Program Overview

Engineering Physics

Engineering Physics is about understanding and advancing knowledge and technologies used in a wide range of state-of-the-art systems including optical communications, sensors for biomedical and environmental applications, lasers and LEDs, photovoltaics and nuclear power systems.

Degree Options

• Engineering Physics (MASc)
  • Length: 2 years
  • Required Credentials: Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in engineering or physical science or mathematics
  • Type: Thesis
  • Options: Full-Time, Part-Time
  • Typical Entry: September, January and May
  • Typical Deadline: April 30, November 30, March 31
• Engineering Physics (MEng)
  • Length: 2 years
  • Required Credentials: Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in engineering or physical science or mathematics
  • Type: Course-based, Project
  • Options: Full-Time
  • Typical Entry: September
  • Typical Deadline: April 30
• Engineering Physics (PhD)
  • Length: 4 years
  • Required Credentials: Direct entry from undergrad, transfer from Master, and/or completion of a research Master’s degree in either engineering or physical science
  • Type: Thesis
  • Options: Full-Time, Part-Time
  • Typical Entry: September, January and May
  • Typical Deadline: April 30, November 30, March 31

Areas of Research

• Nano and micro device engineering
• Nuclear engineering and energy systems
• Photonics
• Biomedical engineering
• Smart systems

Scholarships

• Amelia Earhart Fellowship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: A scholarship through Zonta International for women of any nationality pursuing a PhD, who demonstrate a superior academic record in the field of aerospace-related sciences or aerospace-related engineering.
• Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS)
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied values
  • Description: ACUNS established its scholarship program, the Canadian Northern Studies Trust (CNST) in 1982 to advance knowledge and understanding of Canada’s North.
• Bertram Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: May 26, 2025
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Description: In recognition of the growing importance of good governance to all Canadian institutions, the Canadian Foundation for Governance Research is offering annual Bertram Scholarships of $20,000 to PhD students registered at Canadian universities.
• Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: September 18, 2025
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: The CGS-MSFSS supports high-calibre Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences abroad.
• Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program
  • Category: External
  • Amount:
  • Description: The bi-national program is an educational exchange, with a mandate to enhance mutual understanding between the people of Canada and the people of the United States of America.
• CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Master’s (CGRS-M)
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: December 1, 2025
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Description: The CGRS M is a scholarship in the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
• CSA Group Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 31, 2024
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: The purpose of the CSA Group Graduate Scholarship is to support graduate students in the pursuit of knowledge generation related to standards.
• Dr. J. A. Campbell Young Investigator Award
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: April 30, 2023
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: The Dr. J. A. Campbell Young Investigator Award of $5,000 for any kind of research into celiac disease and / or gluten sensitivity is available to students and those who have recently completed degrees.
• E. G. Bolotkin Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: Established in 1991 with funds from the estate of Eugene G.Bolotkin to be awarded annually by the School of Graduate Studies to incoming or currently registered Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents in the Departments of Physics & Astronomy, Engineering Physics, and Materials Science & Engineering.
• Fulbright Canada Student Awards
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: November 15, 2023
  • Amount: $ – $$$
  • Description: Traditional Fulbright Canada Student awards are intended for Canadian citizens who are graduate students, prospective graduate students, or promising young professionals who wish to study and/or conduct research in the United States.
• Health Research Postdoctoral Opportunities
  • Category: External
  • Amount:
  • Description: A comprehensive list of funding sources and agencies for postdoctoral fellows in the Faculty of Health Sciences and those doing health-related research can be found in McMaster’s funding database.
• Hugh C. Morris Experiential Learning Fellowship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Description: The Hugh C. Morris Experiential Learning Fellowship, valued at $40,000 Cdn, is open to any graduate student studying in Canada who is working in a field related to earth, geosciences, environment, alternative energy, water, climate change, sustainability, or the social impact, social sciences or design sciences related to these areas.
• Iranian Student Memorial Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: Established in honour of McMaster Faculty of Engineering PhD students Iman Aghabali and Mehdi Eshaghian, and a former Faculty of Health Science Post-Doctoral Fellow, who lost their lives on the downing of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752.
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowships
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: February 1, 2024
  • Amount:
  • Description: The JSPS provides opportunities in universities or other research institutions in Japan for postdoctoral researchers to conduct, under the guidance of their hosts, cooperative research with leading research groups.
• John Charles Polanyi Prize
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: December 2, 2024
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: In honour of the achievement of John Charles Polanyi, recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Government of the Province of Ontario has established a fund to provide annually up to five prizes to outstanding researchers in the early stages of their career who are continuing to postdoctoral studies or have recently started a faculty appointment at an Ontario university.
• Lyle Makosky Values and Ethics in Sport Fund
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: April 30, 2024
  • Amount: $
