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Prospective Students

The Waterloo Way

Are you ready for the Waterloo Way?

Graduate students at the University of Waterloo (UW) study with world-renowned experts, conduct leading-edge research, and fuel the University's drive to expand the frontiers of knowledge and technology.

We are dedicated to excellence, responsive to the needs of society and not afraid to do things a little differently. That's why MacLean's has named Waterloo, Canada's most innovative university, year after year. That is the Waterloo Way.

The ECE Advantage

Our department has earned a reputation as a research-intensive university, committed to generating new knowledge and finding ways to apply that knowledge. Our 80 plus faculty members have attracted about $17.9 million in research funding in 2009/2010 from federal and provincial funding (i.e. NSERC, ORF, CFI, etc) agencies as well as from industry. Our department also acquired 16 research chairs over the past five years. Our 740 graduate students match that excellence. These numbers are increasing quickly and we anticipate continued growth.

Dynamic Research Environment

As a student in the Department of Electrical and computer Engineering (ECE) you could collaborate with world-class researchers from UW's Institute for Quantum Computing, makers of the largest quantum computer prototype built to date - or the renowned Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, home to some of of the world's most promising physicists. Or join one of the multidisciplinary teams driving new UW research initiatives in nanotechnology and sustainable energy.

Our department promotes a collaborative, risk-taking culture that helps to move ideas into the economy. UW's "creator-owns-it" intellectual property policy has made us a leader in technology transfer and creator of spin-off companies. Many local high-tech firms can trace their roots back to ECE.

As a researcher in ECE, you will have a wealth of industrial contacts - both collaborators and potential employers. Learn more about our industrial partnerships.

Facilities

Supporting our research are some of the largest and best equipped research facilities in Canada. We use facilities such as, the MEMS fabrication clean room and state-of-the-art RF testing laboratory in the Center for Integrated RF Engineering (CIRFE); the photovoltaic material synthesis, cell and module fabrication laboratories in the Center for Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Systems (CAPDS); the state-of-the-art generators and insulations diagnostic instrumentation in the new High Voltage Engineering Laboratory; and the advanced flexible electronics fabrication and nanoelectronic device integration facilities in the Giga-to-Nano (G2N) laboratory. Construction has begun on the new Quantum/Nanotechnology building to support pioneering research and our recent Nanotechnology program.

Graduate Studies Funding

We are committed to attracting and rewarding outstanding students like you, with competitive funding. All of our graduate research students are fully funded. We offer exceptional scholarship packages. We recognize that top students often bring major scholarships with them. If you hold a tri-council (NSERC/SSHRD/CIHR) or provincial (OGS) scholarship, or if you are awarded one while studying at UW, you will receive the President's Graduate scholarship. We also offer excellent fellowships to outstanding international students. Please inquire.

When considering Graduate Studies:

  • UW's ECE faculty hold several Canada Research & Industrial Research Chairs
  • Top graduate students are fully funded. We offer excellent supplementary scholarship packages for holders of OGS or NSERC graduate scholarships. If you have received a scholarship, please contact us for more details.
  • We offer fellowships for top domestic and visa students.
  • We have strength in areas of Communication, Energy Systems, Electronics, VLSI and Devices, Machine Intelligence, Computer and Software Engineering, Microwave and RF, as well as many others.
  • We have committed resources to the emerging disciplines of Nanotechnology, and Quantum Computing (in partnership with the Institute for Quantum Computing).
  • We have excellent partnerships with industry companies and major Canadian industry companies.
  • Our researchers own 100% of their intellectual property.
  • The City of Waterloo was one of the world's Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2006.

For info or to apply on-line:
http://www.grad.uwaterloo.ca/students/applyingonline.asp

Or contact: Graduate Admissions Administrator