FAQ

Find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) for Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering graduate studies.

Do you have questions that other students may want to know the answer to? Please submit your question to mme-grad-admissions@uwaterloo.ca.

Please note: we do not endorse nor are we responsible for the content contained in external links and list them here as a courtesy.

Questions are broken down into the following categories:

THINKING OF APPLYING

What is the minimum admission requirements?

The minimum grade requirement is a75%overall standing in the last two years, or equivalent, in afour-year HonoursBachelor's degree in Engineering, Science,Mathematics or equivalent from a recognized university.

All individuals who meet theminimum requirementsare encouraged to apply. Please note, that for all applicants without a degree in Engineering, the relevancy of your degree will be reviewed on an individual basis along with your Statement of Intent, and industry experiences.

To learn more about the admission and program requirements, please seeView Programs & plans (uwaterloo.ca)

Can I apply to the Master’s program before completing my bachelor's degree?

All students who apply before the completion of their Bachelor’s degree will be provided with an Offer of Admission with Conditions (Conditional Offer). The conditions need to be satisfied well before the start of the term to guarantee an offer of admission.

Please review theConditions of Admissionwebpage for more information

Can I update my documents after I have submitted my application?

Once your application documents have been submitted they are considered final and cannot be updated.

If you are applying to a research-based program, this also means we cannotaddor removenames of potential supervisors; you are not limited to contacting only those you have listed on your application, nor does their name have to be listed on your application in order for you to communicate with them. If you have updated documents such as transcripts, publications, etc.,you are welcome to attach them to your correspondence when contacting potential supervisors.

What if I can't get all of my documents uploaded by the deadline?

Thedeadlinesare for acompleteapplication package, meaning all documents uploaded, including references and English Language Proficiency (ELP) test scores.

Applicants are still able to upload materials after the deadline; however, if an application is incomplete at the time of review and the deadline for a complete application package has passed, a decision ofDenywill be applied to the application as our graduate programs have a highly competitive applicant pool. Admissions decisions are final once applied to an application.

If you know that you cannot meet the deadline for a specific term, we encourage you to apply to a later term to ensure we can consider your application. In some cases, a faculty member can still accept you for an earlier term, and we can change the start date on your application at that time.

Can I be pre-assessed?

The process is the same for every student that applies. We can'tconsider or assess prospective students for admission (including offeringopinions) without a completed application package.Please send youronline applicationand include supporting documentation.

There are many factors taken into consideration for admission to our graduate programs:

  • Previous academic record: courses taken, degree(s) received, overall standing, etc.
  • For course-based programs: your resume, references, any relevant industrial experience, and the overall strength of the applicant pool.
  • For research-based programs: previous areas of research and study, published papers (both journal and conference papers), grades, references and experience.
    • Every faculty member has limitations with respect to funding, spaceand time commitments; therefore, each faculty member will make every effort to select those applicants who most closely match his or her current areas of research.

Please review theApplication Process,Admission Requirements, andMME Future Graduate Students - Programsweb pages for more information on how to apply for graduate studies at ݮƵ and the requirements for your documents.

Can you waive the application fee?

All applicants to the University of ݮƵ are required to pay the non-refundable $125CAD application fee, for each program to which they have applied. We are unable to waive the application fee.

Please visit thestudy and living costsweb page as well as information onawards and funding. Students are also expected to have their own personal funds to cover expenses while attending university.

After You Apply

What is the status of my application?

The status of your application is always available on Quest. Review the instructionsforviewing your application statusfor more information.

Your application status will always appear as "Application"until either an "Admit" or "Deny" decision is applied. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we areunable to provide updates on the status of individual applications.

You will receive an email notification from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) once the "Admit" or "Deny" decision is available on Quest.

Where can I get a decision on my application?

The below timelines areestimates onlyand are subject to change during the review process based the complexity of each application package and fluctuating application numbers.

Please keep in mind that decisions may be available sooner;theendof the months listed below are the latest possible date we estimate decisions will be available for applications to a given term.

