Overview
In Engineering Physics, we create advanced materials, devices and systems based on our fundamental understanding of physics. Our faculty and students are pushing the envelope of new technologies to solve the grand challenges of the future such as energy supply, human health, and information and communications technologies.
The total time from admission to Engineering to graduation with a B.Eng. in Engineering Physics is four years, and five years for the combined B.Eng. Management or the B.Eng. Society degrees. Graduates of the program provide valuable feedback, which helps to maintain the relevance of the undergraduate curriculum to current engineering applications. One of the strengths of the Engineering Physics program is that it is very broadly based and prepares its graduates to pursue a wide range of career paths. All students in the program obtain a background in electrical science, engineering materials, classical and quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, electronics, data acquisition and handling, mathematical physics and numerical analysis. In the final two years of the program, students have the opportunity to focus on one of the four specialized areas of study. Students who are entering Level 2 of a B.Eng. program or Level 3 of a B.Eng. Management or B.Eng. Society program are able to choose an area of specialization.
Areas of Specializations:
- Biomedical
- Nuclear Engineering and Energy Systems
- Nano- and Micro-Devices
- Photonics Engineering
- Interdisciplinary
What makes this program unique?
- Using our advanced labs and design projects, students will make their own micro/nanotechnology devices.
- Using the most powerful nuclear reactor at a Canadian university, students will conduct experiments and have summer internship opportunities as assistant engineers.
- Gain real-world industry experience through our faculty’s extensive industrial connections.
“Engineering Physics makes you think outside the box and gives you the tools to learn efficiently in all sorts of different environments. It covers the fundamentals of every engineering discipline, so it becomes much easier to pick up new topics.” – Matt Vukovic, Engineering Physics and Management
B.Eng. – Specializations
The choice of specialization guides the choice of upper year technical electives. The department’s final year laboratory course provides students with an opportunity to select advanced experiments that relate to their chosen specialization.For example, they may manufacture integrated circuits, fabricate solar cells, make a biosensor, or conduct experiments with the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. An overview of some of the topics included in the specialized streams is given below:
Nuclear Engineering and Energy Systems
- energy systems
- heat transfer and fluid mechanics
- alternate energy sources
- nuclear reactor physics and chain reactions
- nuclear reactor design and analysis
- radioactivity
- interactions of radiation with matter
Nano- and Micro-Devices
- electronics
- physics of semiconductors
- microelectronic devices
- integrated circuits
- device fabrication techniques
- microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
- superconductivity
Photonics Engineering
- physics and applications of lasers
- optical instrumentation, optical sensors
- fibre optic communications systems
- electromagnetic theory
- physical optics
- semiconductor diode lasers
- biophotonics
Biomedical Engineering
- fabricate a biosensor
- build optical systems for cancer treatment
- use nanotechnology for disease detection
Admission Requirements – Level II Engineering Programs
Admission to Level II Engineering programs requires completion of all non-elective Engineering I courses with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0. All programs have limited enrolment; should there be more applicants than the limiting number in any program, admission to that program will be based on a points system, computed as the product of the Fall-Winter Average and the number of units taken in the session (a minimum of 31 units will be used in the calculation). Students who do not meet the requirements to proceed to Level II in May will have a Pending flag put on their allocation. The Pending flag will be removed in August if the student completes the requirements over the summer.
In addition, admission to a B.Eng.Mgt. program requires the completion of ECON 1B03 with a minimum grade of 5.0; an interview may also be required.
Students admitted to a B.Eng.Society program are required to submit a statement indicating the educational objectives for the focus electives.
Students seeking admission to the Engineering and Management program or the Engineering and Society program must first be admitted to the relevant department. Thereafter, they will be considered for admission to one of these two programs.
B.Eng. – Co-op and Experiential Learning
Experiential learning provides students with hands-on opportunities beyond the traditional lecture-style format to gain valuable experience.
Engineering Co-op Program
The Engineering Co-op Program is an optional program which provides you with the opportunity to work in real engineering positions before you graduate. The Undergraduate Co-op Program is administered by the Engineering Co-op and Career Services Department (ECCS).
Example Employers:
- IBM
- Hydro One
- Amec-NSS
- Hatch Associates
- Intel
- Bell Canada
- Texas Instruments
- Bombardier Aerospace
Extracurricular Activities
McMaster Engineering has many engineering clubs, teams and societies you can join to enhance your practical knowledge and soft skills, provide support, or give you the chance to explore new activities. Clubs are an enjoyable way to enrich your student life and contribute to your social development and academic success.
