Written by the Faculty of Engineering
Most people know Waterloo Engineering for its reputation and academic excellence.
While those things are certainly part of the story, they only scratch the surface of what it's like to be an Engineering student here. Beyond the classroom, you'll find exciting design teams, close-knit communities, global opportunities, and traditions that make Engineering at Waterloo a truly unique experience.
Here are seven fun facts you might not know!
1. You can help build race cars, rockets, robots, and more
Engineering isn't just what happens in the classroom. Waterloo students can join dozens of extracurricular design teams that design, build, and compete with projects ranging from race cars and autonomous vehicles to rockets, satellites, and concrete canoes. Teams work out of the Sedra Student Design Centre, the largest student design facility of its kind in North America, and regularly represent Waterloo at international engineering competitions.
2. Several Waterloo Engineering programs are unlike anything you'll find elsewhere
Want to combine mechanical engineering, electronics, and software? Interested in designing materials at the nanoscale or solving complex challenges through systems thinking? Waterloo offers distinctive direct-entry programs such as Mechatronics Engineering, Nanotechnology Engineering, Systems Design Engineering, Geological Engineering, Architectural Engineering, and Management Engineering, giving you the opportunity to explore interdisciplinary fields that aren't commonly available at other universities.
3. You start Engineering with a built-in community
Engineering can be challenging, but you won't face it alone. Waterloo Engineering students move through their program with the same cohort from first year to graduation, creating a built-in community from day one. With cohort sizes typically ranging from 60 to 120 students, it's easy to get to know your classmates, form study groups, and build friendships that often last well beyond university.
4. There's a place for everyone here
Engineering can feel intimidating at first, but you won't be navigating it alone. Waterloo Engineering's dedicated First Year Office helps you adjust to university life, connect with resources, and access support throughout your first year, making the transition from high school to university a little easier. Student groups such as the Engineering Society (EngSoc), Women in Engineering (WiE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), EngiQueers, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society in Canada (AISES) help students connect with peers, find mentorship, and build friendships throughout their time at Waterloo. Along with hundreds of clubs and organizations across campus, these communities help make a large university feel a little smaller.
5. Your Engineering degree could take you around the world
Engineering is a global profession, and many Waterloo students choose to add an international experience to their degree. Through exchange opportunities with partner institutions around the world, you can study in another country, experience a different culture, and gain a broader perspective on engineering and innovation.
6. We do more than study
Engineering isn’t all equations and problem sets. Students join arts and performance groups like the Engineering Jazz Band and EngPlay, play intramural sports, and explore hobbies that have nothing to do with class. From music and theatre to sports leagues, outdoor clubs, and niche interest groups, there’s no shortage of ways to be creative, active, and connected as a Waterloo Engineering student.
7. Engineers know how to have fun
From getting your yellow hard hat during Orientation to spotting the Ridgid Tool, a 60-inch chrome pipe wrench that's become our Engineering mascot, Waterloo Engineering has some pretty unique traditions. As you get involved as an upper-year student, you can earn different hard hat colours through leadership roles during orientation. Students also take part in long-standing events like the annual Bus Push, Semiformal, or Fourth-Year Prank Day. These traditions have been around for generations and are all part of the Waterloo Engineering experience.
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