  • Fall Term (September): deadline for complete applications is February 1

  • Winter Term (January): deadline for complete applications is June 1

  • Spring Term (May): deadline for complete applications is October 1

How would I know if my application is complete?

You can determine if your application is complete by reviewing your Documents List on Quest.All required application documents must be marked asCompleted. Review the instructions foruploading your application documentsfor more information.

My referee has not received a received a request to submit a reference for my application. what should I do?

Referees are contacted via email at the same time that you are sent your ݮƵ ID number. Please ask your referee to check their spam/junk folders. They are also sent two reminder emails. You should verify in Quest that you have provided the correct email address.Send anemailtogradapp@uwaterloo.cawith the following information:

Subject Line: Change of Referee Email Address

ݮƵ ID Number (as sent to you via email from ݮƵ):

Program:

Term to which you have applied:

Referee Name:

Old Referee Email Address:

New Referee Email Address:

Note: If you do not have your ݮƵ ID number yet, please wait until you receive it before making this type of request.

I need to change one of my references. What should I do?

Send an email togradapp@uwaterloo.cawith the following required information:

Subject Line: Change of Referee

ݮƵ ID Number (as sent to you via email from ݮƵ):

Program:

Term to which you have applied:

Old Referee Name:

New Referee Title:

New Referee Name:

Institution:

Complete Institution address (including city/country):

Telephone:

Email Address:

Note:Changing your referees can delay processing of your application up to two weeks. If you do not have your ݮƵ ID number yet, please wait until you receive it before making this type of request.

Should I send my official documents now?

Official documents are only required if an offer of admission is made.

I have applied and paid the application fee so where is my id number?

A few business days after the processing of your application fee, you will be sent an e-mail fromgradapp@uwaterloo.cawhich will include your 8 digit (numerical only) ݮƵ ID number and further instructions on how to proceed with your application. You may wish to monitor your spam/junk folders for this e-mail.

Can I update my documents after I have submitted my application?

Once your application documents have been submitted they are considered final and cannot be updated.

If you are applying to a research-based program, this also means we cannotaddor removenames of potential supervisors; you are not limited to contacting only those you have listed on your application, nor does their name have to be listed on your application in order for you to communicate with them. If you have updated documents such as transcripts, publications, etc.,you are welcome to attach them to your correspondence when contacting potential supervisors.

International Grad Student

What average do I need from the country where I completed my previous degree?

Please refer to theInternational Admission Equivalenciesweb page for a breakdown of minimum admission requirements by country. You should meet or exceed the academic requirements listed for your country.

Where can I find information about my options if I am an international student?

Apply to study in Canada as an international student, extend your study permit and find out about working while you study or after you graduate.

What is the difference between full-time and part-time status?

Part-time is considered one course and full time is a minimum of two courses.

How can I find out if I am exempt from submitting an English Language Proficiency (ELP) score?

There are some conditions and countries that exempt international applicants from submitting an ELP test score. This information can be foundhere.

Do I need to secure a supervisor for the MEng program?

MEng is a coursework program, and therefore does not require a supervisor.

Who can I contact for more information about immigration on campus?

Visit theImmigration Consultants in the Student Success Office website.

Where can I get information about refunds, late fees, paying your fees, tax documents, fees arrangements, tuition benefit, fee schedules, University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP), general information and forms?

Visit theStudent Financial Services website.

How much are tuition fees for the year?

Information on all tuition fees can be found on theTuition Fees website.

Where can I find information on available scholarships?

For more information on available scholarships and funding opportunities, please visit theFunding graduate school website.

If I request a deferral who do I need to contact?

If you do decide to request a deferral, please send the following to yourprogram coordinator.

Name:
Student ID:
Term Admitted:
Term Deferring to:
Reason for deferral request: (Please note: deferring to studyin person is not a valid deferral reason.)Please note that all deferrals must be approved by the Associate Chair and it is not guaranteed. A student can only request a one-year deferral which is based on the term admitted.