- Engineering Physics Society
- McMaster Rocketry Team
- McMaster Solar Car Team
- McMaster NEUDOSE Team
B.Eng. – Careers and Research
Career Paths
- Multidisciplinary Design Engineer
- Director of Business Development
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Controls Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Business Analyst
- Entrepreneur
- Project Engineer
- Optical Engineer
Research Areas
- Nanotechnology, biological and chemical sensors, biomedical engineering, and solar electricity
- Laser applications, ultrafast laser fabrication, advanced displays, optical design and instrumentation, biophotonics, advanced microscopy
- Nuclear reactor engineering and safety, thermalhydraulics, nuclear waste management
Minors
B.Eng. – Related Courses
Code | Title | Instructor | Outline | Info |
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CHALLENG 2CC3 Undergraduate | Engineering and Science for Humanity’s Critical Challenges |
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ENG PHYS Technical Elective | Technical Electives |
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ENGPHYS 2A04 Undergraduate | Electricity and Magnetism |
Sessional Instructor: TBD
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ENGPHYS 2CM4 Undergraduate | Computational Multiphysics |
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ENGPHYS 2E04 Undergraduate | Analog and Digital Circuits |
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ENGPHYS 2NE3 Undergraduate | Thermal Systems Design |
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ENGPHYS 2P04 Undergraduate | Computational Mechanics: Statics |
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ENGPHYS 2QM3 Undergraduate | Introduction to Quantum Mechanics |
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ENGPHYS 3BA3 Undergraduate | Circuits with Non-Linear and Active Components |
Sessional Instructor: Mini Thomas
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ENGPHYS 3BB3 Undergraduate | Embedding and Programming a Micro-Controller |
Sessional Instructor: Mini Thomas
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ENGPHYS 3D04 Undergraduate | Principles of Nuclear Engineering |
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ENGPHYS 3E04 / PHYSICS 3N04 Undergraduate | Fundamentals of Physical Optics |
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ENGPHYS 3ES3 Undergraduate | Introduction to Energy Systems |
Sessional Instructor: Dr. Zobia Jawed
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ENGPHYS 3H04 Undergraduate | Research Project in Engineering Physics |
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ENGPHYS 3L04 Undergraduate | Engineering Metrology |
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ENGPHYS 3NM4 Undergraduate | Numerical Methods for Engineering |
Sessional Instructor: Mahmoud Ahmed
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ENGPHYS 3O04 Undergraduate | Introduction to Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer |
Sessional Instructor: Ali Shams
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ENGPHYS 3PD4 Undergraduate | Photonic Devices |
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ENGPHYS 3PN4 Undergraduate | Semiconductor Junction Devices |
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ENGPHYS 3SM3 Undergraduate | Statistical Mechanics |
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ENGPHYS 3W03 Undergraduate | Signals and Systems for Engineering |
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ENGPHYS 4A06 Undergraduate | Design and Synthesis Project |
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ENGPHYS 4B03 / 6B03 Graduate | Biosensors – Fundamentals and Applications |
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ENGPHYS 4D04 / 6D04 Graduate | Nuclear Reactor Physics |
Sessional Instructor: Dr. Benjamin Rouben
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ENGPHYS 4H04 Undergraduate | Research Project in Engineering Physics |
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ENGPHYS 4I03 / 6I03 Graduate | Introduction to Biophotonics |
Sessional Instructor: TBD
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ENGPHYS 4MD3 / 6MD3 Graduate | Nanoscale Semiconductor Devices |
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ENGPHYS 4NE3 / 6NE3 Graduate | Advanced Nuclear Engineering |
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ENGPHYS 4P03 / 6P03 Graduate | Nuclear Power Plant Systems and Operation |
Sessional Instructor: Dr. Benjamin Rouben
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ENGPHYS 4PP3 / 6PP3 Graduate | Plasma Physics Applications |
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ENGPHYS 4QC3 / 6QC3 Graduate | Introduction to Quantum Computing |
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ENGPHYS 4S04 / 6S04 Graduate | Lasers and Electro-Optics |
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ENGPHYS 4X03 / 6X03 (Not offered 2023-24) Graduate | Introduction to Photovoltaics |
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ENGPHYS 4Z04 / 6Z04 Graduate | Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology |
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