Price Faculty of Engineering

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has come a long way since the start of the BSc degree program in electrical engineering in 1907. Now included among the best in Canada for both our education quality and research contributions, we offer two fully accredited undergraduate programs and three nationally and internationally recognized graduate level programs.

Our faculty and staff
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Computer Engineering Program Changes

Computer Engineering program requirements have been updated effective Fall 2024. A transition plan is available for continuing students.

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Study with us

Electrical and computer engineers are the professionals who design, improve and apply the electrical devices and systems that we use in our day-to-day lives.

In Manitoba, there are hundreds of companies employing electrical and computer engineers. Whether you're interested in automation, communications, computers and technology, embedded systems, energy, health, machine learning and AI, or almost any other field of study, a degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering from the University of Manitoba will serve you well in pursuing a successful career.

Programs of study

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers programs tailored to aspiring engineers, mid-career professionals and cutting-edge researchers alike.

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PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Doctoral Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering requires students to complete an original contribution to the field. Mentored by your advisor, your degree will culminate in a written thesis and oral defence. Along the way you will have the opportunity to collaborate with world-leading researchers and use state-of-the art research facilities.

Undergraduate student resources

As an ECE undergraduate student, you can take advantage of opportunities and supports from academic focus areas to student groups.

Graduate student resources

Electrical and Computer engineering students can access opportunities, supports and resources from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Price Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and UM.

MEng Program requirements

The Master of Engineering (MEng) program is meant to satisfy the particular needs of students and practicing engineers wishing to extend their studies on a broad basis of coursework and an engineering project. The coursework requirements and project are decided by the academic advisor.


The M.Eng. program requires a minimum of 24 credit hours of advisor-approved coursework as follows:

  • Minimum 9 credit hours at or above the 7000 level from the ECE department.
  • Maximum 9 credit hours of elective courses from the ECE department at or above the 4000 level and a maximum of 12 credit hours from other departments at or above the 3000 level.
  • Final Project GRAD 7050 (6): the student is required to complete and defend an advisor approved engineering project. The effort involved in this project should be at least the equivalent of six (6) credit hours of coursework.

Transferring Credits:

  • A maximum of 1/2 the credit hours may be transferred into the M.Eng. program with approval from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
  • Credit hours may only be transferred from another degree program from a recognized university where a degree has not been awarded.
  • Credit hours must relate directly to the student's degree program.
  • Credit hours may not have been used for any other degree.
  • Approval of courses for transfer is required and is done by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

MSc Program requirements

The Master of Science (MSc) program in ECE is a thesis based program.

M.Sc. Course Requirements
A program of study consisting of a minimum of 12-credit hours of
coursework at or above the 7000-level, with a minimum of 6-credit hours from ECE, and the remainder from ECE or other departments. The
coursework-based program of study must be approved by the advisor and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

M.Sc. Research and Thesis: A Master of Science Thesis is required.

  1. Student must submit a Research Proposal for approval by the Student's Academic Advisor.
  2. After approval for the research proposal the student may begin their research under the guidance of their Academic Advisor.
  3. The student must produce a thesis (in consultation with the Academic Advisor) to be distributed to the student’s examining committee upon approval of the Academic Advisor.

Please consult the supplemental regulations for complete details. 

PhD Program requirements

Please consult the Supplemental Regulations for detailed information regarding PhD program requirements.

All students must complete one of the following programs of study for the Ph.D. degree: 

  1. M.Sc. degree holders in Electrical or Computer Engineering who have been admitted directly into the Ph.D. program:
    • Minimum of 12 credit hours of Advisory Committee-approved course work is required;
    • 7000 level or higher;
    • At least 6 of the 12 credit hours must be from ECE.
  2. B.Sc. degree holders in Electrical or Computer Engineering who are recommended for transfer into the Ph.D. program from the ECE M.Sc. program at this university:
    • Minimum of 24 credit hours of Advisory Committee approved course work is required:
    • 9 credit hours must be at or above the 7000 level;
    • 6 credit hours may be taken from another Department at or above the 3000 level; or 4000 level elective courses from the ECE department.
    • At least 12 of the 24 credit hours must be from the ECE Department.
    • Credit may be given for approved course work completed at the M.Sc. level. If MSc was not awarded, then courses may be transferred up to 50% of Ph.D. coursework load.
  3. Honours Bachelor Degree or Equivalent with a minimum of 24 credit hours plus a thesis is required, plus:
    • 18 credit hours at the 7000 level or higher;
    • the balance (6 credit hours) of the coursework at the 3000 level or above;
    • At least 12 of the 24 credit hours must be from the ECE Department.

