Mechanical Engineering

Put your career in gear.

If you love things that move, this is your program. At Waterloo, you’ll develop the skills you need to design everything from switches to spacecraft.

You’ll get a broad foundation in all aspects of mechanical design: mechanics, power, control, and manufacturing. You’ll also learn to lead large, multidisciplinary teams, solve problems, and come up with high-impact innovations.

Where you use those skills is up to you. Mechanical engineers work in all kinds of fields, constantly looking for ways to make machinery faster, lighter, cleaner, and more reliable.

And with 2 years of career-relevant experience on your résumé by the time you graduate, you’ll definitely impress potential employers.

Get your hands dirty

At Waterloo, you'll have access to well-equipped labs for design and experimentation (including our highly popular engine dissection lab).

Put the pedal to the metal

Gain hands-on experience with student teams that design everything from Formula SAE race cars and solar cars, to clean snowmobiles, submarines, and satellites.

Student welding with sparks flying

Customize your skills by choosing to specialize in areas such as fluid mechanics, materials engineering and processing, welding and joining, automation and control, or thermal engineering in your fourth year.

About the Mechanical Engineering program

breifcase Gain 2 years of experience in the co-op program

click Apply directly to this program on your application

grad cap Earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree

Engineering school in Canada (US News & World Report 2018)

Gears Offered by the Faculty of Engineering

Money flower Students earn $17,800 on average per co-op term

Mechanical 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)
- Chemistry (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
- Physics (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 database

First-year Mechanical Engineering courses

September to December

ME 100 - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Practice 1
CHE 102 - Chemistry for Engineers
MATH 115 - Linear Algebra for Engineering
MATH 116 - Calculus 1 for Engineering
PHYS 115 - Mechanics

January to April or May to August

ME 100B - Seminar
ME 101 - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Practice 2
ME 115 - Structure and Properties of Materials
GENE 123 - Electrical Circuits and Instrumentation
MATH 118 - Calculus 2 for Engineering
1 Complementary Studies Elective Course

After first year

See the range of courses available in Mechanical Engineering.
View all the courses required for your degree.

Sample upper-year courses

ME 250 – Thermodynamics 1
ME 321 – Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines
ME 435 – Industrial Metallurgy
ME 547 – Robot Manipulators: Kinematics, Dynamics, Control

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.