Degree planning and enhancement

Degree planning

The current requirements for completing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Systems Design Engineering (including including Complementary Studies Electives, Technical Electives and Professional Development courses) are listed in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Students admitted in a prior year can find their degree requirements in the Academic Calendar Archives.


Electives - Winter 2026

BME Courses

  • BME 399 – Directed Biomedical Research Project (department consent required)
  • BME 499 – Elective Biomedical Research Project (department consent required)
  • BME 522 - Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
  • BME 530 - The Health Care System
  • BME 540 - Neural and Rehabilitation Engineering

SYDE Courses

  • SYDE 499 — Elective Research Project (department consent required)
  • SYDE 522 — Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
  • SYDE 534 — Electric Energy Systems
  • SYDE 542 — Interface Design
  • SYDE 543 — Cognitive Ergonomics
  • SYDE 556 — Simulating Neurobiological Systems
  • SYDE 573 — Introduction to Pattern Recognition
  • SYDE 575 — Image Processing
  • SYDE 577 — Deep Learning
  • SYDE 599 — Special Topics in Systems Design Engineering

STV Courses

  • STV 212 — Technology and Society in Film
  • STV 302 — Introduction to Technology and Society

Degree enhancement

In addition to receiving a professional engineering degree, Waterloo Engineering offers several ways for you to further enhance your degree and gain valuable experience.

Options

Options are intended to provide you with a path to expand your degree and are a specified combination of courses that provide a secondary emphasis in another subject or a career-oriented area. As a Systems Design Engineering student you may be interested in: an Artificial Intelligence Option, a Biomechanics Option, an Entrepreneurship Option or a Software Engineering Option.

Specializations

A specialization is intended to formally recognize on your diploma a focused selection of elective courses within Systems Design Engineering.