Skip to navigation content (Press Enter).

McMaster University

Undergraduate Advising

General Conduct

Students should THOROUGHLY read through ALL FAQ's before contacting ECE's UG Administrative Assistant or one of the UG Advisors.

If your question is not answered within one of the FAQ's on this page, please direct inquiries to ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant. Please take note that telephone calls to the UG Advisors are NOT RETURNED, please use email.

Important Emailing Instructions:

Emails to ECE's UG Administrative Assistant or one of the advisors must contain the following:

  • The subject line of the email reading: “UG Advising – Subject, Name/Initials”
    • Example: UG Advising – Course Permission, Jane Doe
  • Your student number in the body of the email
    • You must provide your student number in all communications. Not doing so will result in delayed and/or no responses.
  • State your inquiry in the body of the email
  • You need to provide all the relevant information in one concise email

Please take note that if you plan on emailing ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant or one of the UG Advisors, this email protocol must be used. Emails that do not follow the above protocols will not be considered, nor replied to, as it is too difficult to track the hundreds of emails we each receive, without some order.

Following the above instructions will save a lot of your time. As of July 2008, there are 2 Undergraduate Advisors.  Please do not contact the advisors directly;  please contact ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant first. In the summer, please allow several weeks for a reply, as the advisors travel to conferences and do take a summer vacation.

The Computer and Biomedical Engineering Advisor is Dr. Shahram Shirani.

The Electrical Engineering Advisor is Dr. Steve Hranilovic.

 

Engineering Permission Form

Other Engineering Forms

McMaster Student Absence Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Request for an Appointment

  • I would like to talk to an Undergraduate Advisor. What can I do? 

Degree Audit/SOLAR

  • How do you read the degree audit?
  • I'm supposed to be in Level 4, but it says Level 3 when I login to SOLAR. What do I do?

Electives

  • Is there a list of electives that I can take?

Course Permissions

  • When I try to add a course in SOLAR, it tells me that I fail the pre-requisites. What can I do?
  • I failed a 2nd year course, such as 2CJ4. What can I do?
  • I failed a course, such as 2CJ4.  Can I take an equivalent summer course at another university?
  • I would like to take a course from Computer Science as a technical elective. What can I do?
  • I would like to take a language or humanities course? What can I do?

Course Equivalency/Letter of Permission

  • I would like to take a course at another university (Waterloo, Ryerson, U of T, etc). What can I do?
  • I have transferred here from another university, what do I do about my transfer credits?

Scheduling Conflicts

  • I have a scheduling conflict. What can I do?

Overload Request

  • I want to overload my courses to graduate on time. What can I do?

Re-instatement

  • I failed most of my 2nd year courses, and had to withdraw from the Engineering program. What can I do?
  • I failed most of my 2nd year courses, and had to withdraw from the University. What can I do?
  • I failed most of my 2nd year courses, and had to withdraw from the University, but I have a good reason for why I performed poorly. What can I do?
  • ECE's Re-instatement Policy
  • Re-instatement Application Process

Program Transfer

  • I'm looking to switch between programs in the Faculty of Engineering, what do I do?

Missed Work

  • I missed/am going to miss an assignment/test/midterm/quiz/etc., what do I do?
Request for an Appointment
I would like to talk to an Undergraduate advisor. What can I do?

You need to first speak with ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant first.  If your situation cannot be resolved easily, you will be directed to the appropriate resources.  Please prepare a concise email that summarizes your situation.  We prefer to solve most problems electronically and quickly. This means that you must make an effort to clearly summarize your problem in an email first.  We have nearly 1,000 students in our ECE programs (Electrical, Computer, Biomedical engineering).  We do not schedule appointments before receiving an email with a concise summary of the problem.  We do schedule appointments when necessary.   Do not forget to provide your student number, name, and program.

Top of Page

Degree Audit/Solar
How do you read the degree audit?

Please click here and view the sample degree audit . Still have questions? Print your most recent degree audit and stop by ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant's office, ITB A111.

I'm supposed to be in Level 4, but it says Level 3 when I login to SOLAR. What do I do?

Please go directly to the Associate Dean's Office, ITB A214.

Top of Page

Electives
Is there a list of electives that I can take?

Always refer to your degree audit first. It lists the exact courses needed to graduate. For instance, if the calendar says "3-4 units techincal electives (from level III or IV of the Faculty of Engineering)", your degree audit will list the EXACT courses available to you. You can also see a list of Electives here. Please note that the list of electives on this page are guidelines only, and you should always be following your degree audit.

Top of Page

Course Permissions
When I try to add a course in SOLAR, it tells me that I fail the pre-requisites. What can I do?

If you get this message, you'll need to speak to the instructor and see if she/he is willing to waive the pre-requisites to allow you to take the course. You will need to fill out the "Engineering Permission Form" here and have the instructor of the course sign it. Once you get the instructor's approval, please bring the signed form to ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant's office in ITB A111.

