ECE Undergraduate Advising

This subject area focuses on the application of engineering techniques to medicine and life sciences. Biomedical engineers advance medical technology by developing instrumentation and methods of diagnosis of diseases, models of biological mechanisms, prosthetic devices, rehabilitation techniques, imaging systems and improvement of patient healthcare.

Biomedical Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Biomedical Focus the three (3) required courses must be taken. In addition, one (1) of the three Biomedical Group A Elective courses must be taken, and a further (1) course from either the Biomedical Group A or Biomedical Group B elective courses must be taken. To complete the program requirements, two (2) additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Computer Engineering standard program.

Required Biomedical courses

• ECE 4610 Biomedical Instrumentation and Signal Processing
• BIOL 1410 Anatomy of the Human Body
• PHYS 2600 Electromagnetic Field Theory

Biomedical Group A elective courses

• ECE 4860 Biomedical Optics
• PHYS 3220 Medical Physics and Physiological Measurement
• PHYS 4300 Microfluidics for Biology

Biomedical Group B elective courses

• BIOL 1412 Physiology of the Human Body
• MBIO 1220 Essentials of Microbiology
• BIOE 3320 Engineering Properties of Biological Materials
• BIOE 4610 Design of Assistive Technology Devices

Admission into the Max Rady College of Medicine

This focus area may be of particular interest to students wishing to pursue post-graduate studies in medicine. For specific information on application to the College of Medicine, please consult the Max Rady College of Medicine section of the Academic Calendar.

This subject area involves the specification, analysis, design and optimization of architectures, algorithms and protocols, and operation/maintenance/management of communications systems and networks, including both wired and wireless networks.

Computer Networks and Communications Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Computer Networks and Communications Focus the required course must be taken. Three (3) of the seven Computer Networks and Communications Technical Elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, two (2) additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Computer Engineering standard program.

Required Computer Networks and Communications Focus course

• ECE 4260 Communications Systems

Computer Networks and Communications Technical Elective courses

• ECE 4250 Digital Communications
• ECE 4520 Simulation and Modeling
• ECE 4540 Wireless Networks
• ECE 4870 Computer Communication Networks
• COMP 3010 Distributed Computing
• COMP 4580 Computer Security

This subject area involves the analysis, design, and implementation of algorithms, hardware, and software to form subsystems capable of performing one or many dedicated functions, often in real time, in many applications.

Embedded Systems Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Embedded Systems Focus the required course must be taken. Three (3) of the eight Embedded Systems Technical Elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, two additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Computer Engineering standard program.

Required Embedded Systems course

• ECE 4150 Control Systems

Embedded Systems Technical Elective courses

• ECE 3630 Real-time Embedded Systems *
• ECE 3770 Digital Systems Design 2
• ECE 4180 Introduction to Robotics
• ECE 4440 Computer Vision
• ECE 4560 Modern Computing Systems
• ECE 4610 Biomedical Instrumentation and Signal Processing
• ECE 4740 Digital System Implementation
• COMP 3020 Human-Computer Interaction 1
• COMP 4580 Computer Security

* If ECE 3630 is selected as a focus area elective, this course may not be used to satisfy other program requirements.

This subject area involves entrepreneurship and business fundamentals for students who students who may be interested in starting their own engineering design or consulting business.

Entrepreneurship Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Entrepreneurship Focus the prescribed courses must be taken. Two (2) of the five Entrepreneurship Elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, two (2) additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Computer Engineering Standard Program.

Prescribed Entrepreneurship courses

• MECH 3170 Project Management
• ENTR 2020 Starting a New Business *

Entrepreneurship Elective courses

• ENG 4110 Operational Excellence
• ENTR 3060 Creativity and Entrepreneurial Thinking
• ENTR 3070 Innovation Management
• ENTR 3102 Technological Entrepreneurship
• ENTR 4100 New Venture Analysis

* NOTE: In addition to satisfying focus area requirements, ENTR 2020 also meets the general program requirement for one complementary studies elective.

This subject area involves the analysis, design, and implementation of electronic and computer controlled mechanical systems.

Mechatronics Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Mechatronics Focus the prescribed courses must be taken. Two (2) of the five Mechatronics Technical Elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, one (1) additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Computer Engineering Standard Program.

Prescribed Mechatronics courses

• ECE 4150 Control Systems
• ECE 4180 Introduction to Robotics
• MECH 4900 Mechatronics System Design

Mechatronics Technical Elective courses

• ECE 3720 Electric Power and Machines *
• ECE 4160 Control Engineering *
• ECE 4370 Power Electronics *
• ECE 4440 Computer Vision
• ENG 4100 Operational Excellence

* NOTE: Computer Engineering students are limited to a maximum of two (2) Electrical Engineering elective courses in their program.