For those students who do not hold a Master’s degree, a maximum of 48 credit hours of course work is allowed toward the Ph.D. program. Please consult the supplemental regulations for complete details. 

Supplemental Regulations

Finding a graduate studies advisor

Before submitting an application for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, you must first find a faculty advisor who will accept you into their research group. The advisor will initially review your academic background, research intent, previous experience and CV and may grant tentative acceptance into the program.

To find an advisor prior to application, you must contact a faculty member whose research area aligns with your own interests. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty members, and links to their research areas, can be found on the faculty and staff page. Please contact faculty members by email, and include the following:

  • A current CV including publications, posters and conference participation; honours, awards and acknowledgements; and jobs pertaining to the field
  • Copies of all post-secondary transcripts
  • A one-page statement of research intent summarizing your proposed research project. If you have several research interests, please customize your statement for each faculty member you are interested in working with.

If you do not hear back in about eight weeks, that professor may not be interested in your application at this time.

Please note that tentative acceptance from an advisor does not guarantee admission into the program.

Research

Faculty and students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering conduct world-class research in the fields of applied electromagnetics, biomedical engineering, communications, computer architecture and software systems, embedded systems, machine learning and AI, micro- and nano-electronics, power apparatus and systems, renewable energy, sensors and materials, and signal and image processing.

Research facilities

Advanced RF Systems Laboratory

CMC Microsystems (CMC), the University of Manitoba and leaders from industry, government and academia officially opened the Advanced RF Systems Laboratory–the second of four specialized test labs in Canada’s unique $23-million National Microelectronics and Photonics Testing Collaboratory. The estimated value of the RF Lab located at the University of Manitoba is more than CAN$1.9 million. It represents a key building block in Canada’s ‘cyber-infrastructure’, bringing world-class test capability and expertise from Winnipeg to hundreds of microsystems researchers across the country.

Researchers at 21 Canadian universities will use this world-first virtual laboratory and its interactive, multimedia connections to access some of the best available test tools and technologies in the world. Together, the labs that comprise the Collaboratory will address one of the main roadblocks facing university researchers: access to sophisticated and costly equipment required to test and validate high-performance microsystems; a prerequisite for moving new, multi-disciplinary discoveries to market more quickly. Managed by CMC, this pan-Canadian initiative will ultimately provide companies a competitive edge in the multi-billion dollar microsystems and photonics sectors. The future applications of these technologies will benefit all Canadians.

“The Collaboratory brings scientific research into the 21st century,” says Dr. Brian Barge, President and CEO of CMC Microsystems. “Regardless of physical location, researchers will have access to the same advanced capabilities to validate concepts faster, thereby increasing their R&D output and narrowing the gap between technology development and market deployment. Microsystems technologies enable products and services in all sectors from health care to aerospace, energy, automotive, environment, and information and communications.”

“Through the Internet–specifically CA*net 4, a high speed network managed by CANARIE–remote researchers will have the same virtual control as if they were actually in the lab performing the test by hand,” says Dr. Greg Bridges, Principal Investigator of the Advanced RF Systems Lab, and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba. “Remote researchers will not only be able to control the test equipment signals and collect measurement data, they will also be able to remotely visualize the chip as seen through a microscope and position the probes used for testing.”

For more information, contact G. Bridges.

Applied Electromagnetics Laboratory

The Applied Electromagnetics Laboratories has two anechoic chambers in the frequency range of 500 MHz to 50 GHz for antenna research. The larger one is equipped with an automated data acquisition and compact range measurement system; the smaller one has a near-field scanning system. In addition, to the anechoic chambers, there is an outdoor antenna measurement range, which is equipped for testing large antenna units. The microwave area has two laboratories for high frequency circuit design and measurements research. The measurement laboratory has a Wiltron 360 network analyzer for measurements up to 65 GHz.

Biomedical Engineering and Signal Processing Facility

The Biomedical Engineering and Signal Processing Facility consists of four laboratories. The Instrumentation Laboratory located on the UM Fort Garry Campus includes an anechoic chamber, commercial and custom-designed acoustic signal acquisition facilities, 3D printer, high precision electronic equipment, and virtual reality equipment. The other three laboratories are located at Riverview Health Center (Princess Elizabeth Building) are the TMS Laboratory, EVestG Laboratory, and Sleep Laboratory.

