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 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.

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

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