Studying Engineering in Ontario

Queen's University

Apply to Smith Engineering – Common First Year (QE)

You choose engineering At the end of first year (discipline selection happens in February, after Discipline Nights in January), provided you pass all first-year courses and submit your choice by the winter-term deadline..

"Engineering" isn't one program at Queen's — Smith Engineering has a common first-year route (QE) that guarantees you a spot in whichever of the 10 disciplines you want after year one (no caps, no quotas), plus separate direct-entry OUAC codes for Computer, Mechatronics/Robotics, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Mining Engineering if you already know your discipline. If this student hasn't picked a specific engineering discipline yet, QE is the right choice — applying to a direct-entry code instead locks them into that one discipline and they lose the ability to switch disciplines in second year. All Smith Engineering routes (QE and the direct-entry codes) require the same five 4U prerequisites: English, Calculus and Vectors, Advanced Functions, Chemistry, and Physics.

McMaster University

Apply to Engineering I - Discovery Track (MED)

You choose engineering At the end of first year. McMaster's Engineering I is a common first year — you take the same core math/science/engineering courses no matter which OUAC code you applied under, then rank your preferred discipline (Civil, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Software, Materials, Nuclear, Computer, Engineering Physics, etc.) and are placed based on your Year 1 GPA..

If a student just wants "engineering" without knowing which discipline yet, Discovery Track (MED) is the right choice — it's the general engineering entry point. But McMaster also lists separate OUAC codes for each specific discipline (e.g. MEQ for Mechanical, MEL for Electrical, MEV for Civil, MES for Software, etc.) — if the student already knows exactly which discipline they want, applying directly under that code locks in a second-year seat instead of leaving it competitive. All Engineering I codes need an 87% minimum average and a mandatory supplementary application, and which specific code you pick on OUAC does NOT affect your admission chances since McMaster treats them all as one applicant pool for Level 1. Also note: students with mid-to-high 90s averages can be granted "Free Choice," guaranteeing their preferred second-year discipline regardless of which code they applied under. Separately, iBioMed (the MIx codes) is a related but distinct biomedical-engineering-plus-health-sciences program, not plain Engineering — don't confuse the two if the student just wants standard engineering.

University of Toronto — St. George

Apply to not offered as a general/undeclared route right now — TrackOne, Undeclared Engineering (TEO) is paused

Here's the trap: normally "just engineering, undecided" would mean applying to TrackOne (TEO), a common first year where you pick your discipline at the end of first year. But U of T Engineering's own site says U of T Engineering is pausing admission to TrackOne, Undeclared for two admissions cycles: 2026–2027 and 2027–2028, corresponding to September 2027 and September 2028 start dates. A Grade 12 student filling in OUAC today (August 2026) is applying for a September 2027 start, which falls exactly inside that pause. For these cycles, applicants will apply directly to: Core 8 programs (Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, Materials, Mineral, Mechanical) or Engineering Science — there is no undeclared/general engineering box to tick on OUAC this year. So this student cannot apply to "engineering" in general: they must pick ONE specific OUAC code from the list — TB (Chemical), TV (Civil), TCS (Computer Engineering), TE (Electrical), TI (Industrial), TTM (Materials), TM (Mechanical), TG (Mineral), or TK (Engineering Science, which itself lets you pick a major stream later within EngSci). If they truly don't know which discipline yet, the university's stated reasoning for the pause is that most "undecided" students end up picking a discipline anyway, so they're now expected to commit to one Core 8 program at application time (though switching between Core 8 programs after a clear first year is still possible via internal transfer, per the engineering calendar). Advise the student to research the 8 disciplines plus Engineering Science and choose the OUAC code that matches their real interest, rather than assuming TEO exists this year.

