What's it really like to study engineering at Waterloo?

Engineering is the process of using math, science, creativity, and design to solve real-world problems. While high school science courses often focus on understanding how the world works, engineering is about applying that knowledge to create solutions. 

For example, in a chemistry class, you might learn how different materials react with one another. An engineer might use that knowledge to develop a more sustainable battery. In physics, you might study forces and motion. An engineer could apply those concepts to design a safer bridge, a more efficient vehicle, or a robotic system. 

Engineering is about much more than math and science. You also develop skills in teamwork, communication, project management, and design while solving real-world challenges. 

At Waterloo Engineering, all our programs are direct entry, which means you'll apply to and begin studying your chosen engineering discipline right from first year. Because of that, class schedules vary by program, and students start taking discipline-specific courses from day one. 

The example below shows a typical first-year Mechanical Engineering schedule. Most Engineering students spend a significant amount of time in class each week, with a mix of lectures, tutorials, labs, and seminars. While no two days are exactly alike, many first-year students are on campus from roughly 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a lunch break mid-way through the day. 

Monday

• 8:30 to 9:20 a.m. — Linear algebra lecture
• 10:30 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. — Intro to mechanical engineering practice tutorial
• 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. — Lunch
• 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. — Calculus lecture
• 3:30 to 4:20 p.m. — Mechanics lecture

Tuesday

•  8:30 to 10:20 a.m. — Linear algebra tutorial
• 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. — Mechanics tutorial
• 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. — Lunch
• 1:30 to 2:50 p.m. — Intro to mechanical engineering practice lecture
• 3 to 4:20 p.m. — Chemistry lecture

Wednesday 

• 8:30 to 9:20 a.m. — Linear algebra lecture
• 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. — Chemistry tutorial
• 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. — Lunch
• 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. — Calculus lecture
• 3:30 to 4:20 p.m. — Mechanics lecture

Thursday

• 8:30 to 11:20 a.m. — Intro to mechanical engineering practice lab
• 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. — Lunch
• 1:30 to 2:50 p.m. — Intro to mechanical engineering practice lecture
• 3:00 to 4:20 p.m. — Chemistry lecture

Friday

• 8:30 to 9:20 a.m. — Linear algebra lecture
• 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. — Calculus tutorial
• 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. — Lunch
• 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. — First year engineering seminar
• 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. — Calculus lecture
• 3:30 to 4:20 p.m. — Mechanics lecture

­In first year, most of your courses are required and provide a foundation in math, science, and engineering design. In upper years, you'll have opportunities to enrich your degree by taking electives that align with your interests and career goals. 

While Waterloo Engineering students spend a significant amount of time in the classroom, learning extends well beyond scheduled class hours. Independent study, group projects, design work, and extracurricular involvement are all important parts of the Engineering student experience. Developing strong time management skills helps students balance their academics with the many opportunities available outside the classroom.

Engineering courses use a combination of lectures, tutorials, labs, and seminars, each designed to help you learn in a different way. 

• Lectures: where professors introduce new concepts and course material. 
• Tutorials: smaller sessions focused on practice problems, questions, and review. 
• Labs/studios: hands-on opportunities to apply concepts through experiments, coding, testing, and design. 
• Seminars: discussion-based sessions focused on professional skills, teamwork, communication, and career development.

Together, these learning environments help students develop the technical and professional skills needed to become engineers.

Absolutely! At Waterloo Engineering, design experiences begin as early as first year. Many programs include courses where you work in teams to tackle open-ended problems, develop solutions, and create prototypes. As you progress through your degree, projects often become more complex and may involve designing software, developing products, conducting experiments, building devices, or solving real-world challenges provided by industry and community partners. 

You can also gain hands-on experience outside the classroom through Waterloo's many student design teams. Whether you're interested in building a race car, designing a satellite, developing a solar-powered vehicle, creating medical technologies, or programming autonomous systems, design teams provide opportunities to apply what you're learning while collaborating with other students. 

