Faculty of Engineering

Academic Regulations
Departments and Program Offerings

John Hodgins Engineering Building, Room A214, ext. 24646
http://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/

DEAN OF ENGINEERING

I. K. Puri/B.Sc. (Delhi), M.S., Ph.D. (California-San Diego)

ASSOCIATE DEAN OF ENGINEERING (ACADEMIC) (ACTING)

C. Filipe/B.S. (Universidade Catolica Portuguesa), Ph.D. (Clemson)

ASSOCIATE DEAN OF ENGINEERING (RESEARCH)

P. Mascher/M.Eng., Ph.D., P.Eng.

DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING I

S. Smith/B.Eng.C.S., M.Eng., Ph.D., P.Eng.

DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

D. K. Potter/B.Sc., Ph.D.

DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING & SOCIETY PROGRAM

C. Churchill/B.Eng., M.Eng.

ASSISTANT DEAN (STUDIES)

M. White/B.Sc. (Hon.)

ACADEMIC ADVISORS

D. Hayward/B.A.
J. Hopkins
S. Williams/B.A.

Engineering is a profession concerned with the creation of new and improved systems, processes and products to serve human needs. The central focus of engineering is design, an art entailing the exercise of ingenuity, imagination, knowledge, skill, discipline and judgment based on experience. The practice of professional engineering requires a mastery of engineering methodology together with a sensitivity to the physical properties of materials, to the logic of mathematics, to the constraints of human, physical and financial resources, to the minimization of risk, and to the protection of the public and the environment.

Bachelor of Applied Science Programs

The Faculty of Engineering currently offers two four-year Computer Science programs leading to the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) degree:

Honours Business Informatics
Honours Computer Science

Both programs have limitations on enrolment. Students are admitted to their program following successful completion of Computer Science I. Admission procedures and criteria can be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean of Engineering.

Bachelor of Technology Programs

McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering and Mohawk College’s School of Engineering Technology have partnered since 1997 to deliver the unique Bachelor of Technology program in response to the needs of today’s innovation-based organizations. This type of program is targeted to individuals whose technological interests are applications-oriented.

The programs being offered are of two kinds:

A four-year degree program (leading to both an Advanced Diploma in Technology from Mohawk and a Bachelor of Technology degree from McMaster) with entry directly from high school and
A degree completion program (leading to a Bachelor of Technology degree) for graduates of the Mohawk College Advanced Diploma in Technology (or graduates of similar programs at other Colleges).

A major thrust of all of the programs is the inclusion of a significant component of management education in order to ensure that graduates are able to perform supervisory and management responsibilities as they advance in their technical careers. The management component is designed to form a cohesive segment which complements the technical program content.

For information concerning the Bachelor of Technology programs, please see the Programs for the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) Degree in this section of this Calendar.

Four-year programs are offered leading to the Bachelor of Engineering degree in the following fields of specialization:

Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electrical and Biomedical Engineering
Engineering Physics
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechatronics Engineering
Software Engineering
Software Engineering (Embedded Systems)
Software Engineering (Game Design)

Five-year programs, leading to the Bachelor of Engineering and Society degree, are offered in:

Chemical Engineering and Society
Civil Engineering and Society
Computer Engineering and Society
Engineering Physics and Society
Electrical Engineering and Society
Materials Engineering and Society
Mechanical Engineering and Society
Mechatronics Engineering and Society
Software Engineering and Society

In addition, and in conjunction with the School of Business, five-year programs leading to the Bachelor of Engineering and Management degree are offered in:

Chemical Engineering and Management
Civil Engineering and Management
Computer Engineering and Management
Electrical Engineering and Management
Engineering Physics and Management
Materials Engineering and Management
Mechanical Engineering and Management
Mechatronics Engineering and Management
Software Engineering and Management

A five-year program leading to the Bachelor of Engineering and Biosciences is offered in:

Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering

All programs have limitations on enrolment. Students are admitted to the program following successful completion of Engineering I. Admission procedures and criteria can be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean of Engineering. The B.Eng., B.Eng.Biosciences, B.Eng.Mgt. and B.Eng.Society programs are honours degree programs. McMaster baccalaureate degree programs in Engineering are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.

At McMaster, Engineering students take a common Level I program comprising Mathematics, Materials, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering Graphics, Introduction to Professional Engineering and Design, Computation and complementary studies electives. The specialized programs are entered at Level II. Students interested in the Engineering and Management programs must take ECON 1B03 as one of their electives in Level I. Students interested in one of the Engineering and Society programs are advised to choose the six units complementary studies in Level I to be consistent with their chosen focus of the program. Programs offered by the Faculty of Engineering include four types of elective courses, which are governed by regulations, as follows:

Complementary Studies Electives are broadening courses with subject matter that deal s with central issues, methodologies and thought processes of the humanities and social sciences.

In addition to ENGINEER 4A03 , or equivalent, and ENGINEER 4B03, complementary studies electives are required in all Engineering programs.

The Associate Dean of Engineering must authorize each student’s complementary studies elective courses. An approved list is published each spring and is available from the Associate Dean’s office (http://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/documents/electives.pdf). Engineering I students should refer to the Degrees and Programs section of this Calendar to determine which Level I Complementary Studies electives are possible (http://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/documents/electives.pdf).

