Set yourself up for an electrifying future.
Behind just about every advance in information, power, and energy, you’ll find an electrical engineer. Join the ranks of those innovators with a degree from Waterloo.
You’ll study the fundamentals of electromagnetism, circuits, algorithms, and instrumentation. You'll also gain hands-on experience starting right in first year, thanks to paid co-op work terms and some of the best electrical engineering 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.
Build electric cars
Join one of Waterloo’s student design teams where you’ll design, build, and race electric cars in North American and global competitions.
Showcase your ideas
An annual design symposium gives you the opportunity to show your fourth-year project to the public — as well as potential employers and investors!
In your final year, you'll have the opportunity to participate in a design symposium, where you'll be able to show off your fourth-year project to the public, including potential employers and investors.
About the Electrical Engineering program
Gain 2 years of experience in the co-op program
Apply directly to this program on your application
Earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree
Engineering school in Canada (US News & World Report 2018)
Offered through the Faculty of Engineering
Students earn $17,800 on average per co-op term
Electrical Engineering admission requirements
- Ontario students: 6 Grade 12 U and/or M courses including
- Advanced Functions (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
- Calculus and Vectors (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
- Physics (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
- Chemistry (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
- English (ENG4U) (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
- Admission averages: Individual selection from the low to mid-90s
- An Admission Information Form is required
- Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements
First-year Electrical Engineering courses
September to December
GENE 191 - Communication in the Engineering Profession
ECE 105 - Classical Mechanics
ECE 150 - Fundamentals of Programming
ECE 190 - Engineering Profession and Practice
MATH 115 - Linear Algebra
MATH 117 - Calculus 1 for Engineering
Workplace Hazardous Materials Milestone*
January to April or May to August
ECE 102 - Information Session
ECE 106 - Electricity and Magnetism
ECE 108 - Discrete Mathematics and Logic 1
ECE 124 - Digital Circuits and Systems
ECE 140 - Linear Circuits
ECE 192 - Engineering Economics and Impact on Society
MATH 119 - Calculus 2 for Engineering
* Milestones and courses with deadlines for successful completion are shown in the terms where they are normally completed. Work-term report courses (WKRPT 201, WKRPT 301, WKRPT 401) are considered milestones with deadlines for successful completion
After first year
See the range of courses available in Electrical and Computer Engineering. You can also view all the courses required for your degree.
Sample upper-year Electrical Engineering courses
ECE 260 – Electromechanical Energy Conversion
ECE 309 – Introduction to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
Gain relevant work experience through co-op
By alternating school terms and paid co-op work terms throughout your degree, you can explore new career areas and types of employers as your career interests evolve.
Sample co-op job titles
- Web Solution Developer - eCommerce
- Junior Power Electronics/Firmware field trial
- Web Developer
- Software Developer
- Technical Assistant
- Junior Developer/Business Analyst (Notes & Web Developer)
- Information Technology Analyst
Sample co-op employers
- Velcro Canada Inc
- Blue Heron Systems
- Western Financial Consulting
- The Economical Insurance Group
- Evertz Microsystems Ltd
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- The Michener Institute
Careers in Electrical Engineering
Recent graduates
- Design Engineer, Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
- Software Developer Engineer, Amazon.com
- Camera Design Engineer, Apple
- Audio Technology Developer, BlackBerry Limited
- Electrical Control & Design Engineer, Control System Innovators Corp
- Solutions Engineer, Sandvine Corporation
- Design Engineer, J&B Engineering Inc
- Engineering Specialist, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc.
- Energy Analyst, Toronto Hydro Corporation
- Embedded Software Engineer, Motorola Solutions
Possible professional designation
Helpful links
- Visit the Electrical Engineering website
- Related program: Computer Engineering