This subject area involves the analysis, design, and implementation of software systems.

Software Engineering Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Software Engineering Focus the required course must be taken. Three (3) of the eight Software Engineering Technical Elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, one (1) additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Computer Engineering standard program.

Prescribed Software Engineering course

• COMP 3350 Software Engineering 1

Software Engineering Technical Elective courses

• ECE 3750 Systems Engineering Principles 2
• ECE 4530 Parallel Processing
• COMP 3010 Distributed Computing
• COMP 3020 Human-Computer Interaction 1
• COMP 3380 Databases: Concepts and Usage
• COMP 4350 Software Engineering 2
• COMP 4580 Computer Security
• COMP 4710 Introduction to Data Mining

This subject area focuses on the application of engineering techniques to medicine and life sciences. Biomedical engineers advance medical technology by developing instrumentation and methods of diagnosis of diseases, models of biological mechanisms, prosthetic devices, rehabilitation techniques, imaging systems and improvement of patient healthcare.

Requirements

To complete the Biomedical Focus Area, students are required to take a total of six (6) courses. Of these, five  replace general technical elective and one is in place of the natural science elective in the Electrical Engineering program. To complete the program requirements, two (2) additional courses must be selected from the technical electives listed in the Electrical Engineering standard program.

Biomedical Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Required Biomedical courses

• ECE 4610 Biomedical Instrumentation and Signals
• ECE 4830 Signal Processing 2
• BIOL 1410 Anatomy of the Human Body
• One additional course from the list of Group A Qualified Design Elective Courses in the Electrical Engineering standard program
• One course selected from Biomedical Group A Elective courses
• A second course selected from Biomedical Group A Elective courses or one course selected from Biomedical Group B Elective courses

Biomedical Group A Elective courses

• ECE 4860 Biomedical Optics
• PHYS 3220 Medical Physics and Physiological Measurement
• PHYS 4300 Microfluidics for Biology

Biomedical Group B Elective courses

• BIOL 1412 Physiology of the Human Body
• MBIO 1220 Essentials of Microbiology
• BIOE 3320 Engineering Properties of Biological Materials
• BIOE 4610 Design of Assistive Technology Devices

With permission of the department, students may substitute additional Group A or Group B Elective courses for either of their two remaining Electrical Engineering technical elective courses.

The ECE department cannot guarantee space or ensure against time slot conflicts regarding courses taught by other departments/faculties.

Admission into the Max Rady College of Medicine

This focus area may be of particular interest to students wishing to pursue post-graduate studies in medicine. For specific information on application to the College of Medicine, please consult the Max Rady College of Medicine section of the Academic Calendar.

This subject area focuses on devices and components used in wireless communication systems. Applications include personal communication systems, wireless devices, vehicular and aircraft communications and radar, satellite systems, and remote sensing and sub-surface imaging. Topics range from fibre optics, lasers, antenna systems, microwave circuitry and microelectronic devices.

Communication Devices Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Communication Devices focus, the three (3) prescribed courses must be taken. Two (2) of the five Communication Devices Technical Elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, two (2) additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Electrical Engineering standard program.

Prescribed Communication Devices courses

• ECE 4270 Antennas
• ECE 4290 Microwave Engineering
• ECE 4250 Digital Communications or ECE 4830 Signal Processing 2

Communication Devices Elective courses

• ECE 4250 Digital Communications
• ECE 4280 Engineering Electromagnetics
• ECE 4430 Design of RF Devices and Wireless Systems
• ECE 4580 Optoelectronics
• ECE 4830Signal Processing 2

This subject area offers students advanced courses in physics, in addition to the core and elective courses in Electrical Engineering. The additional content provides students with greater understanding of physics fundamentals. The range of applications overlap with many electrical engineering specialties, and also may include optics and lasers, solid state physics and microelectronic devices, quantum physics and nanotechnology.

Engineering Physics Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

In the standard Electrical Engineering program, seven technical elective courses and one natural science elective are required. To complete the Engineering Physics focus area, students are required to take a total of seven (7) courses, including the four (4) required Engineering Physics courses. Three (3) further courses must be taken from the list of Engineering Physics Elective courses. To complete the program requirements, one (1) additional course must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Electrical Engineering standard program.

