Graduate Admissions

Your Vision/Your Future

Master's Degree

A candidate for the Master's degree may proceed by one of three routes: the Research Program (M.A.Sc.), the course and project program (M.Eng.), or the M.Eng. in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering.

M.A.Sc. Degree

A candidate is required to complete successfully at least four graduate half courses (or equivalent), of which at least two must be from among the 700-level graduate courses offered by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, and to prepare a thesis embodying the results of the research taken on by the candidate.

M.Eng. Degree

A candidate is required to complete successfully a program of six graduate half courses (or equivalent), of which at least four must be 700-level and up to two 600-level courses approved by the deparment; these courses may be taken on a part-time basis. Two of these 600-leel courses can be taken in the final undergraduate year at McMaster for graduate credit.

Please check the Graduate Calendar to see all courses offered at the 600-/700-level. If you're uncertain, please speak to Dr. Kiruba.

M. Eng. Degree in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering

This program is open to graduates who have maintained a minimum average of B in each year of the B.Eng. program in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University. The program consists of a minimum of three consecutive terms in which the candidate is required to complete successfully six graduate half courses (or equivalent), of which at least four must be 700 level and up to two 600 level courses approved by the department, followed by an independent study term. Two of these 600 level courses, Elec Eng 6BC4 and Elec Eng 6BE4 can be taken in the fourth undergraduate year for graduate credit. At the conclusion of the final term the candidate is required to submit and defend a report on an approved project which must demonstrate ability to carry out independent study and reach a satisfactory conclusion in an area of biomedical engineering.

Ph.D. Degree

The general requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy appear earlier in the Calendar. The minimum number of graduate courses required is four half courses (or equivalent) beyond the Master's degree, or eight half courses (or equivalent) beyond the Bachelor's degree. A candidate is also required to take the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination which is designed to test the general knowledge of both undergraduate and graduate levels of Electrical Engineering. The Comprehensive Examination will normally be attempted no later than 24 months after a student has completed a Master's degree.

Within approximately one year of commencement a Ph.D. candidate must submit a report to the Supervisory Committee outlining the proposed line of research in sufficient detail so that the Committee can decide on its suitability.

General Requirements

Candidates for the degrees of M.A.Sc., M.Eng. and Ph.D. must present a seminar on a topic approved by the Department at least once during the course of their programs. Grading will be restricted to Pass/Fail.

The thesis or report submitted by the candidate must be defended orally at the conclusion of the study.

All graduate students are required to register for ECE 790: Graduate Seminars in Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Useful Links

Application Checklist

Application for admission
2 reference letters
1 certified copy of transcript
Areas of Interest form, here
Statement (optional)
Application fee of $100 CAD (make payable to McMaster University)
- Cheques drawn on Canadian banks should also include a $15 processing fee for a total of $115.
TOEFL score of 580 or 92, if applicable
IELTS score of 6.5, if applicable
GRE not required, however results are accepted

Applications are accepted on an on-going basis for January, May, and September entry. There is no deadline. Applications are processed and considered for the next session available.

For all other information regarding Graduate Applications and Procedures, please click here.

PLEASE NOTE:

Applications are to be submitted online. Reference letters are also to be submitted online.

All other application material is to be sent to Cheryl in the ECE Department directly (address below).

Applicants can check the status of their application themselves, through the online application system.

From the date of application, it may take between 1-3 months for processing in the ECE Department. PLEASE check your application status online before contacting the department. The large volume of applications take considerable time to process. Please allow sufficient time for your material / status to be uploaded. If you are still concerned about your application after a suitable length of time, you may wish to contact the department. Your patience is appreciated.

Send Completed Applications to:

Cheryl Gies
McMaster University
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
1280 Main St. West, ITB A112
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada L8S 4K1

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here.