Engineering Education in Canada and the Cooperative Electrical Engineering Program at the University of Waterloo

Abstract

Although cooperative engineering is practiced at several universities in the United States, that at the University of Waterloo is unique in Canada. The baccalaureate program requires five years of continual attendance, during which the student spends alternate three-month periods in school and in industry. A distinctive feature of the plan is the maintenance of a Coordination Department within the University organization. Staffed by senior professional engineers, this department acts as liaison between industry and the students. Two programs of study are offered in the undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum. One of these is designed for the heavy electromechanical and power systems engineer. The other embraces electronics, communication and computery disciplines, with a greater concentration of theoretical studies. Although the University is still in its infancy, both industrial and student acceptance of the cooperative plan has exceeded initial expectations. There is every indication that co-operative engineering education will rapidly assume a dominant role in the Canadian academic scene.