University of Toronto — Mississauga

Apply to not offered at UTM (Mississauga)

Engineering (the BASc) is not one of UTM's 12 admission categories at all — it isn't a stream you can pick later either, because UTM doesn't run an engineering degree. Engineering at U of T is a completely separate faculty (Applied Science & Engineering, 'FASE') based on the St. George campus, with its own OUAC codes and its own application (e.g. Track One historically, or now direct entry to the Core 8 programs / Engineering Science). A student who wants engineering at U of T needs to apply to the St. George campus's engineering programs, not to any UTM code like TMW or TMZ. There was a 2013-2015 proposal for a 'UTM 2+3 engineering pathway' letting students spend two years at UTM before finishing an engineering degree through FASE, but this never became one of UTM's current admission categories and any such route would still be an application to FASE, not to a UTM program code.

University of Toronto — Scarborough

Apply to not offered at UTSC

U of T's Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering is only offered at the St. George campus, admitted through the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering's own OUAC codes there. Scarborough has no engineering degree at all — its closest tech-related program is Computer Science (TXC), which is a Bachelor of Science, not an accredited engineering degree, and won't lead to a P.Eng. A student set on engineering needs to apply to U of T St. George's engineering programs instead, not anything on the UTSC list.

University of Waterloo

Apply to not offered as a single generic "Engineering" program at Waterloo

You choose engineering There is no "undeclared" or general-engineering year at Waterloo. You must pick the specific discipline (e.g. Mechanical WWH, Civil WE, Electrical WWF, Computer WWJ, Software WSO, Chemical WC, Mechatronics WMT, Systems Design WD, Biomedical WBM, Nanotechnology WNT, Management WEM, Geological WWG, Environmental WEE, Architectural WEA) right on your OUAC application — that program-specific code is your only Grade 12 route in..

Waterloo has no generic "Engineering" OUAC code, so this student cannot just apply to "Engineering" and sort out the discipline later. Waterloo's own FAQ is explicit: "You can only apply to one Engineering program at Waterloo, excluding Architecture, on your OUAC application." You can name one backup discipline afterward — "you'll be able to use the Engineering Program Alternate Choice form in the portal to indicate one alternate Engineering program you wish to be considered for" — but "Software Engineering and Biomedical Engineering are not available as alternate choices. You'll need to select one of them on your OUAC application if you wish to be considered for them." So this student needs to tell you which specific engineering discipline they mean (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Software, etc.) — each has its own code and its own admission average band in your list (e.g. WSO/Biomedical are "high 80s to mid-90s" while WC/WE/WEE sit "Mid- to High 80s"). Also note the Engineering-specific deadline is earlier than most other Waterloo programs: "The deadline to apply to a Waterloo Engineering program, excluding Architecture, is January 15, 2027. The deadline to submit your AIF, video interview, and any required documentation is February 1, 2027." Architecture (WR) and Architectural Engineering (WEA) are technically in the Faculty of Engineering too but are treated separately from this "one Engineering program" rule.

University of Guelph

Apply to no general Engineering entry at Guelph — you pick a discipline on the application

Guelph has no undeclared or common first-year engineering code. Each discipline is its own OUAC application at 84-89%: Biological GBM, Biomedical GBI, Civil GBA, Computer GBL, Engineering Systems and Computing GEK, Environmental GBN, Mechanical GME, Mechatronics GMR, and Water Resources. Choose before you apply.

Carleton University

Apply to no general Engineering entry at Carleton - you pick a discipline on the application

Carleton has no common first-year engineering code. Each discipline is its own OUAC application: Aerospace (CEA, 88-90%), Mechanical (CED, 88-90%), Civil (CEB), Electrical (CEF), Biomedical and Mechanical (CEJ), Mechatronics (CEM) and Engineering Physics (CEP) at 80-85%; Computer Systems (CEC), Environmental (CEE), Biomedical and Electrical (CEG), Telecommunications (CEH), Sustainable Electrical Power (CEK), Software (CES) and Architectural Conservation (CEX) at 75-80%. Note the spread: Aerospace and Mechanical ask 13 points more than Software.

Wilfrid Laurier University — Waterloo

Apply to not offered at Laurier

Laurier has no engineering faculty and no engineering programme — nothing by that name appears in its listing at any campus. Its joint programmes with the University of Waterloo are in business, computer science and mathematics, not engineering.

York University

Apply to Engineering (BEng) (YT)

You choose engineering after a common first year — your discipline is decided by a supplementary 'Boost' co-application, not on the OUAC form.

