Automotive Engineering, MASc

General information

The Master of Applied Science (MASc) program in Automotive Engineering provides students with a detailed understanding of advanced technologies and processes related to automotive systems. This program allows students to study all of the main areas associated with automotive systems. These areas include scientific principles, analysis techniques and design methodologies. The program is also designed to provide students with the broad and advanced education necessary for productive careers in the public or private sectors, as well as in academia. Students develop skills necessary for clear communication and responsible teamwork and to inspire professional attitudes and ethics. This prepares them for modern work environments and lifelong learning.

Students with undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or other fields of engineering or science may apply to the Automotive Engineering graduate programs. The multidisciplinary nature of automotive systems, ranging from manufacturing and powertrains to electrical power/control systems and others, provides opportunities for students to gain broad exposure to various disciplines at an advanced graduate level.

Admission requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements for graduate studies , applicants must meet the following program-specific requirements:

• Completion of an undergraduate engineering degree in a relevant field from an accredited engineering program at a Canadian university, or its equivalent from a recognized institution.
• Overall academic standing of at least a B (GPA: 3.0 on a 4.3 scale), with a minimum B in the last two full-time years (four semesters) of undergraduate work or equivalent. B+ is preferred for MASc applicants.

Applicants must possess maturity and self-motivation. Close technical contact with a research supervisor is essential in research-based engineering programs. Prior to being accepted into the program, MASc applicants must find a faculty member who specializes in their desired area of research and who is willing to act as their research supervisor.

A current list of graduate faculty is available on the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s website.

Part-time studies

To facilitate access to all potential students, part-time studies are permitted.

Degree requirements

The main objective of the MASc program in Automotive Engineering is to prepare students for careers in research, development and advanced engineering. Graduates of the program can work as engineers in research and development in the automotive sector, companies focused in advanced technology, government agencies or other areas. They are also well prepared to continue their education and pursue a PhD degree. The objectives of the MASc program are achieved through a combination of course work, supervised research, a research seminar and a research thesis.

Students must complete five courses for a total of 15 credits and a thesis worth 15 credits for the MASc program in Automotive Engineering. The course ENGR 5300G - Automotive Engineering  is a required course for all Automotive Engineering graduate students. It gives an advanced overview of the automobile as an integrated system.

Students must also select at least two additional courses from the group of ENGR 53xxG courses (focusing on automotive engineering), plus remaining electives from the concentration areas of 50xxG, 51xxG, 52xxG, 56xxG, 57xxG, 58xxG and/or 59xxG courses. In addition to these five graduate courses, students must successfully complete ENGR 5003G - MASc Seminar for Automotive and Mechanical Engineering  and ENGR 5001G - MASc Thesis .

Undergraduate courses

In addition to the required graduate courses, students may take only one senior year undergraduate engineering course (i.e., with prefix ENGR 4xxxU) in lieu of a graduate-level course, provided they have not already taken a similar course during their undergraduate degree and the course is approved by both the student’s supervisor and the graduate program director.

Courses outside of the program

Courses in other graduate programs at the university may be taken provided that students have not taken similar courses during their undergraduate or master’s degrees and the courses are approved by the graduate program director. At least half of a student’s courses must be within their program in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. Students who wish to take courses outside of their program must gain approval from the graduate program director. Students who are uncertain about the academic background needed for a graduate course should consult the course instructor before registering for the course.

Course listing

Courses are subdivided into an automotive core area (ENGR 53xxG) and specific concentration areas of energy and thermofluids (ENGR 51xxG), mechatronics and manufacturing (ENGR 52xxG), communications and signal processing (ENGR 56xxG), software (ENGR 57xxG) and electronics and control systems (ENGR 58xxG, ENGR 59xxG).

The following list shows all courses relevant to the Automotive Engineering graduate programs:

• ENGR 5001G - MASc Thesis
• ENGR 5002G - MEng/MEngM Project
• ENGR 5003G - MASc Seminar for Automotive and Mechanical Engineering
• ENGR 5004G - MASc/MEng Directed Studies
• ENGR 5005G - Special Topics
• ENGR 5010G - Advanced Optimization
• ENGR 5012G - Advanced and Smart Materials
• ENGR 5015G - Advanced Computer Aided Geometric Design