ECE Department FAQs
ece.mcmaster.ca
What programs are available in the ECE department and how difficult are they to get into?
Electrical , Electrical and Management, Electrical and Society, Electrical and International Studies –
minimum GPA last year: 6.0 for Electrical, others a little higher.
Computer, Computer and Management, Computer and Society, Computer and International Studies
– minimum GPA last year: 4.0, others a little higher.
Electrical and Biomedical – minimum GPA approx 8.0 (top 40 students who apply).
What is the job situation for ECE graduates?
For 2009 the number of job postings for Electrical Engineering (including Biomed) was 284;
Computer Engineering was 277; Next highest department was 138 (this was a recession year with
fewer jobs available).
For 2012 the number of job postings for January, May and September: Electrical Engineering
(including Biomed) was 851; All Computer programs was 594; Next highest grouping was 661.
(This data was provided by the Faculty of Engineering Outreach & Community Engagement office.)
Do you have to study computer programming in ECE programs?
Yes, there are two courses in second year for all ECE programs that teach you how to program, as
well as programming in parts of other courses. Programming is a valuable tool in ECE.
If I did not do well in the electrical physics first year course, should I go into an ECE
program?
Yes, performance in Physics 1EO3 is no indication of how well you do in ECE. Many students have
excelled in their program but did badly in this course.
If I go into one of the programs in ECE but change my mind during year II can I switch to one
of the other programs for year III without losing a full year?
Yes, most programs have the same courses during year II with only one or two differences.
Switching will mean you have to take the missing courses in the following year (you will already
have taken one or two of the required Year III courses in your new program during Year II of your
previous program).
If I did not do well enough in Year I to get into Biomedical, is it possible to get into the
program later?
Yes, if you take Electrical Engineering in Year II and do very well (you obtain the equivalent GPA
to the entrance cut-off), you can make up the two missing courses in the summer and go directly into
year III Biomed.
How many math courses do I have to take?
In Electrical & Biomedical Engineering two math courses are required in second year, plus a
probability and statistics course later on. This is the same as most other engineering programs. In
Computer Engineering there is only one math course required in second year, plus the later
probability and statistics course.
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How do we decide what courses to take?
Engineering is a professional education and everyone must acquire the basic knowledge presented in
years II and III. Your Degree Audit shows you what courses you MUST take, and what courses you
CAN take. As with all courses, you must have the pre-requisites to take any course. If you are
failing the pre-requisite for a course, you can request a Pre-Requisite Waiver from the ECE
department. Some courses require Permission – this can be obtained through forms on the
ece.mcmaster.ca website or from the ECE department office.
What Electives can we take?
There are no electives in years II or III in any ECE program except for certain Complementary and
Technical Elective courses. These electives can be found on your Degree Audit or through the
Associate Dean of Engineering’s office.
Complementary Electives are non-scientific or engineering courses which have been approved by
the Faculty of Engineering, from the faculties of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Technical Electives (offered in years IV and V) are program specific courses which have been
approved by the ECE department.
For Faculty of Engineering Technical Electives, see the General Statement on the ece.mcmaster.ca /
Current Undergrads / Electives webpage.
What is the difference between Computer Engineering and Computer and Software
Engineering?
In Computer Engineering there is a concentration on hardware as well as software. In other words
computer engineers learn all about electrical circuits, whether digital or analog, and they learn how
to program these digital circuits and systems. Computer engineering is also heavily involved in
computer/computer or computer/personal device interfacing such as internet communication. There
are many circuits and electronics courses in computer engineering, so computer engineers can find
jobs in electrical engineering and vice versa.
Computing and Software Engineering (the department of CAS) offer computer science and software
engineering courses. They have far fewer hardware courses and concentrate much more and the
software side with many generalized software courses. CAS graduates cannot find employment as
electrical engineers.
What kind of jobs are available after graduating from Electrical or Computer Engineering?
There are a great number of jobs in this area all the way from power engineering, electrical vehicles,
robotics, etc., to satellite communication and cell phone design. If it requires electricity to operate,
graduates will find work in it. See above for number of jobs available.
Are there any social activities in the ECE department?
We have very active student clubs in ECE – ECES, BEAMS and IEEE. Each group offers various
activities and events throughout the year. Some events assist you with your career (like Industry
Night), and some are purely fun (like Movie Nights, billiards and paintball).
ece.mcmaster.ca
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