Program Overview

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Electrical and Computer Engineering Program

The Electrical and Computer Engineering program at the University of Waterloo is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field. The program covers a wide range of topics, including electrical and computer engineering principles, circuits, electronics, and computer systems.

Program Objectives

The primary objective of the program is to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to understand and apply electrical and computer engineering principles to real-world problems. The program aims to equip students with a strong foundation in mathematics, science, and engineering, as well as the ability to design, develop, and test electrical and computer systems.

Course Topics

The program covers a variety of topics, including:

• Industrial Load Characteristics
• Electrical Drives and Industrial Applications
• Industrial Power Factor Control
• Electric Heating and Welding
• Illumination Engineering
• Electrolytic Processes
• Electric Traction
• Economics of Electric Power Supply and Utilization
• Demand Side Management

Detailed Course Plan

The program consists of several courses, each with its own detailed plan. The plan includes:

1. Industrial Load Characteristics - Various types of loads - Classification of industrial loads - Load curves - Loads' pick up and restoration characteristics, Load modeling
2. Electrical Drives and Industrial Applications - Factors affecting selection of motors - Steady state and transient characteristics of drives - Size of motors and Load equalization - Drives for machine tools, lift and cranes, paper mills, printing machinery
3. Industrial Power Factor Control - Capacitor bank installation - Power electronics based power factor - Penalty design
4. Electric Heating and Welding - Salient features of electric heating - Resistance heating and Induction heating - Electric arc heating and Dielectric heating - Methods of generating high frequency power
5. Illumination Engineering - Laws of illumination, Polar curves - Design of indoor and outdoor systems - Street lighting
6. Electrolytic Process - Principle of electrodeposition - Laws of electrolysis - Applications of electrolysis
7. Electric Traction - Electrical traction systems - Mechanical and electrical characteristics, Speed curves - Operations during electrical traction - Electrical traction motors - Modern control of traction motors
8. Economics of Electric Power Supply and Utilization - Economic motive - Depreciation - Electricity pricing and Tariff - Factors influencing tariffs and electricity pricing - Economics of power factor
9. Demand Side Management - Necessity for Energy Management - Direct load control - Interruptible load control - Dynamic and spot pricing - Load scheduling - Energy efficiency and Energy saving

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of electromagnetic energy conversion and power system engineering is required for the program.

Reference Titles

The program references several titles, including:

1. E.R. Laithwaite and L. L. Freris, Electric Energy: Its Generation, Transmission and User, McGraw Hill Co., 1984.
2. C. L. Wadhwa, Generation, Distribution and Utilization of Electrical Energy, 2006
3. C. O. Bjork, Industrial Load Management - Theory, Practice and Simulations, Elsevier, 1989
4. C.W. Gellings and S.N. Talukdar, Load Management Concepts, IEEE Press, 1986
5. Lecturer Notes and Journal Papers

ECE 6614 PD Course

The ECE 6614 PD course is a part of the Electrical and Computer Engineering program. The course objectives are to provide students with the skills to understand the analytical methods and modern tools for solution of problems associated with utilization of electric energy in industrial sectors.

Course Topics

The course covers several topics, including:

1. Industrial Load Characteristics
2. Electrical Drives and Industrial Applications
3. Industrial Power Factor Control
4. Electric Heating and Welding
5. Illumination Engineering
6. Electrolytic Processes
7. Electric Traction
8. Economics of Electric Power Supply and Utilization
9. Demand Side Management

Detailed Course Plan

The course plan includes: No. Of Weeks | Topics | Sub-Topics
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1 | Industrial Load Characteristics |

