Through the early 1900s the Engineering faculty focused primarily on preparing practical engineers and held the belief that the instruction of pure sciences should be separate. That was until a few physics professors came up with the idea of a new program that would combine mathematics, physics, and engineering.
EngSci grad classes from past decades, including the very first class (3T8) when the program was still called Engineering Physics. (If you squint you’ll find a photo of our external relations officer, Christina Heidorn, in one of the photos). [Source]
This new program, called Engineering Physics, was officially founded in 1934 and later renamed to Engineering Science (EngSci) in 1962. The EngSci program from its beginning has had two main founding principles which still exist today: a strong focus on physics, math, and science as the core of the program, and offering unique specializations after two years of fundamental courses. New majors were introduced throughout the years to respond to emerging fields of research and technology.
Interestingly enough, there are two EngSci traditions which still apply today. Firstly, EngSci is not a department, it is a division. EngSci has only four faculty members who are directly appointed to our Division. Professors Asare, Carrick, Guerzhoy, and Hooper are cross-appointed between EngSci and another departments, and teach exclusively EngSci courses. For the rest of our courses, we draw instructors from across U of T Engineering and a few departments in the Faculty of Arts & Science. This is why different professors may have taught the same course over the years. Secondly, EngSci has two foundational years where students learn math and science through the lenses of a variety of engineering disciplines, such as materials science, civil, computer, and so on. In their third and fourth years, they are offered unique majors often involving multidisciplinary skills.
We currently have over 6000 living alumni all around the world in diverse and interesting fields. Click here to learn more. You can also read more about the history of Engineering Science.