So you were accepted to the University of Waterloo for Electrical Engineering – congratulations! You’ll be joining many of the top students from across Canada and the world for five years of hard work, real world experience through co-op, and, hopefully, some fun!
You may be asking yourself what exactly you’ve gotten into by choosing electrical engineering. How is this program different from Computer Engineering? What kinds of courses can I expect? Do I have any flexibility in my program? To answer the first question, you can expect to share courses with the Computer Engineering class up to and including your 2A term. Due to a decision last year by the administration to merge the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering classes into a blended ECE class, you will be sharing a classroom with the Computers Engineers as well.
In terms of your course material, your first term will consist of a wide variety of courses to provide a strong knowledge base. These courses include Physics, Chemistry, Linear Circuits (in which you learn basic circuit design and analysis), Programming (using C#), and Calculus. Many of these courses will serve as a review of things you’ve already learned in high school, though that’s not to say you won’t be seeing brand new material.
Moving ahead from your first term, your courses will begin to specialize further. You will be studying Digital Circuits and Embedded System Design in 1B, and Algorithms and Data Structures, Digital Computers, and Electronic Circuits in 2A. Starting in 2B, your program begins to branch away from the Computer Engineers – you will be taking courses in electromagnetics and power systems, whereas the Comps will be branching into compilers and digital computing.
2B also marks the point at which you can shape your own program through electives; Electrical Engineering requires that you take four complementary studies electives, two natural sciences electives, and five technical clectives. Once you enter your fourth year, your program will consist almost entirely of electives, an opportunity many students take to specialize in the area of electrical engineering they find most interesting.
Hopefully this answers some of the questions you may have about your program, and clears up any misconceptions. Enjoy your Orientation Week – and welcome to Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo!
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