed once you’ve started an application and are completed through a form in the online application.
  • Transcript(s)
  • References
  • Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
    • TOEFL 80 (writing 22, speaking 20, reading 20, listening 18) IELTS 6.5 (writing 6.0, speaking 6.0)

Tuition and fees