Student review [#103763] for Electrical and Computer Engineering
at University of Ottawa

I went into the MEng in Electrical and Computer Engineering at uOttawa wanting a coursework-based degree that would get me job-ready faster than a thesis route, and that’s exactly the trade-off it delivers. The program runs through the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Electrical and Computer Engineering, a joint setup between uOttawa and Carleton University, so course options end up broader than what either school offers alone. That gave me access to electives in areas like optical communications, electromagnetic compatibility, and stochastic systems that I wouldn’t have found in a smaller programme.
Being in Ottawa is a genuine advantage if you’re aiming at telecom, defence, or government-adjacent tech work. There’s a dense cluster of companies and federal research labs nearby, and it shows in the guest lectures and the kind of projects professors tend to assign. The bilingual character of the university is also worth mentioning: you can complete assignments and exams in French or English, which matters if you’re building a career in Canada and want that flexibility on your record.
Workload-wise, the coursework was demanding but manageable, and because it’s course-based rather than thesis-based, the pace felt more structured and predictable than a research degree. The tradeoff is that if you’re hoping for deep research exposure or a strong thesis to point to for PhD applications, this isn’t the track for that; a MASc suits that goal better.
If I had one criticism, it’s that some of the more specialized electives weren’t offered every term, so scheduling around them took some planning. Overall though, for anyone wanting a practical, technically rigorous ECE master’s with strong industry proximity, this program delivers well.