Areas of Academic Focus

In their upper two years, students select two of five areas of academic focus. Currently, these areas are manufacturing, mechatronics, solid mechanics & machine design, energy & environment or bioengineering. The world is constantly changing, so we have designed a degree that changes with you. You have more power to design your academic program and your future.

Bioengineering - Biomedical engineers design and develop products for the most complex system on earth – the human body. Artificial organs, medical imaging devices, drug delivery systems are innovative and lifesaving solutions that arise from applying engineering principles to medical problems. Biomedical engineering jobs are expected to increase by 31.4% over the next seven years, more than double the average predicted rate in other fields.

Biomedical engineering at UofT offers a unique experience to students to take advantage of our proximity to Canada's top hospitals, top biomedical firms and top medical school. State-of-the-art research facilities such as MARS and the CCBR are steps away from engineering.

Mechatronics - Ten years ago it was comparably easy to explain the functions of a camera to a young engineer, even though the mechanisms were complex. Today, it is nearly impossible since the design of a camera not only involves mechanics and optics, but also electronics and software. The design of such products and processes requires a synergetic combination of mechanical and electrical engineering and computer science. 

As with our mechanical engineering program, mechatronics at UofT emphasizes design. You will learn the skills needed to design and build mechatronic systems and that includes mechanical design (mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal), electronic design, programming skills and their integration into functional systems.

As Canada's largest and oldest mechatronics program, you will have access to well-established labs where you put theory into action as well as cutting edge technology provided by our outstanding professors, support engineers and graduate students. Remember, UofT is Canada's best research university! You benefit from our established mechatronics graduate studies. As part of the 4th year Mechatronics Principles course (MIE 444F), students are divided into small groups and asked to develop an autonomous vehicle that will navigate through a maze. The class is concluded with a competition.

Manufacturing - Manufacturing, the transformation of materials and information (technology) into useful products for human beings, is the cornerstone to many economic activities. It is a versatile skill, with employment opportunities existing over a wide range of Canadian industry, including automotive, microelectronics, aeronautics, pharmaceutical, etc.

It is an exciting, creative field, where engineers to design from cradle-to-grave. You must understand how an idea can be produced, and at what cost. This design may also include the manner the product should be disposed of or recycled. It is a truly international field, with demand around the world. Within Canada , average earnings of all employees in manufacturing are 22% higher than average earnings across all economic occupations in Canada.

Energy & Environment - The energy industry is one of the biggest in Canada , dominated by oil and gas, nuclear power and electricity. Environmental engineers play a pivotal role in improving polluted environments, designing facilities that directly affect our modern economy, public health and safety, and designing environmentally-responsible products and processes. Their knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biological processes allows them to address problems such as protecting air, water and land quality; providing safe drinking water; treating and disposing of industrial wastes; preventing environmental problems by designing "cleaner" manufacturing processes; and developing alternative energy sources. Mechanical engineers in this field have a strong foundation in thermal dynamics and fluid mechanics. Engineers with a firm knowledge of environmental processes and solutions are widely sought after by employers in both industry and government.

Solid Mechanics & Machine Design - Solid mechanics is the analysis of stress, strain and deflection. It is one of the core technical areas of mechanical engineering. Applications of solid mechanics are common in: the design of virtually every product; creating manufacturing processes and equipment; biomechanics as related to medicine and dentistry; many fields of graduate research.

Our curriculum is changing. Looking at the academic calendar doesn't give you the whole picture. Look at these files if you want to see the courses you may select in upper years.

First Year Courses

Second Year Courses

Third Year Courses and Description of Areas of Focus

Fourth Year Courses