Electrical Engineering

Power the future

Students in the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Waterloo.

Our modern world is built on electricity. Learn to harness its power to create the next generation of electronics, sensors, and information networks. Your career will be super-charged by a degree from Waterloo. We're ranked 18th in the world for electrical engineering (Academic Rankings of World Universities 2023).

You’ll study the fundamentals of electromagnetism, circuits, algorithms, and instrumentation. You will be able to specialize in a range of technologies such as power generation and clean energy, electric vehicles, Internet of Things, quantum computing, integrated circuit design, and machine learning.

You'll also gain hands-on experience starting right in first year, thanks to paid co-op work terms and some of the best student labs in North America.

When you graduate, you’ll have hundreds of career paths open to you, from designing power stations and aircraft control systems to pioneering the future of microprocessors and telecommunications systems.

Program highlights

Energize the world. Learn to design, create, and integrate more efficient and reliable technologies, like wind turbines, GPS devices, hybrid cars, communication systems, and other circuits and systems.

Smart power. With one of the largest power energy research groups in North America, Waterloo is home to leading experts in photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and smart grids.

Offered as a co-op program only
Graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering
Offered by the Faculty of Engineering

Why Waterloo Engineering?

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With its renowned co-op program and a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem, Waterloo Engineering is one of the world’s top engineering schools. You'll have access to emerging technologies, innovative professors, and world-class facilities.

What will you learn?

During your first year, you'll take a mix of electrical and computer engineering, math, and communication courses. In upper years, most of the classes you'll take will be Electrical Engineering courses.

Learn more about the classes you'll take for your Electrical Engineering degree.

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Questions? Ask a student!

Ask a Faculty of Engineering student about their program, classes, getting involved on campus, and more!

Co-op = relevant paid work experience

Waterloo's co-op program, the largest in North America, is an amazing way to explore potential careers, learn to interview for jobs, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Sample co-op job titles

PCB hardware designer
Electrical engineering sensor developer
Hardware design engineer
Artificial intelligence undergraduate researcher
Test systems engineering
Electrical engineer intern
Hardware designer
Junior designer - electrical

Co-op work-study sequence

Starting in first year, you'll normally alternate between school and work every four months, integrating your classroom learning with real-world experience. You can return to the same employer for a couple of work terms to gain greater knowledge and responsibility or work for different employers to get a broad range of experience.

Your first work term will be halfway through first year (January to April 2025).

Year	September to December (Fall)	January to April (Winter)	May to August (Spring)
First	Study	Co-op	Study
Second	Co-op	Study	Co-op
Third	Study	Co-op	Study
Fourth	Co-op	Study	Co-op
Fifth	Study	Study	-

or after first year (May to August 2025).

Year	September to December (Fall)	January to April (Winter)	May to August (Spring)
First	Study	Study	Co-op
Second	Study	Co-op	Study
Third	Co-op	Study	Co-op
Fourth	Study	Co-op	Study
Fifth	Co-op	Study	-

There are two options for co-op sequences. You can request your preference if you receive an offer of admission.

Learn more about co-op →

What can you do with a degree in Electrical Engineering?

Waterloo Electrical Engineering graduates often pursue careers in software development, manufacturing, telecommunications, aerospace, and more. They often work for engineering firms, technology companies, and manufacturing companies.

Recent graduates

Hardware Engineer – Intel
Electrical Designer – Mulvey & Banani International
Business Technology Analyst – Deloitte
Programmer – Kubra Data Transfer
Software Engineer – Dropbox
Application Specialist – Ceridian
Engineering Product Management – IBM Canada

Possible professional designation

Professional Engineer

Learn about the future of careers in engineering.

Student life, including Women in Engineering

Student design teams

Have fun and develop hands-on experience through one or more of our 25+ student-led design teams! Design teams include rocketry, concrete canoe, robotics, solar car, submarine racing, autonomous vehicle, Space X Hyperloop, Engineers Without Borders, and more.

You’ll meet people with similar interests and goals, benefit from networking with experts in the engineering profession, and develop some great skills for your résumé.

Women in Engineering

Women in Engineering (WiE) supports female students and engineers while encouraging the next generation of women to pursue careers in engineering.

Any student is also welcome to join Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (WiSTEM), a student-run club that promotes equality in STEM through skills workshops, discussions, and guest speakers.

Engineering Society (EngSoc)

EngSoc is run by students for students and provides many social and academic events and services to make your experience as a Waterloo Engineering student the best it can be.

Benefit from mentoring for first-year students or get involved and meet other students through an annual conference, semiformal, career fair, charity events, community outreach, and much more!

Campus-wide activities

Our campus is packed with opportunities to get involved – no matter how unique your interests. Between our 200+ student-run clubs, sports and recreation opportunities, student government, and events, student life at Waterloo has something for everyone.

"I love the breadth and depth of content... everything from physics to CPU design! Going through the program as a class is awesome, it creates a tight-knit family among classmates which you can rely on for help - academically and personally."Kunal, second-year Electrical Engineering student