  • Description: This award is through the True Sport Foundation of Canada, open to applicants who are high-performance athletes enrolled at a Canadian university, community college or other post-secondary educational institution.
• Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: February 2, 2026
  • Amount: $$-$$$
  • Description: The Mackenzie King Scholarships were established as an independent charitable trust under the will of the late Rt. Hon. William Mackenzie King.
• Manulife Life Lessons Scholarship Program
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 31, 2023
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: Manulife has introduced the first Life Lessons Scholarship Program in Canada, for students who’ve experienced the death of a parent or guardian with little to no life insurance.
• Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: February 23, 2024
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: Four scholarships open to master’s and PhD students who are conducting research on determinants, impacts, and policy or program interventions into food insecurity in Canada.
• Mary Buzzell Graduate Scholarship for Resilient Aging
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: December 1, 2024
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The Mary Buzzell Graduate Scholarship for Resilient Aging will be awarded to an outstanding student enrolled in any Master’s Degree program at McMaster University who is preparing for a career in the multidisciplinary field of Aging.
• McMaster Graduate General Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: A bursary is based solely on financial need, with information from the OSAP application used to determine financial need.
• McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Description: Prospective postdoctoral fellows are invited to submit a research plan that focuses on interdisciplinary, impact-driven approaches in the study of optimal aging through one or more of the following research areas.
• MIRA Graduate Scholarship Program
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: November 25, 2024
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) provides funding to support interdisciplinary research on aging led by McMaster researchers from across all six Mac Faculties.
• MIRA Graduate Student Travel Awards
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 15, 2020
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging funds up to 10 graduate student travel awards per year – five in each round – valued at $500 each for students working with MIRA researchers.
• Mitacs-JSPS Summer Program
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: November 13, 2024
  • Amount:
  • Description: The Mitacs-JSPS Summer program is offered in partnership with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Mitacs, providing opportunities for full-time graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in Canada to pursue collaborative research in Japan.
• MURA Academic Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount:
  • Description: Established in 2020 by the McMaster University Retirees Association (MURA) to be awarded by the School of Graduate Studies to a graduate student researching technological advances related to seniors, and who demonstrates academic excellence.
• NSERC Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Doctoral
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: September 24, 2025
  • Amount: $$$-$$$$
  • Description: The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship — Doctoral (CGRS D) program recognizes and supports the next generation of outstanding innovators, knowledge workers, creative thinkers and researchers.
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: October 17, 2023
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Description: The NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) program provides support to a core of the most promising researchers at a pivotal time in their careers.
• OGS for Indigenous Graduate Students
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 10, 2025
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: Two OGS-I scholarships are awarded to Indigenous graduate students at McMaster University who face significant financial hardship, with particular priority given to women with family responsibilities.
• Ontario Graduate Fellowships
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: Ontario Graduate Fellowships (OGF) provide funding to full-time students in graduate studies at the masters and doctoral level, a merit-based scholarship for students with an A- or above.
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST)
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs provide funding to full-time students at the master’s and doctoral levels, merit-based scholarships for students with an A- or above average.
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship – International
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: The Ontario Graduate Scholarship for International Students is by nomination only, applicants to this award must contact their department for application instructions.
• Rainbow Fund
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: To be granted to graduate students enrolled in any program who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ students and demonstrate financial need.
• Schlumberger Foundation Faculty of the Future
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Value varies
  • Description: This fellow is awarded to female students who are citizens of a developing country or emerging economy, preparing for doctoral or postdoctoral research in the physical sciences, engineering, technology and related disciplines.
• Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada Graduate Student Award of Merit
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: At least three awards, each in the amount of $4000, will be awarded annually to the women graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the university or general community while maintaining exemplary academic records.
• The Barkleys of Avonmore Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The Barkley’s of Avonmore Scholarship was established in 1977 through the generosity of Fred Barkley to assist a student from a developing country to pursue advanced studies at McMaster University.
• The Cecil and Yvette Yip Graduate Bursaries
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: The Cecil and Yvette Yip Graduate Bursaries were established in 2003 by Dr. Cecil Yip (Class of 1959) and Mrs. Yvette Yip to recognize and encourage graduate students whose innovative work in the physical sciences and engineering crosses formal disciplinary boundaries.