Lassonde merges every engineering discipline into a single OUAC selection, Engineering (BEng, YT, low-to-mid 80s, co-op available), with a common foundation year. Once York receives your application you are sent the Boost supplementary co-application, which is where you state your preferred discipline; spots are awarded on your academic profile plus that submission. Lassonde's Engineering Program Guarantee lets you lock in your preferred discipline before you accept the offer — do not skip the supplementary step.

Toronto Metropolitan University

Apply to no general Engineering entry at TMU — pick a discipline, or use first-semester Undeclared Engineering (SEU)

TMU has no common engineering entry. Every discipline is its own direct-entry code, and the ranges split sharply: Civil (SCG) and Electrical (SEJ) at 90%+; Aerospace (SAA), Biomedical (SBI), Chemical (SCF), Computer (SCE), Industrial (SIQ), Mechanical (SMW) and Mechatronics (STR) at 85-90%. Undeclared Engineering (SEU, 85-90%) is a first-semester-only door: TMU requires you to name three choices 'no later than December 1st', and a first-semester CGPA of at least 2.67 (B-) enrols you in your first choice; below that you are placed by CGPA and space.

University of Windsor

Apply to General Engineering (NE)

You choose engineering before second year — Windsor's first year is common to every discipline and you pick then.

Windsor runs the cleanest common-first-year engineering door in Ontario. General Engineering (NE, 74% minimum) and every named discipline — Civil (NEB), Electrical (NEN), Environmental (NEK), Industrial (NEH), Mechanical (NEJ), Mechatronic Systems (NEF) — share the same 74% minimum and, in Windsor's words, 'all engineering programs start with the same courses in first year'. You 'must select a discipline before you begin second year', and Windsor says transfers between disciplines before then can generally be accommodated. Apply to NE if you are undecided; there is no penalty. Windsor publishes a minimum average rather than a range, and its own pages show the minimum is a floor for consideration, not the bar: Nursing is listed at 70% but Windsor recommends 85%, and Concurrent Education lists 75% while the admitted mean is 86%. For limited-enrolment programmes, treat the published number as the lowest you can apply with, not what gets you in.

Trent University

Apply to Chemical Engineering: Trent/Swansea Dual Degree (RCE)

You choose engineering on the application — Trent's only engineering degree is a dual degree with Swansea University in Wales.

Trent has no engineering faculty. Its only engineering code is Chemical Engineering as a Trent/Swansea dual degree (RCE, 80% minimum), which means part of the degree is taken in Wales. Software Engineering Co-op (RZC, 85-90%) is a computing degree, not accredited engineering. For any other discipline, Trent is not the campus.

Lakehead University

Apply to Engineering (AM)

You choose engineering after a common first year — Lakehead's structure is a two-year Engineering Technology Diploma, then two more years to the BEng.

Lakehead's engineering is unusual and worth understanding before you apply. One code (AM, 70%, co-op available, Thunder Bay and Barrie) admits you from Grade 12, and in Lakehead's words you 'earn an Engineering Technology Diploma after completing the first two years', then 'a Bachelor of Engineering degree... can be earned in two more years'. Six disciplines: Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Software and Mechatronics. If you need more preparation first, the 'Common Year in Applied Science' is the bridge. Lakehead has two campuses and many programmes run at only one: check the campus in the programme name before you apply, because Thunder Bay and Orillia are 1,400 km apart.

Laurentian University

Apply to no general Engineering entry at Laurentian — pick Chemical, Mechanical or Mining on the application

Laurentian has no common engineering code. Its three disciplines are each their own application: Chemical (LEA, 70%), Mining (LEE, 70%) — one of the few mining engineering degrees in Ontario — and Mechanical (LEG, 75%). Choose before you apply.

Nipissing University

Apply to not offered at Nipissing

Nipissing has no engineering faculty and no engineering programme — nothing by that name among its 33 codes.

Algoma University

Apply to not offered at Algoma

Algoma has no engineering faculty or programme — confirmed absent from its own list. Computer Science – Mobile Software Engineering (JFH) is a computing degree, not engineering.