I failed a 2nd year course, such as 2CJ4. What can I do?

You need to repeat the course and pass to graduate.  You might still be able to take 3rd year courses which require 2CJ4 as a prerequisite.  For each 3rd  year course, you will need to get the approval of the instructor to take that course, even though you are missing the prerequisite 2CJ4.  The instructor may or may not grant you approval. The instructor may also request to see your marks.  Please have a print-out of your degree audit ready for this purpose.  It is completely up to each instructor.  Please find the "Engineering Permission Form" here .

Ask the instructor for their signature on the requisite-waiver form.  You need to convince the instructor that you are ready for the next course, even though you have failed a prerequisite.  If your other grades are good, print out your grades to show the instructor, to try to convince them.  If you get the instructor's approval, then take the form to ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant's office in ITB A111.

I failed a course, such as 2CJ4.  Can I take an equivalent summer course at another university?

Yes, you can look for a course at another university that has at least 75% of the content of our McMaster ECE course.  Please look at U. Waterloo, U of T, Ryerson University, Carleton University, or another well-known school. If you find such a course, bring in the following to the Associate Dean's office (JHE A214):

  • The following form completed in full.
  • A short letter with your name, student number and program, with the content of your letter requesting “Course Equivalency”
  • The course outlines of the course(s) you want to take
  • The outline of the ECE course(s) you want credit for
  • A PDF print out of your grade report, showing your CGPA, for the last academic year.  
  • Provide a short letter explaining how the 75% match in content between the two courses is achieved. At least 75% of the topics in the McMaster course outline should be covered somewhere in the remote course outline.
  • If you are requesting approval for multiple courses, enumerate them ie (1), (2), (3) etc.
I would like to take a course from Computer Science to replace an ECE technical elective. What can I do?

Same process as above, with the body of your letter requesting “Technical Elective Approval.”

  • ECE Technical Electives can be found here
  • ECE Term 1 courses can be found here
  • ECE Term 2 courses can be found here  
I would like to take a language or humanities course? What can I do?

In your EE or CE program, you might have the option to take one 3-unit Complementary Studies elective. It is your responsibility to check your degree audit. In it you will find the list of courses that you need to graduate. On the right-hand side you will see any "outstanding" courses that you still need to take in order to graduate. Please check your degree audit first.

The Faculty of Engineering Approved Complementary Electives are listed here. If the course you want to take is not on this list, we can potentially still approve it as an exception.  Bring in a package to ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant's with the following:

  • A short letter with your name, student number and program, with the content of your letter requesting “Complementary Elective Approval”
  • The course outlines of the course you want to take
  • A PDF print out of your grade report, showing your CGPA, for the last academic year  

Top of Page

Course Equivalency/Letter of Permission
I would like to take a course at another university (Waterloo, Ryerson, U of T, etc) to replace one of our McMaster courses. What can I do ?

PLEASE NOTE: In addition to the online submission, ECE requires full course outlines. Not providing hard copies of these, will result in a delayed response. Therefore, we request you prepare the following in a package and bring it the Associate Dean's office (JHE A214) in conjunction with the online application:

  • A short letter with your name, student number and program, with the content of your letter requesting “Course Equivalency”
    • Your short letter should also explain how the content between the two courses matches for at least 75% of the content. Please note that at least 75% of the topics in the McMaster course outline should be covered somewhere in the remote course outline.
  • The course outlines of the course(s) you want to take at another university.
  • The course outline of the ECE course(s) you want credit for.
  • A PDF print out of your grade report, showing your CA, for the last academic year.
  • Apply for a letter of permission here.

The course outline is a 1-2 page document that shows which textbook is used, how many weeks are spent on each topic, how the tests and exams are graded and weighed, how the labs are weighed, etc. We do not want the calendar description, we want the course outlines.  The advisor will be able to quickly compare both course outlines, and make a reasonable decision.  If you do not attach the course outlines, do not expect to get an approval.

NOTE: McMaster's Engineering programs are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). McMaster is proud to offer an accredited program, and we constantly work hard to keep it accredited. We do not usually allow courses from an un-accredited college to replace our own accredited courses.

I have transferred here from another university, what do I do about my transfer credits?

Please go directly to the Associate Dean's Office, ITB A214.

Top of Page

Scheduling Conflicts
I have a scheduling conflict. What can I do?

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do.  The registrar's office schedules all courses, to minimize conflicts for thousands of students.  Every year, a small number of students will have conflicts. Any changes to the timetable will only cause more conflicts for other students.  You will need to take an extra term, or an extra year, to complete your courses.

Top of Page

Overload Request
I want to overload my courses to graduate on time. What can I do?

