The Faculty of Engineering is made up of the Departments of Electrical and Computer, Mining and Metallurgical, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, and the School of Architecture.

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

The language of instruction at McGill University is English. Students may however write examinations, theses, or term papers in either English or French.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers programs of graduate studies leading to a degree of Master of Engineering, or Doctor of Philosophy. Areas of concentration include all the specialties in the research areas listed below:

      Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Program 

An equivalent of one (1) calendar-year of full-time study is required to obtain a Master's in Engineering. However, completing the program in one and a half years is possible. One can obtain an M. Eng with six (6) graduate courses plus an externally examined thesis. It is nevertheless, possible to obtain a degree by completing nine (9) graduate courses and an internally examined project.

      Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program

The Ph.D. Program maintains a requirement of the equivalent of two (2) calendar years of full-time study besides the requirements for the Master's degree. While no formal course requirements exist, students usually select courses applicable to their research interests. The Department will award a Ph.D. after the satisfactory completion of a Doctoral thesis. 

LOCATION

The McGill University campus is in the heart of Montreal, the largest French-speaking city in North America. Although the official Language in the province of Quebec is French, the city is famous for its vibrant multi-cultural nature. Museums, theaters, restaurants, and the European style architecture, all contribute to the city's cultural richness. Montreal is only two hours away from Ottawa, the nation's captial, and three hours from Quebec City, the provincial capital. Montreal is nestled in the St. Laurence valley between the Laurentian and the Appalachian Mountain ranges, giving Montrealers easy access to the best skiing in eastern North America. These areas also contribute to superb summer recreation.

Link: Official Montreal Tourism Site

RESEARCH FACILITIES

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has extensive laboratory facilities for all its main research areas. In addition, McGill University often collaborates with other Institutions for teaching and research.

• The laboratories for research in Robotics, Control and Vision are in the Centre for Intelligent Machines (CIM).
• Telecommunications laboratories focus their work on signal compression and wireless communications. These laboratories from part of the Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research (CITR). This is a network of Centers of Excellence funded by the Canadian Government.
• The Microelectronics and Computer Systems (MACS) Laboratory supports research in VLSI, mixed signal circuits, design for testability, formal methods telecommunications, computing and optical systems.
• Antenna and microwave research, and optical fiber and integrated optics research are carried out in a fully equipped facility. 
• The Photonics Systems Laboratory
includes continuous wave and femtosecond Ti:Sapphire lasers, diode lasers, extensive optics and optomechanics, and sophisticated electronic and imaging equipment. 
• Solid state facilities include measurement equipment for magnetic and electric properties of materials, vacuum deposition and RF sputtering systems. 
• The Computational Analysis and Design Laboratory provides tools for numerical analysis, visualization, interface design and knowledge-based system development.
• There is also a well-equipped laboratory for power electronics and power systems research. 

RESEARCH AREAS

• Biomedical Engineering
• Electronic Devices and Materials
• Intelligent systems
• Micro-electronics & Computer Systems
• NanoEngineering
• Photonic Systems
• Power Engineering
• Software for Analysis and Design
• Systems and Control
• Telecommunications & Signal Processing

OTHER MONTREAL UNIVERSITIES

Montreal has three other universities: 

• Concordia University is the other English language university. 
• L'Université de Montréal and its affiliated school of engineering, L'Ecole Polytechnique, is the largest Francophone university. 
• L'Université du Québec has a campus in major towns throughout the province.

The proximity of these schools to Mcgill University ensures a rich array of courses and is available to suit individual needs.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The applicant must be the graduate of a recognized university and hold a Bachelor's degree equivalent to a McGill degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering or a closely allied field. An applicant holding a degree in another field of engineering or science will be considered but a qualifying year may be given to make up any deficiencies. The applicant must have a high academic achievement: a standing equivalent to a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 out of 4 (75%) or a GPA of 3.2 out of 4.0 for the last two full-time academic years. Satisfaction of these general requirements does not guarantee admission. Admission to graduate studies are limited and acceptance is on a very competitive basis.

      TOEFL Requirements

(Test of English as a Foreign Language) 
Non-Canadian applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate degree in English, must submit documented proof of competency in the English language. The applicant must score above 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum overall band of 7 on the international English Language Testing System (IELTS). We must receive official results before February 1st 2003. (See Useful Addresses section in this site) 

      GRE Requirements

(Graduate Record Examinations) 
A GRE score on the General Aptitude Test is required by all students who have completed their undergraduate degrees outside Canada. Starting October 2002, there have been some changes in the GRE test. For students who registered for GRE after that date, we require a minimum total score of 1100 for the verbal and quantitative sections. There is no minimum for the new analytical writing section for students applying for the 2003-04 academic year. Students who took GRE prior to October 2002, are required to have a minimum total score of 1800.

(See Useful Addresses section in this site)

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

     Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)

The normal entrance requirements into the M.Eng. program is the possession of a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. Applicants with degrees in other fields of engineering or science may also be considered, but prospective applicants should note that the M.Eng. does not confer professional qualification as an engineer in Canada. Candidates may satisfy the requirements for this degree by following one of two options: 

• THESIS OPTION The Thesis option requires a research thesis (28 credits) and a minimum of 6 appropriate graduate courses. At least 4 of these in Electrical Engineering, and amounting to a total of 46 credits. 
• NON-THESIS OPTION The Non-thesis option requires a minimum of 27 credits of course work (9 courses), at least 6 of which are in Electrical Engineering, and a project (20 credits) amounting to a total of 47 credits. The credits assigned to the project can vary between 11 and 20 depending on the number of course credits taken. A part-time program is possible for the non-thesis option.The courses must be determined in consultation with the candidate's director of studies and research. 

      Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Applicants who fulfil the general requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research and who possess a suitable Master's degree may be accepted into the Ph.D. program.

• Ph.D. candidates must pass an oral, major area examination that must be taken within one year after initial registration. 
• They must also defend their thesis research proposal. No foreign language requirements are necessary.
• The normal residence requirement is three years of full-time study. However, candidates with a M.Eng. degree from McGill or from an approved institution may be permitted to reduce this to two years.
• Doctoral candidates must complete a minimum of two units (100 hours) of teaching work prior to the final submission of the thesis.

PROGRAM FEES

(Yearly fees and charges based on 30 credits) 2002-2003 academic year:  

Québec students

M.Eng. & Ph.D. - $2,881.64
Additional Session - $2,419.22

M.Eng. - $5,225.84
Ph.D. - $2,881.64
Additional Session - $2,419.22

M.Eng. - $10,276.64
Ph.D. - $9,376.64
Addition Session - $2,314.22

EXPENSES

      Living Costs

The average living expenses for a student are $1,200 per month for a single student and $1,500 for a married student. 
Accommodation at modest rent are available near the University. Information on off-campus housing and dormitory accommodations may be obtained from the Dean of students Office (See Useful Addresses section in this site). 

      Books & Supplies

Books and supplies cost approximately $900 per year. 

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

      Graduate Assistantships

The Department awards many graduate assistantships to qualified full-time graduate students. These carry an annual stipend of approximately $13,500 per annum, and are normally held for up to eighteen months for M.Eng. students and thirty-six months for Ph.D. students. These are usually funded from research grants or contracts awarded to individual faculty members. In return, we expect that the graduate assistants perform research-related tasks assigned by the professor from whose grant the assistantship is paid.

A good part, but not necessarily all of this work, can be used for preparing a thesis. There are no special application forms for graduate assistanships.

Applicants who indicate a need for support on their application forms will be considered. A large fraction of research funding comes from Canadian Government agencies, with the stipulation that only graduate students who are either Canadian citizens or landed immigrants may be supported. Consequently, we can offer graduate assistantship to only a few foreign students. Note that Canadian authorities will not grant an immigration Visa to a foreign national who wishes to enter Canada to study. 

      Differential Fee Waivers

All eligible visa students accepted or registered in a full-time term of residency, will be considered for a limited number of waivers. These reduce international tuition fees to the equivalent of Canadian fees. These awards are based entirely on academic merit.

      Teaching Assistantships

Graduate students who work as Teaching Assistants are paid $14.75 per hour. Usually, units of 50 hours each are granted to qualified students.

For more information, see http://www.ece.mcgill.ca/~tabot/

      Fellowships, Loans & Bursaries

Graduate students can also receive financial aid through fellowships, loans, or bursaries.

• Information about fellowships ia available from the Office of Fellowships & Awards (See Useful Address section in this site)
• To receive support from the Quebec Loans and Bursaries Program, students must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and be residents of Quebec registered as full-time students.
• Canadian residents from provinces other than Quebec can apply for Canada Student Loans and for loans from their province of residence. Information about Quebec, or Canada Student Loans is available from Student Aid Office. (See Useful Address section in this site). 

USEFUL ADDRESSES

Graduate Program Admission Committee

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering 
McGill University 
3480 University Street 
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2A7 CANADA 
Tel : (514) 398-7344 
Fax : (514) 398-4470 
Email : grad@ece.mcgill.ca

Office of Fellowships & Awards

Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research 
McGill University, 
James Administration Building, room 400 
845 Sherbrooke Street, 
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T7 

McGill University 
Powell Student Services Building, 
3637 Peel Street, 
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1X1

Powell Student Services Building, 
3637 Peel Street, 
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1X1 

P.O. Box 6154 
Princeton, NJ 08541-6154 
U.S.A. 
www.toefl.org

Educational Testing Service 
CN 6014 
Princeton, NJ 08541-6014 
U.S.A. 
www.gre.org

APPLICATION & REGISTRATION

A web-based application form is available at http://www.mcgill.ca/applying/graduate Alternatively, you can either download the application form as a PDF file or request that the Graduate Program Office send you an application package. The Department makes selections and awards graduate assistanships based on applications complete as of February1, 2003. All documents must be received by this date including:

• Completed application form
• Application fees ($60.00 ca)
• Two official copies of all previous transcripts
• Two reference letters
• TOEFL and GRE scores (if applicable)

Applications are processed in March for the following September session. There are no january admissions. We publish additional information about application, registration and degree requirements in the General Announcement of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research which is available from this department.

      Instructions for Completing the On-Line Application Form

For these three sections of the on-line application form, complete information is not required:

• Employment Information
      The information in this section is not needed for our Department. Just check "I have no employment to report".
• Course History

The information in this section is not needed for our Department. Just check "I have no courses to report".
• First program Information
  Just indicate Full-Time or Part-Time. Note that only our non-thesis M.Eng. is available part-time. (The rest of the information in this section should instead be provided on the paper form, "Area of Research", see below.)

      Additional Documents to be Submitted

- Two official copies of all previous transcripts
- *Two recommendation letters (sent directly by the referees)
- TOEFL (or IELTS) and GRE scores, if applicable
- Area of Research form (available as pdf) 

Mail the documents to:

Graduate Program Admissions Committee
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
McGill University
3480 University St.
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2A7
CANADA
 

*The members of the Selection Committee rely to a considerable extent upon the recommendation of referees. You must arrange to have these sent directly to the Departmental address (see above) to arrive no later than February 1st. Recommendations received without original signatures or faxed copies will not be considered by the Selection Committee. 

THE DEADLINE TO RECEIVE ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS IN THE DEPARTMENT IS FEBRUARY 1ST, 2003. It is your responsibility to ensure that your file is complete by this deadline.