Required Engineering Physics courses

• ECE 4270 Antennas
• ECE 4580 Optoelectronics
• PHYS 2386 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity
• PHYS 2650 Classical Mechanics 1

Engineering Physics Technical Elective courses

• ECE 4860 Materials Characterization
• PHYS 2260 Optics
• PHYS 3220 Medical Physics and Physiological Measurement
• PHYS 3386 Quantum Mechanics 2
• PHYS 3430 Honours Physics Laboratory
• PHYS 3570 Physics of Materials 1
• PHYS 3650 Classical Mechanics 2
• PHYS 3670 Classical Thermodynamics
• PHYS 3680 Statistical Mechanics
• PHYS 4520 Introduction to Solid State Physics
• PHYS 4590 Advanced Optics
• PHYS 4646 Electro- and Magnetodynamics and Special Relativity
• PHYS 4680 Statistical Mechanics

The ECE department cannot guarantee space or ensure against time slot conflicts regarding courses taught by other departments or faculties.

Recognized physics/math course equivalencies for transfer students from physics

• MATH 1300 Vector Geometry & Linear Algebra
• MATH 2720 Multivariable Calculus
• PHYS 1070 Waves and Modern Physics
• PHYS 2600 Electromagnetic Field Theory
• PHYS 2390 Theoretical Physics 1
• PHYS 2490 Theoretical Physics 2

Students having completed the above recognized courses, will be considered to have achieved content equivalencies provided by the following required courses in the electrical engineering program.

• MATH 1210 Classical and Linear Algebra
• MATH 2130 Engineering Mathematical Analysis 1
• MATH 2132 Engineering Mathematical Analysis 2
• MATH 3132 Engineering Mathematical Analysis 3
• PHYS 2152 Modern Physics for Engineers

This subject area involves entrepreneurship and business fundamentals for students who students who may be interested in starting their own engineering design or consulting business.

Entrepreneurship Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Entrepreneurship Focus the prescribed courses must be taken. Two (2) of the five Entrepreneurship Elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, students must select three (3) additional courses from the list of Qualified Engineering Design Electives and one (1) further Technical Electives from the Electrical Engineering Standard Program.

Prescribed Entrepreneurship courses

• MECH 3170 Project Management
• ENTR 2020 Starting a New Business *

Entrepreneurship Elective courses

• ENG 4110 Operational Excellence
• ENTR 3060 Creativity and Entrepreneurial Thinking
• ENTR 3070 Innovation Management
• ENTR 3102 Technological Entrepreneurship
• ENTR 4100 New Venture Analysis

* NOTE: In addition to satisfying focus area requirements, ENTR 2020 also meets the general program requirement for one complementary studies elective.

This subject area involves the analysis, design, and implementation of electronic and computer controlled mechanical systems.

Mechatronics Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Mechatronics Focus the two (2) prescribed courses must be taken. Two (2) of the five Mechatronics Technical Elective courses must also be taken. To complete program requirements, students must select three (3) additional electives from the Qualified Engineering Design Electives and/or Technical Electives in the Electrical Engineering standard program.

NOTE: Of the seven (7) prescribed and elective courses taken, three (3) MUST be selected from the Qualified Engineering Design Electives list.

Prescribed Mechatronics courses

• ECE 4180 Introduction to Robotics
• MECH 4900 Mechatronics System Design

Mechatronics Technical Elective courses

• ECE 4160 Control Engineering
• ECE 4240 Microprocessor Interfacing
• ECE 4370 Power Electronics
• ECE 4440 Computer Vision
• ENG 4100 Operational Excellence

This subject area focuses on concepts and systems used in the generation, transmission, delivery, utilization, storage and control of electric power and energy. Topics include electrical power generation and transmission; electric machines, drives and power electronics; high voltage systems; planning, operation, security and protection of power and energy systems; renewable energy systems.

Power and Energy Systems Focus Area Summary and Flowchart (PDF)

Requirements

To complete the Power and Energy Systems Focus the four (4) prescribed courses must be taken. One (1) of the two Power and Energy Systems technical elective courses must also be taken. To complete the program requirements, two (2) additional courses must be selected from the elective courses listed in the Electrical Engineering standard program.

Prescribed Power and Energy Systems courses (All are required)

• ECE 3650 Electric Machines
• ECE 4300 Electrical Energy Systems 1
• ECE 4370 Power Electronics
• One additional course from the list of Group A Qualified Design Elective Courses found in the Electrical Engineering standard program.

Power and Energy Systems Technical Elective courses (Choose 1)

• ECE 4310 Electrical Energy Systems II
• ECE 4360 High Voltage Equipment Testing

ECE 3560 Electric Machines is a prerequisite for other courses in this focus area. Therefore, it is recommended that students take ECE 3650 prior to their final year.