In your second year winter term of EngSci, you’ll select a major in which to specialize. There are a total of nine majors that cover a plethora of engineering disciplines. Choosing your major can be difficult, but there’s plenty of information to help you make the right decision!
The Roadmap
Throughout your first two years in EngSci, you’ll take courses that are relevant to all of our majors, and you’ll learn which areas of engineering excite you the most and where your interests and talents lie.
You’ll also get to talk to upper-year students and hear what they’re up to in the various majors.
In second year winter term you’ll attend Major Selection information sessions hosted by each major’s Chair (i.e., the professor who oversees the program).
Along the way there are lots of chances to learn about each major in detail and talk to upper-years, professors, and staff to inform your choice.
Major Selection: What You Need To Know
Watch your academic advisors, Stephen and Irma, answer some of the most commonly asked questions about major selection and debunk common myths about the process.
Some Common Myths
Selecting your major is important, so let’s dispel some common myths:
All EngSci majors are open to all EngSci students provided they maintain a clear academic standing as per U of T Engineering guidelines and apply for their major by the major selection deadline. You don’t need to compete with anyone for major spots, and you can select whichever major you want!
Some students believe their entire lives will be dictated by their major. EngSci’s Academic Advisor for Years 3 & 4, Brendan Heath, dubbed this idea as the “golden straight jacket.”
It simply isn’t true!
Yes, each major provides students with the knowledge and skills to work in a specific field, including coursework particularly tailored for that field. However, the wide range of knowledge taught during the foundation years, the overlap in certain topics between majors, the transferable skills developed throughout your extracurriculars, the ability to customize your degree with technical electives, minors, and certificates, and the inherent interconnectedness between engineering disciplines open the door to really diverse career paths (in engineering and otherwise) for EngSci graduates.
An EngSci degree can take you in many different directions, and many alumni have followed career paths that are anything but linear, discovering new opportunities and changing directions along the way.
For example, Thomas Looi graduated in Aerospace Engineering and began his career at MDA before transitioning to medical research. Today, he leads a research group at SickKids Hospital, developing miniature robotic systems for pediatric surgery. Similarly, Vicki Komisar studied Biomedical Engineering, became an assistant professor at UBC, and later transitioned to the federal government, where she now works as a technical advisor.
You’ll see this firsthand at our annual ESEC event where many EngSci alumni with non-linear career paths have shared their stories. Read more about our alumni here.
For more information on the EngSci foundation and upper years check out the EngSci Overview.
Some first-year EngSci students may view the diverse second-year curriculum as an obstacle to specializing in their desired major, since Core 8 students take major-specific courses starting in second year.
While this may result in you learning certain concepts later than your Core 8 counterparts, remember: Core 8 students may be taking specialized courses earlier, but you’re learning things in second year that they aren’t!
EngSci’s Foundation Years curriculum is broad for a reason. It is designed to teach you strong fundamentals in math, physics, and design, while also exposing you to topics in a variety of engineering disciplines. This gives you an incredibly valuable interdisciplinary perspective and sets you up well for working on complex challenges that require people from engineers from different fields to work together.
To compare the Year 2 EngSci and Core8 currcula, let’s look at ECE as an example. EngSci courses ECE253, MAT292, ECE259, MIE286, and ESC204 are similar to Core 8 ECE courses. Furthermore, every other EngSci course has deep connections to ECE, providing a strong understanding of many broad yet but relevant concepts.
Alternatively, say you’re interested in a major such as MSF and but worry that some of the second-year curriculum won’t be relevant to your career. On the contrary, having knowledge of various other fields will put you at an advantage when applying for jobs. Finally, you’ll very quickly catch up with all of your major-specific courses in third year.
Tips for Choosing Your Major
We understand that many of you have already given a lot of thought to major selection. However, even if you feel confident in your current choice, we encourage you to keep an open mind—many students discover new interests in first and second year! By the major selection deadline, you may be even more confident in your original choice. Alternatively, you may have discovered an entirely new area of interest and choose something completely different.
So, to aid your exploration, here are some tips from those who came before you:
Explore the Majors
Make sure you know what each major is actually about! Many students have misconceptions about the majors and think they know what they are based solely on their names or something they heard. The EngSci website has handy overview pages for each major. Even if you THINK you’re not interested in all the majors, read through them all. You might be surprised by what you find!
Each page has:
- An overview of what this major is really all about and they types of work it can lead to
- An overview of topics covered
- A list of sample courses
- FAQs about the major
- Info on where grads have ended up
You might be surprised by what you learn!
Your Interests
Identify what areas of engineering interest you. For instance, when looking at a machine, are you more curious about the forces experienced by the physical parts or do you wish you could look through the code that controls its behaviour? Subsystems of machines will almost always directly relate to one or more specific types of engineering, which can help you figure out where your interests lie.
Courses you Enjoy
VS
Courses you Excel at
Foundation year courses provide a strong background regardless of your chosen major and can help you decide which major suits you best. For example, if you enjoy ECE159, the Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) major may be a good fit for you. However, it’s important to also consider the courses where you excel. These may or may not align with your interests. Finding a balance between what you enjoy and what you excel at is important as you prepare for your future career in your chosen major.
Join Design Teams
While design teams aren’t mandatory, joining at least one can be a great way to gain hands-on experience in your preferred engineering field while having fun. Typically, you’ll join a sub team within the larger team that specializes in a certain area, such as mechanical, electro-mechanical, or software. Working on longer-term projects can help you confirm if a related major aligns with your career goals and provide valuable experience to showcase when applying for jobs in industry.
ESEC
Every year, the Engineering Science Education Conference (ESEC) is held exclusively for EngSci students, providing a unique chance to meet with leaders from various engineering sectors. Listening to their unique career stories and diverse experiences can help you discover your own passion – and maybe even make you consider a major you hadn’t considered before. It’ll also show you that EngSci graduates’ career paths aren’t linear and that your choice of major doesn’t mean you’ll only be able to work in that field.
Friends & Family in the Industry
Reach out to friends and family working in industries you’re interested in. Hearing their career stories and discussing your ideas with them might help you decide and establish some connections in the industry at the same time.
Do Your Research
Once you have a shortlist of majors, it’s time to do some research. As with all research, make sure your sources have credibility. In other words, don’t get your info from fellow 2nd year students.
Look into the courses offered in each major — do they get your excited? Check out professors who are doing related research — does it sound interesting? Consult professor and the Engineering Career Centre about job prospects. Reach out to our alumni network to talk to people who are working (and hiring) in the sector right now.
Talking to upper years in your preferred major can also be a great way of getting advice, understanding the workload, and discovering career paths that you may not have considered.
Talk to Your Profs and TA’s
They’re fully tapped in and can share things you may not have considered about our majors and future careers.
Talk to Your Advisors
If you’re considering multiple majors, it’s always good to discuss your plans and get a second perspective. While discussing with peers and upper-years is valuable, consulting your Academic Advisors, Stephen or Irma (Year 1 & 2) is especially helpful since they’ve helped many students before you choose their paths and have seen where those choices lead. Towards the end of your second year, you can also reach out to your Year 3 & 4 Academic Advisor Brendan if you have specific questions about the majors you’re considering, such as, courses and electives. Additionally, if you have a specific interest in a niche industry, your advisors can help you align your studies with your career goals.