In your final year, you'll complete a capstone design project, where you'll work with a team to solve a complex engineering problem and present your solution. For many students, this project brings together everything they've learned throughout their degree. 

While every engineering discipline is different, one thing they all have in common is that you don't just learn about engineering, you practice it. 

One of the things that makes Waterloo Engineering unique is the opportunity to gain extensive paid work experience through our world-renowned co-op program.  

Engineering students are required to complete five out of six possible work terms to graduate. Because of these co-op work terms, Waterloo Engineering programs take five years to complete. However, you'll still spend the equivalent of four years studying, with the additional time dedicated to gaining hands-on professional experience. By graduation, you’ll have accumulated up to two years of paid work experience, giving you valuable insight into your field before beginning your full-time career. 

A typical co-op work term lasts four months, though co-op sequencing varies by program. One question we often hear from future students is what it's like to switch between school and work every four months. While it can take some adjustment at first, many students come to appreciate the variety. Study terms allow students to build new knowledge and skills in the classroom, while co-op terms provide an opportunity to apply that learning in a professional setting. Students often return to campus with a better understanding of how their coursework connects to real-world engineering challenges, and each work term can help shape future academic and career goals. 

For many students, co-op is more than just work experience. It's an opportunity to test-drive potential careers, apply classroom concepts to real-world challenges, and graduate with a résumé full of meaningful experience. 

Yes! Waterloo Engineering gives students plenty of ways to connect. One of the biggest is the cohort system. A cohort is a group of students in the same program who take their required courses together. You see the same classmates in lectures, labs, tutorials, and team projects, which makes it easy to get to know people, form study groups, and feel supported as you move through the term.

Outside class, friendships often grow from shared experiences. Students meet people during Orientation, in residence, through clubs and design teams, at intramural games, in cultural groups, and at student events. Some students find community through hands-on projects, others through performance groups or sports, and many through engineering organizations such as the Engineering Society, Women in Engineering, the National Society of Black Engineers, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and EngiQueers. These spaces help students connect with peers who share their interests, identities, or goals.

Engineering is busy, but students still make time for the activities that make campus life meaningful. Some explore several groups, while others find one space that becomes their home base. Moments like building something together, meeting people who feel like instant friends, and discovering where you belong often become some of the most memorable parts of the degree. 

Engineering can be challenging, and it's normal to need support from time to time. The good news is that Waterloo offers a wide range of resources to help you succeed, whether you’re looking for academic guidance, wellness support, or help navigating university life.

To support you as you transition from high school to university, Waterloo Engineering has a dedicated First-Year Engineering Office. The office includes academic advisors and the First-Year Tutoring Office, providing support as you adjust to university life.

Beyond first year, you’ll have a program-specific academic advisor, and professors and teaching assistants (TAs) are available to answer questions about course content, assignments, and exams. You can also access counselling and mental health supports, peer support programs, wellness resources, and accommodations through AccessAbility Services when needed.

One of the most valuable sources of support is often other students. Because engineering students move through their programs in cohorts, many form study groups, share resources, and help one another work through challenging concepts.

While engineering is challenging, Waterloo Engineering students have a strong track record of success. In the 2025–26 academic year, 96 per cent of first‑year students progressed to their second term, and 93 per cent continued to their second year. In addition, 90 per cent of Engineering students graduate within seven years, compared to the Ontario average of 82 per cent. These results reflect the hard work of our students and the academic, personal, and professional support available throughout their degree.

Asking for help is a normal part of the university experience, and reaching out early can make a big difference. Whether you need assistance understanding a course, balancing your workload, or adjusting to life at university, there are many people and resources available to support you throughout your engineering journey. 

Every engineering student's experience is unique, but there are a few things that many students say surprised them after starting university.

Students are often surprised by how much teamwork is involved, the strong sense of community within Engineering, and how quickly they begin applying what they're learning through projects, design teams, labs, and co-op. Many also discover that engineering involves much more than math and science. Communication, creativity, leadership, and project management are just as important as technical knowledge. 

While engineering can be challenging, many students find the combination of hands-on learning, practical experience, and community makes it a rewarding experience.