Technical Electives are Engineering or Applied Science courses in subjects relevant to the particular program. A list is available in each Engineering Department office.

Commerce Electives are required in Level V of Engineering and Management programs.

Engineering and Society Focus Electives and International Studies Focus Electives are courses offered by various departments throughout the University. These courses are selected in consultation with the Director of the Engineering and Society program, such that they form a proper sequence of the focus electives.

Engineering Co-op Program

Undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering can enroll in a Co-op or in a non- Co-op version of each program. Students enrolled in the former will be required to complete 12 months of industrial/practical experience prior to graduation. The 12 months experience may be acquired through a combination of three four-month experience terms, or a combination of a four month and eight month experience terms, or an experience term of 12 or 16 months duration. Students may enter the Co-op version of their program at any time up to the beginning of Term 2 of their next-to-last level of undergraduate studies.

As well as completing the academic requirements as specified in this Calendar, students in a Co-op program must complete ENGINEER 1EE0 .

Engineering Co-op Fees

An Engineering Co-op fee will be charged for students registered in an Engineering Co-op Program.

Exchange Programs

Formal exchange programs with a number of universities in other countries are available for B.Eng. students wishing to attend a foreign university and receive credit at McMaster. For further information please see International Study in the General Academic Regulations section in this Calendar. Information concerning student exchanges can also be found in the Academic Facilities, Student Services and Organizations section of this Calendar under the heading International Student Services.

Academic Regulations

Student Academic Responsibility

You are responsible for adhering to the statement on student academic responsibility found in the General Academic Regulations of this calendar.

Access to Courses

All undergraduate courses at McMaster have an enrolment capacity. The University is committed to making every effort to accommodate students in required courses so that their program of study is not extended. Unless otherwise specified, registration is on a first-come basis and in some cases priority is given to students from particular programs or Faculties. Students will be informed of their enrolment periods and are encouraged to enroll as soon as online enrolment is available to them in the Student Centre in Mosaic.

Student Communication Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to:

maintain current contact information with the University, including address, phone numbers, and emergency contact information.
use the university provided e-mail address or maintain a valid forwarding e-mail address.
regularly check the official University communications channels. Official University communications are considered received if sent by postal mail, by fax, or by e-mail to the student’s designated primary e-mail account via their @mcmaster.ca alias.
accept that forwarded e-mails may be lost and that e-mail is considered received if sent via the student’s @mcmaster.ca alias.

Students enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering programs not including Bachelor of Technology programs), in addition to meeting the General Academic Regulations of the University, shall be subject to the following Faculty Regulations.

Engineering I

To be eligible for a Level II Engineering program, a student must successfully complete all non-elective Level I courses with an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 or greater. To help students who may have had academic difficulty during the year, the Faculty of Engineering has a remedial studies plan (called the M-Opportunity) that provides the opportunity to repeat failed courses in second term and/or in the summer. The results of these M-Opportunity courses are used to calculate a new GPA (failed courses are still counted in the GPA).

A student in Engineering I whose Grade Point Average (GPA) is less than 4.0 can no longer continue in Engineering.

Computer Science I

To be eligible for any Level II Computer Science program a student requires an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 and must also have passed all non-elective Computer Science I courses. See the program listings under Programs for the B.A.Sc. Degree for specific information on admission requirements for each program.

A student in Computer Science I whose Grade Point Average (GPA) is less than 4.0 may no longer continue in the Faculty.

Sequence of Courses

Courses must be taken in the sequence specified in the Calendar for the program. Students must register for all outstanding work of one level before attempting work for a higher level.

Repeated Courses

All failed courses must be repeated if they are required courses for the Engineering program or may be replaced if the courses are not explicitly required.

Level of Registration

A student is required to register in the lowest level for which more than six units of work is incomplete. Work of a higher level may be undertaken only with the permission of the Associate Dean of Engineering.

Reinstatement to Engineering

A student who is ineligible to continue in the Faculty of Engineering or who May not continue at the university may normally not apply for reinstatement for one full academic year. Exceptions may be made when there are extenuating circumstances which are supported by documentation.

Students seeking reinstatement must complete the Reinstatement Request Form available at the Office of the Registrar or the Office of the Associate Dean of Engineering. The completed form and the $100 fee must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by June 30. The form must be accompanied by a written explanation of the reason for the student’s previous unsatisfactory academic performance, reasons for reinstatement at this time (including documentation of what has been done to correct previous problems), reasons why the student would expect to succeed in the desired program if reinstated (i.e. what was the previous problem and what has been done to correct it), activities since last registered at McMaster including all academic work. Reinstatement is not guaranteed.

A student who is reinstated after being ineligible to continue at a given level must repeat all the courses of that level, unless specific course exemptions are granted explicitly in the letter of reinstatement. Students who are reinstated will be placed on program probation, and calculation of their Grade Point Average (GPA) will begin anew. If at any review after reinstatement the student’s Grade Point Average falls below 3.5, the student will be required to withdraw from the University for a period of at least 12 months.

Program Changes

All program changes must be made through the Office of the Associate Dean of Engineering.