• Various types of loads
• Classification of industrial loads
• Load curves
• Loads' pick up and restoration characteristics, Load modeling 1 | Electrical Drives and Industrial Applications |
• Factors affecting selection of motors
• Steady state and transient characteristics of drives
• Size of motors and Load equalization
• Drives for machine tools, lift and cranes, paper mills, printing machinery 2 | Industrial Power Factor Control |
• Capacitor bank installation
• Power electronics based power factor
• Penalty design 1 | Electric Heating and Welding |
• Salient features of electric heating
• Resistance heating and Induction heating
• Electric arc heating and Dielectric heating
• Methods of generating high frequency power 2 | Illumination Engineering |
• Laws of illumination, Polar curves
• Design of indoor and outdoor systems
• Street lighting 1 | Electrolytic Process |
• Principle of electrodeposition
• Laws of electrolysis
• Applications of electrolysis 1 | Electric Traction |
• Electrical traction systems
• Mechanical and electrical characteristics, Speed curves
• Operations during electrical traction
• Electrical traction motors
• Modern control of traction motors 2 | Economics of Electric Power Supply and Utilization |
• Economic motive
• Depreciation
• Electricity pricing and Tariff
• Factors influencing tariffs and electricity pricing
• Economics of power factor 2 | Demand Side Management |
• Necessity for Energy Management
• Direct load control
• Interruptible load control
• Dynamic and spot pricing
• Load scheduling
• Energy efficiency and Energy saving

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of electromagnetic energy conversion and power system engineering is required for the course.

Reference Titles

The course references several titles, including:

1. E.R. Laithwaite and L. L. Freris, Electric Energy: Its Generation, Transmission and User, McGraw Hill Co., 1984.
2. C. L. Wadhwa, Generation, Distribution and Utilization of Electrical Energy, 2006
3. C. O. Bjork, Industrial Load Management - Theory, Practice and Simulations, Elsevier, 1989
4. C.W. Gellings and S.N. Talukdar, Load Management Concepts, IEEE Press, 1986
5. Lecturer Notes and Journal Papers

Research Fields

The Electrical and Computer Engineering program at the University of Waterloo covers a wide range of research fields, including:

• Applied electromagnetics and photonics
• Artificial intelligence
• Biomedical engineering
• Communications and Information Systems
• Computer hardware
• Computer software and systems
• Control, robotics, and autonomous systems
• Integrated devices, circuits, and systems
• Nanoengineering
• Power and energy systems
• Quantum engineering

Graduate Programs

The University of Waterloo offers several graduate programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering, including:

• Master of Applied Science (MASc)
• Master of Engineering (MEng)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Requirements

The degree requirements for each program are as follows:

• MASc:
  • Completion of a thesis
  • Completion of a minimum number of courses
• MEng:
  • Completion of a minimum number of courses
  • Completion of a project or thesis
• PhD:
  • Completion of a comprehensive examination
  • Completion of a thesis

Courses

The graduate programs offer a wide range of courses, including:

• Fall 2025 Courses
• Winter 2026 Courses
• ECE 699 Projects Fall 2025
• MEng (Electric Power) courses: Fall 2024-Spring 2026
• ECE Graduate Course Archive

Specializations

The graduate programs offer several specializations, including:

• Applied electromagnetics and photonics
• Artificial intelligence
• Biomedical engineering
• Communications and Information Systems
• Computer hardware
• Computer software and systems
• Control, robotics, and autonomous systems
• Integrated devices, circuits, and systems
• Nanoengineering
• Power and energy systems
• Quantum engineering

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships are available to graduate students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program.

Student Services

The University of Waterloo offers a wide range of student services, including academic advising, career counseling, and mental health support.

Student Life

The University of Waterloo has a vibrant student life, with many clubs, organizations, and events available to students.

Funding, Scholarships, Awards

The University of Waterloo offers several funding opportunities, scholarships, and awards to students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program.

Meet our Graduate Students

The University of Waterloo has a diverse and talented group of graduate students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program.

Alumni and Friends

The University of Waterloo has a strong alumni network, with many graduates going on to successful careers in industry and academia.

Alumni Achievement Awards and Honours

The University of Waterloo offers several alumni achievement awards and honours, including:

• Alumni Gold Medal
• Alumni Achievement Awards
• UW 50th Anniversary Alumni Achievement Medals
• UW 60th Anniversary Alumni Awards

Faculty and Staff

The University of Waterloo has a talented and dedicated faculty and staff in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program.

Computing Support

The University of Waterloo offers computing support to students, faculty, and staff in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program.

Faculty Performance

The University of Waterloo evaluates the performance of faculty members in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program.