Graduate Program: Frequently Asked Questions

The application deadline is normally mid-January. For application deadlines and instructions on how to apply, please consult the Application Dates page.

No. Currently, graduate admission is only once a year in September.

If you have not completed two or more years, full-time, at a Canadian university or a university at which English was the primary language of instruction, or have not completed a graduate degree at a university where English was the primary language of instruction, you will be required to provide certification of English language proficiency through one of the accepted examinations listed on the Admission Requirements page.

Program admission requirements are posted on the Admission Requirements page.

Graduate admissions is a competitive process and space is limited; therefore, many qualified applicants may not be admitted. There is no guarantee of acceptance into the graduate program of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, even if you meet the minimum requirements.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum admission requirements will not be considered.

Eligible applicants will continue to be considered until the program is full. For a list of program deadlines, please consult the Application Dates page.

Where a candidate has completed appropriate graduate courses at another accredited academic institution, and a degree has not been conferred using these courses, they may be recognized in partial fulfilment of Ryerson's graduate degree requirements. Responsibility for assessing the appropriateness of such courses shall rest with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies of the program. Credit for such work shall not exceed 50% of the program's degree course requirements. To apply for transfer credits, email the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

Generally, decisions will be made starting in March and will be ongoing until the program is full. Admission decisions may continue throughout the spring and summer.

No. The MEng does not require a supervisor for the purpose of admission.

The Associate Chair for Graduate Studies of the Electrical and Computer Engineering program will set the deadline to apply for OGS, and students will be notified via email.

Graduate students may be offered financial support for part of their tenure in the program in the form of scholarships, fellowships, awards, graduate stipends, graduate assistantships, or research assistantships.

Graduate students offered financial support will receive a funding offer letter from the graduate program at the time of the offer of admission. The amount of support is determined primarily by the amount of the stipend that the proposed supervisor has committed to.

Yes. A maximum of 50% of your degree course requirements may be from courses taken outside of the program with the approval of the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies. For enrolment in MyServiceHub, you also need to get written permission from either the course instructor or the program office that teaches the course. Furthermore, for the course to count towards degree requirements, the student must complete and get approvals on the PDF fileCourse Substitution Request form available on the Graduate Studies website.

MASc and PhD students may request to take a course on the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student Plan. However, it is not guaranteed that you will be permitted to do so. To request this, you need the necessary approvals outlined on the PDF fileOntario Visiting Graduate Student Application form.

No. The graduate programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering do not offer any upgrade courses or bridging programs.

No. Graduate courses to be offered in a year constitute only a subset of the courses that appear on the calendar. The courses to be offered are determined based on factors such as existing or emerging trends in research and development, availability of faculty members, etc. At any given term, the courses that are offered are posted on the Electrical and Computer Engineering page of the Graduate Academic Calendar.

MEng students are required to take 8 to 10 courses. It is, therefore, inevitable that they end up taking courses from various areas. This, however, is beneficial as it widens their exposure and experience.

Scheduling is done by the University, considering various factors. Course schedules cannot be changed.

For minor issues and/or clarification on course management or teaching style, you would typically discuss the issue with the instructor of the course. However, if the issue cannot be resolved with the instructor, or if the issue is of a more serious matter, or if you don't feel that you can discuss the matter with the instructor, then email the Department Chair and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

Note: Rest assured that any and all such correspondence with the Department Chair and Associate Chair will be taken very seriously and will be treated with strict confidentiality and anonymity.

To permanently withdraw from a program, the student must complete and submit the PDF fileApplication to Withdraw form available on the Graduate Studies website.

Please refer to the Significant Dates page for grade availability in MyServiceHub.

If you don't have a Hold on your account and the grade release date is passed, then contact the course instructor to inquire if the grade was submitted.

No. Currently, the graduate program in Electrical and Computer Engineering does not offer co-op or internships.

PhD and MASc students who are offered funding in their first academic year are automatically considered for a teaching assistantship as part of their funding offers. However, after the first year, graduate students must apply for teaching assistantship positions on a competitive basis. To increase the chance of being hired, prospective applicants should submit a detailed resume, tailored to the position they're applying for.

Yes. Each student in a doctoral program is required to complete a Candidacy Examination. The Examination consists of a Written Examination component of three hours in duration, as well as an Oral Examination component. Please consult the PDF fileDepartmental Procedure for Doctoral Candidacy Examination document for details.

The Candidacy Examination is normally conducted during a candidate's fourth term of residence, and must be held no later than 20 months from the date of initial registration. Note that the Candidacy Examination has a Written Examination component and an Oral Examination component. Please consult the PDF fileDepartmental Procedure for Doctoral Candidacy Examination document for details.

The presentation of the PhD thesis proposal is part of the Oral Examination component of the Candidacy Examination, which also has a Written Examination component. For timelines, please consult the PDF fileDepartmental Procedure for Doctoral Candidacy Examination document.