• The CHEPA Doctoral Research Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: Established in 2022 by David Feeny and George Torrance, founding members of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA) to be awarded by the School of Graduate Studies to doctoral students enrolled in any program, who are conducting research under the supervision of faculty members belonging to CHEPA and who demonstrate academic and research excellence.
• The Dante Cosma Graduate Memorial Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The Dante Cosma Graduate Memorial Scholarship was established in 1997 by family, friends and colleagues of Dr. Dante Cosma, in recognition of his years of service in the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University, and to his support of engineering students in their pursuit of higher education.
• The Don Morrison Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: Established in 2022 by Heather Sheardown, B. Eng. (Class of ’89) in memory of her father, Don Morrison, a man who valued both work and recreation, connected through his music, and loved deeply.
• The Dr. Colin Webber Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: Established in 2013 to honour the memory of Dr. Colin Webber, McMaster University professor, physicist, radiation safety expert, teacher, mentor, and leader in the field of bone research.
• The Dr. Gunhard A.E. Oravas Memorial Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: April 15, 2025
  • Amount: $$$
  • Description: Awarded by The Gunhard A.E. Oravas Educational Fund, The Dr. Gunhard A.E. Oravas Memorial Scholarship is granted to doctoral students at McMaster University and University of Waterloo who involved in research in the area of Computational Mechanics of Deformable Solids.
• The Edna Howard Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: Established in 2022 by the family of Edna Howard, this bursary honours the support Edna offered graduate students through her work as a cook at The Phoenix Bar and Grill, owned and operated by the Graduate Students Association.
• The Frank Dennee Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: The Frank Dennee Scholarship was established in 1995 with funds from the estate of Frank Dennee, a Hamilton philanthropist, to be awarded annually by the School of Graduate Studies on the recommendations from the departments to entering or currently registered Canadian students in the departments of Engineering Physics or Physics and Astronomy.
• The Graduate Students Association Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The Graduate Students Association Bursary was established in 1999 by the Graduate Students Association at McMaster University under the McMaster Student Opportunity Fund initiative.
• The H. Vincent Elliott Memorial Travel Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The H.Vincent Elliott Memorial Travel Bursary was established in 2010 by Dr. Susan J.Elliott (MA 97 and PhD92), esteemed former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, professor of Geography and Earth Sciences, and senior research fellow at the United Nations Institute on Water (UNU-IWEH), Environment and Health, in memory of her father, H.Vincent Elliott.
• The Howard P. Whidden Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: The Howard P. Whidden Graduate Scholarship was established in 1987, and is open to non-Canadian students from countries of the British Commonwealth.
• The James F. Harvey and Helen S. Harvey Travel Scholarships
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: Established in 1995 with funds from the estate of Helen S. Harvey, this travel scholarship will enable students to engage in research requiring travel.
• The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport Bursary was established in 1997 by The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport to be granted to graduate students in the faculties of Business, Engineering, Science or Social Science who demonstrate financial need.
• The Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada Graduate Award
  • Category: External
  • Amount:
  • Description: Established in 2022 by the Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada to be awarded by the School of Graduate Studies to a graduate student who is currently enrolled in their first year of any program who identifies as a member of the queer, trans community and is Black, racialized, or Indigenous.
• The Myra Baillie Academic Grant
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: Established in 2005 by the Surgical Associates in memory of Myra Baillie to be granted to a graduate student in any degree program who attains and “A” average and demonstrates financial need.
• The Robert John Morris Graduate Studies Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The Robert John Morris Graduate Studies Bursary was established in 1996 by family, friends and colleagues of Robert John Morris to be granted to graduate students in good academic standing who demonstrate financial need.
• The Ronald K. Ham Memorial Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The Ronald K. Ham Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Ronald K. Ham, an Engineering Physics graduate from the University of Toronto and former faculty member at McMaster University in the department of Metallurgy and Materials Science and a member of the Institute for Materials Research.
• The School of Graduate Studies Grant in Aid for Research Travel
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 7, 2025
  • Amount: $-$$
  • Description: The SGS Grant is intended to be a grant in aid of research; students should not expect the grants to cover the full cost of travel or field work.
• The Stelco Graduate Bursaries
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$
  • Description: The Stelco Graduate Bursaries were established in 1996 by Stelco – a market-driven, technologically advanced group of businesses committed to maintaining leadership roles as steel producers and fabricators – in support of graduate students pursuing their educational goals.
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Description: The current Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (results released mid-April 2025) was the final competition cycle for this program.
• Wilson Leadership Scholar Award
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 28, 2022
  • Amount: $$-$$$
  • Description: The Wilson Leader Scholarship Award for graduate students is different, valued at $12,000 in direct funding and up to $2,000 for experiential funding, it’s a leadership development and career launcher program that builds on your studies.
• Yates Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $
  • Description: The Yates Scholarship Fund (up to $500) was established in 1963 by the bequest of William Henry Yates, this fund supports upper-level doctoral students with research activities and conference travel when a paper is being delivered.