MME Grad Student FAQs - Thinking of Applying

Find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about applying for MME graduate studies 

Studying in a Café

What is the minimum admission requirements?

The minimum grade requirement is a 75% overall standing in the last two years, or equivalent, in a four-year Honours Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, Mathematics or equivalent from a recognized university.

All individuals who meet the minimum requirements are encouraged to apply. Please note, that for all applicants without a degree in Engineering, the relevancy of your degree will be reviewed on an individual basis along with your Statement of Intent, and industry experiences. 

To learn more about the admission and program requirements, please see uwaterloo.ca/mechanical-mechatronics-engineering/graduate-students/future-students/how-to-apply.

Can I apply to the Masters program before completing my Bachelor's degree?

All students who apply before the completion of their Bachelor’s degree will be provided with an Offer of Admission with Conditions (Conditional Offer). The conditions need to be satisfied well before the start of the term to guarantee an offer of admission. 

Please review the Conditions of Admission webpage for more information

Can I update my documents after I have submitted my application?

Once your application documents have been submitted they are considered final and cannot be updated.

If you are applying to a research-based program, this also means we cannot add or remove names of potential supervisors; you are not limited to contacting only those you have listed on your application, nor does their name have to be listed on your application in order for you to communicate with them. If you have updated documents such as transcripts, publications, etc., you are welcome to attach them to your correspondence when contacting potential supervisors.

What if I can't get all of my documents uploaded by the deadline?

The deadlines are for a complete application package, meaning all documents uploaded, including references and English Language Proficiency (ELP) test scores.

Applicants are still able to upload materials after the deadline; however, if an application is incomplete at the time of review and the deadline for a complete application package has passed, a decision of Deny will be applied to the application as our graduate programs have a highly competitive applicant pool. Admissions decisions are final once applied to an application.

If you know that you cannot meet the deadline for a specific term, we encourage you to apply to a later term to ensure we can consider your application. In some cases, a faculty member can still accept you for an earlier term, and we can change the start date on your application at that time.

Can I be pre-assessed?

The process is the same for every student that applies. We can't consider or assess prospective students for admission (including offering opinions) without a completed application package. Please send your online application and include supporting documentation. 

There are many factors taken into consideration for admission to our graduate programs:

  • Previous academic record: courses taken, degree(s) received, overall standing, etc.
  • For course-based programs: your resume, references, any relevant industrial experience, and the overall strength of the applicant pool.
  • For research-based programs: previous areas of research and study, published papers (both journal and conference papers), grades, references and experience.
    • Every faculty member has limitations with respect to funding, space and time commitments; therefore, each faculty member will make every effort to select those applicants who most closely match his or her current areas of research.

Please review the Application Process, Admission Requirements, and MME Future Graduate Students - Programs web pages for more information on how to apply for graduate studies at Waterloo and the requirements for your documents.

Can you waive the application fee?

All applicants to the University of Waterloo are required to pay the non-refundable $125 CAD application fee, for each program to which they have applied. We are unable to waive the application fee.

Please visit the study and living costs web page as well as information on awards and funding. Students are also expected to have their own personal funds to cover expenses while attending university.