Program Specific

What is the difference between the MEng and MASc programs?

Acourse-basedMaster’s (MEng) is intended to increase knowledge, generally to specialize technically or develop complementary skills (e.g. management). This degree is often intended for working professionals. It can help you advance your career by opening up more career opportunities in the industry and it also helps you in starting up your own business.

  • Students must complete at-least 8courses
  • Finding a supervisor isnotmandatory in order to receive an offer of admission to the MEng program.
  • Guaranteed funding doesnotapply to the MEng Coursework program, but applicants are recommended to apply for external scholarshipsother funding and scholarship opportunities.

Theresearch-basedMaster’s (MASc) will also increase technical knowledge, but additionally develops other skills related to the research project such as creativity, flexibility and analytical skills. The research focus also facilitates continuation to a PhD.It can help you advance in your career by opening up more career opportunities in the industry and academia or teaching.

  • Students must complete at-least 4courses, a master's thesis and a seminar
  • Finding a supervisor is mandatory in order to receive an offer of admission to the MASc program.
  • Guaranteed funding for incoming full-time MASc students of $18,000 per year for 2 years, with other funding opportunities like theEEF-Mvalued at up to $55,000 for over two years.

Do I have to enroll in a graduate specialization before I begin my MEng program?

No, you do not have to declare your interest or enroll in aGraduate Diploma (GDip)before you start your MEng studies. Each GDip hascore and elective courses,soensure that you are meeting the requirements prior to completing your MEng program.

For further details, please emailmme-grad-admissions@uwaterloo.ca

What is the difference between full-time and part-time status?

Part-time is considered one course and full time is a minimum of two courses.

How long is the MEng program duration?

The MEng program duration is four terms, but students may finish in three terms.

How do I find a supervisor for my MASc/PhD?

The Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering recommends you apply, upload all of the required documents, and then start contacting potentialsupervisors. Before submitting your application, we encourage you to spend time reviewing the profiles of our faculty members within your proposedarea(s) of specializationto determine those whose research would be a good fit with your proposed research. It may be helpful to read some of their publications to familiarize yourself with their work.

We recommend that you list the faculty members you are interested in working within the “Potential Supervisors” field on your application form when selecting the program. MME does not require you to communicate with a potential supervisorin order to list their name, instead we encourage you to do so. Many faculty members specifically look for applications which have their name listed as a potential supervisor, so this helps to get your application noticed. Unfortunately, we are unable to add names of potential supervisors to your application once it has been submitted.

Once you have applied and all of your documents (including references) are uploaded, approaching a potential supervisorusing the Faculty of Engineering'sContact a Faculty Memberweb formis a good next step and is the most effective way of initiating contact with a potential supervisor.

Here are some additional tips you may find helpful:

  • You are welcome to contact any faculty member in your area(s) of specialization, even if you have not listed their name on your application.
  • Use proper letter format, formal salutations – Professor/Dr. (last name) and close with “Yours sincerely” followed by your full name and contact information—don’t forget to include your 8-digit ݮƵ ID Number!
  • Let them know what program (MASc or PhD) and term you have applied to.
  • Attach your CV and current transcripts.
  • Tell them why you are interested in graduate studies, include career goals, and be sure to highlight any research or leadership skills.
  • If you have funding through one ofݮƵ’s formalized graduate studies partnerships, advise them of the source, the value and the duration.
  • Let them know why you have chosen them, why your research interests are a good match.Refer to specific published articles (by the professor) that interest you. Show your potential supervisor why you want to work with them specifically
  • Offer an opportunity for further discussion, (teleconference, video conference, or perhaps a meeting in person)

Other Questions

It appears I'm missing classes on learn. What do I do?

Review theLEARN FAQand then emailLearn Helporfor help. Please note: once you enroll successfully on Quest, it takes up to 48 hours to show up on LEARN. Course instructors are unable to solve issues, but you could email them to let them know.