If you want to increase your load over 21 units per term, then follow the instructions below.  If you want to increase your load above 21 units per term and your CGPA is >= 9.5, then follow the instructions below.  If you want to increase your load above 21 units per terms, but you do not have a CGPA of 9.5 or higher, then we will not likely approve your request, but you can still follow the instructions below and see if we approve it.  Prepare all of the following below and hand in the package to ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant's office in ITB A111:

  • The Engineering Permission Form filled out in full.
  • A short letter with your name, student number and program, with the content of your letter requesting “Overload Request.”  In the letter, explain why you want an overload.
  • A print-off of your grade report showing grades for the last academic year (with CGPA showing).  
  • Also include a list of all courses, their names, and course codes that you will take for each term that you want to overload.
  • Show which course you want to add as an overload, i.e. course name and course code, for each term.   

Send all the information in ONE package to ECE's UG Admininstrative Assistant in ITB A111. If any part of this package is missing, it will be deemed inadmissible.

Top of Page

Re-instatement
I failed most of my 2nd year courses, and had to withdraw from the Engineering program. What can I do?

Here is the current ECE policy on re-instatement, as of September 2008. A student who is withdrawn for the first time from the ECE program is eligible to be reinstated after applying for reinstatement from the Associate Dean's office, and after providing a convincing letter explaining the reasons for the poor performance and outlining which steps have been taken to correct the deficiencies.  A student who is reinstated will be on 'academic probation' for the first year. They will be required to repeat every course in their last academic year, in which their grade was less than C-. They will be required to repeat these poor courses during their probation in order to move on.  They will have a maximum load of 30 units while on probation.  They will be required to maintain a CGPA of at least 4.0 for the first year, after which they will be removed from probation.

I failed most of my 2nd year courses, and had to withdraw from the University. What can I do?

You can apply for re-instatement, see process below. As a general rule, we require an applicant to take a year off and do either of the following two options:

  • Work at an engineering firm doing technical work, or
  • Complete 1 term or 2 terms of full-load courses at a community college. For example, you can take an ECE program in a community college. If you get an A average, then apply for re-instatement. If you cannot get an A average, then you can continue in the community college program and graduate from there.

There is no guarantee a student will be re-instated, this is completely up to the discretion of the UG Advisors.  If a student is re-instated, the student will need to repeat every course in the last year in which the grade was less than C-. It will probably take an extra year or more to complete the degree requirements.

I failed most of my 2nd year courses, and had to withdraw from the University, but I have a good reason for why I performed poorly. What can I do?

You can apply for re-instatement. See answers above and process below.

ECE's Re-instatement Policy
  • FIRST WITHDRAWAL: A student who has been withdrawn once may be be reinstated once, by writing a convincing letter stating how the student has taken special steps to improve their performance in the future. Special steps may include consulting with the Center for Student Development and Learning, terminating any part-time job, consulting with a student counsellor, taking summer courses, etc. It is expected that by taking these special steps, the student's performance will improve significantly.
  • SECOND WITHDRAWAL: A student who has been withdrawn twice will not be reinstated a second time based upon a convincing letter. The reason is that the first withdrawal and reinstatement did not have the desired effect, as the student was subsequently withdrawn a second time.
  • If a student has been withdrawn twice, the student will now need to 'prove' conclusively that they deserve other chance. For example, a student can enroll in a community college engineering program, and get a near A average, and then re-apply to McMaster. Alternatively, a student can consult with a UG-Advisor, identify and take 3 challenging technical courses (i.e. Math, Science, Physics) at some university, and get a C- average or higher, and then re-apply to McMaster. The student is not guaranteed reinstatement, but at least the student can supply some conclusive evidence that they have overcome their difficulties. A capable student can meet the latter requirement in one term, enrolling as a special student in a university, and the latter requirement is not an onerous task. Basically, if a student has been withdrawn twice, the student needs to do much more than write a letter to get reinstated.
Re-instatement Application Process

You must provide the following to the Registrar's Office when applying for re-instatment, not doing so will deem your request inadmissible:

  • Re-instatement form filled out in full.
  • A short letter with your name, student number and program, with the content of your letter explaining how you have come in to this situation.  Be as detailed as possible for the best results.
    • If you have medical reasons, please provide a doctor's note
    • If you have had a death in the family, please provide a death certificate
  • A print-off of your grade report showing grades for the last academic year (with CGPA showing).  
  • If this is your second re-instatement application, you must also provide evidence that you have taken steps to improve your situation.
    • If you have been working in the industry, provide a letter from an employer
    • If you've been taking courses at another university/college, provide transcripts/grades/letters from instructors
    • If you've spoken with the Center for Student Development, provide a letter from CSD

Top of Page

Program Transfer
I'm looking to switch between programs in the Faculty of Engineering, what do I do?

You can apply to switch programs by visiting the Associate Dean's Office (JHE A214). You will need to provide a letter stating why you want to make the switch. Don't forget to include your student number. Please note that Transfer Requests are not assessed until June, once grades have been finalized.

Top of Page

Missed Work
I missed/am going to miss an assignment/test/midterm/quiz/etc., what do I do?

You must fill out the McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF) online and EXPLICITLY following its instructions. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to follow-up with your instructor.

Top of Page