Future students

The department administers two Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree programs

Systems Design Engineering

In systems design engineering, the focus in the early semesters is on building up a base of general engineering knowledge, as well as knowledge and experience with design methodology that can be applied broadly. Students can then take technical electives and work on advanced design projects in areas that are of particular interest to them, such as mechatronics, intelligent systems, human-computer interaction, systems modelling, and alternative energy.

Biomedical Engineering

In biomedical engineering, within your first year, you'll take foundational courses combining biology with applied sciences and engineering. You will begin to think about how to best approach solving health-related problems and gain the science and math skills to develop tools for medical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Utilizing engineering solutions, you will design innovative technologies – from new diabetic monitoring and cancer-imaging systems to the design of rehabilitation equipment. For further information on Biomedical Engineering, click here.

Systems innovations require an understanding of not just technology, but also humans, the environment and the interfaces between these systems elements. In Systems Design Engineering, you’ll gain a strong foundation in several traditional engineering disciplines, focusing on design methodology and systems-driven thinking. Graduates use their interdisciplinary leadership skills to create solutions for both small-scale and large-scale challenges. By graduation, you’ll be equipped to tackle society’s toughest engineering problems, from robotics and user interface design to managing environmental systems, creating comprehensive and groundbreaking solutions for a better world. This requires technical, modeling and analysis skills and knowledge of social science, ethics and the contexts within our systems. 

Each term students engage in design workshop courses that involve devising solutions to problems using specific approaches. Working in teams, students learn to implement their solutions by creating, testing, and evaluating prototypes. We offer repeated opportunities to grow "design thinking". 

Our program utilizes industrial engineering methods as part of its core curriculum, such as operations research, human factors and ergonomics, information management, and project management.  

Students choose a specialization in upper years to include additional areas of interest such as:  

• Human Factors and Interfaces 

• Intelligent and Automated Systems  

• Physical and Mechatronics Systems 

• Societal and Environmental Systems 

For their Fourth Year Design Project, known as a Capstone Project, students choose the problem space of their interest. The main problem spaces students have historically chosen to work in include: 

• Biomedical 
• Everyday needs 
• Research and industrial collaboration 

For more information about the Systems Design Engineering program, check out our Fall Open House Presentation.