  • The TMS Lab includes a MagsTim Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) facility along with Brainsite Neuronavigation equipment, Transcranial Direct/Alternating Current Stimulation (tDCS/tACS), Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and several iPADs with MindTriggers app for daily usages as treatment tools.
  • The EVestG Lab includes Electrovestibulography facility along with its anechoic chamber and associated hearing test equipment.
  • The Sleep Lab includes, a sleep chamber, and two CleveMed polysomnography (PSG) facilities for sleep apnea monitoring, as well as rhinometry equipment.

Computationally Intelligent Systems and Signals Laboratory

The Computationally Intelligent Systems and Signals Laboratory researches the design of intelligent systems (both hardware and software), data acquisition and classification of data using a number of technologies commonly associated with computational intelligence; namely, fuzzy measure theory, fuzzy sets, fuzzy Petri nets, granular computing, neural networks and, especially, rough neural networks, rough Petri nets, and rough sets. Research in software and hardware system design and measurement using CI technologies is aided by a number of tools such as Rosetta, Rough Set Exploration System (RSES), DesignCPN, and Matlab.

High Voltage Power Transmission Research Laboratory

The McMath High Voltage Laboratory is the largest of its kind among Canadian universities and is equipped with apparatus for the generation and measurement of high ac, dc, or transient voltages. The Laboratory is also equipped with advanced partial discharge analysis systems and an electrostatic voltmeter. The research conducted in the McMath High Voltage Laboratory involves experiments on insulation diagnostics, partial discharge identification and classification, as well as developing simulation models for transient simulation of high voltage systems.

Contact: Dr. Behzad Kordi 

Microprobe and Microfabrication Laboratory

The Microprobe and Microfabrication Laboratory is a well-equipped laboratory with three faculty members. Topics of interest include scanning probe microscopy, micromachining and microfabrication, semiconductor manufacturing, and high frequency microelectronics and microwave circuit testing. Probe microscopy systems include tunnelling (STM), ultra high vacuum STM, atomic force (AFM), resistive (SRM), capacitive (SCM), and dynamic electrostatic force microscopes used for in situ IC testing. CAD platforms include four SUN Ultra workstations, two Pentium III computers, and G3 and G4 Macintosh computers. CAD tools used are Cadence, L-EDIT and MEMSPro for IC design, and Libra, Spice, Ensemble and HFSS for high frequency modelling. RF test equipment includes 50 GHz sampling scopes, a 6 GHz Network Analyser and on-wafer probing facilities. Microfabrication capabilities include a cleanroom, thermal evaporation, 3 inch mask aligner, wet etching, oxidation furnaces, electroplating, UHV system, and an inspection microscope. Equipment to be added in the years 2000-2001 includes a 1000 sq. foot cleanroom, 6 inch two-sided mask aligner, ICP plasma etching, XeF2 etching, RF sputtering, E-beam evaporation, Alpha-Step surface profiler, 50 GHz millimetre wave probe station, and a wafer saw.

Nano-systems Fabrication Laboratory (NSFL)

The NSFL is an open access cleanroom micromachining lab established to provide nano-system R&D and prototyping to university and industry researchers. As a central facility, the NSFL links multidisciplinary researchers from many university departments. This 4000 sq. ft. laboratory possess over $4 million of nanofabrication infrastructure, providing a comprehensive suite of state of the art equipment and software for MEMS fabrication, analysis, and testing.

The NSFL has assisted many research groups from across the UM campus, and several outside industry and organizations. Over 300 professors, students (ranging from high school to Ph.D. level), and industry personnel have used the NSFL. Some of the supported research projects have included:

  • MEMS for telecommunications
  • Gas sensors for industrial and agricultural applications
  • Nanoelectronic sensor systems
  • Microsensors for magnetic and electric field measurement
  • Ultra-thin dielectrics for nanoelectronics
  • Microfluidic biosensor for cell diagnostics
  • Conducting polymer-based nanoelectronics
  • Magnetic, thermal, and electrostatic microactuators
  • Micromolding and electroplating
  • Coatings for liquid crystal research
  • Microfluidics for industrial cooling
  • Thin film coatings for synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy
  • Inkjet deposition technologies
  • Adaptive mirror technologies
  • MEMS for power systems applications

Learn more about the NSFL

Power Systems and Machine Laboratories

The Power Systems and Machine Laboratories are well equipped with several workstations, a real time digital power system simulator (developed at the HVDC Research Centre), a large variable frequency supply, and several well instrumented machine sets. Facilities for developing DSP-based controllers and protection devices are available.

Research groups

Academic staff within the department have formed several collaborative research groups.

Contact us

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
E2-390 EITC
75 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5V6, Canada

umece@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9603