Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Systems Design Engineering

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A Master of Applied Science (MASc) degree is ideal for the recent graduate or professional who wishes to expand their engineering knowledge through advanced study and research. Applicants are not required to have a supervisor at the time of application. Review the below MASc program information before starting your application. Full details are available on the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

Program details
  • 4 courses
  • Original research
  • Thesis
  • 2 years (6 terms)
  • Full-time and part-time study available
  • Students may choose to pursue up to 2 of the following Graduate Research Fields:
    • Biomedical Engineering
    • Human Factors and Ergonomics
    • Machine Learning and Intelligence
    • Mechatronic and Physical Systems
    • Modelling, Simulation and Systems Theory
    • Optimization and Decision Making
    • Societal and Environmental Systems
    • Vision, Image and Signal Processing

Admission Requirements
  • An Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with at least an overall 75% standing from a recognized university.

Documents required

Application deadlines

Begin your application at least two weeks prior to the deadlines below to give your referees enough time to submit references on your behalf, and to ensure you have enough time to upload the documents required.

Application submission is currently open for the following start dates:

Program start Complete your application by
Fall term - September 2024 February 1, 2024
Winter term - January 2025 June 1, 2024
Spring term - May 2025 October 1, 2024

ALL required documents must be uploaded by the deadline date. We recommend you upload your documents within two weeks of receiving your Waterloo ID Number so we can begin reviewing your application package.

Note: Admission decisions are not made on a first-come first-served basis.

Finding a supervisor

MASc applicants must be accepted by a faculty member in order to be recommended for admission. Applicants are not required to have a supervisor at the time of application.

Before submitting your application, review the faculty profiles to determine which faculty members research interests align with your own, and to familiarize yourself with their work.

When completing your application, please list the faculty you'd like to work with in the "Potential Supervisors" field on the application.

Once you've submitted your application package, contact potential academic supervisors conducting research in your area of interest. You are not limited to contacting supervisors listed on your application. It is your responsibility to bring your performance and record to the attention of those faculty members under whom you would like to work.