University of Toronto
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
Calendar 2000 - 2001

6. Curriculum and Programs: Introduction
 
 
 
In Brief

Weight Factor

Elective Courses

Free Electives

Complementary Studies

Complementary Studies Certificate Programs

Program and Course Approvals

Practical Experience Requirement

Back to Curriculum and Programs
 
 

In Brief

Each program in Engineering and in Engineering Science consists of a technical component and a complementary studies component. The curriculum provides considerable latitude to students in choosing their programs of study.

On this page, the curriculum of each program is set forth in detail. The curriculum for students in First Year (in First and Second Years in Engineering Science) forms a basis in the fundamental subjects prior to subsequent specialization in various Engineering disciplines. Students are able to choose from a range of technical electives in their senior years. In the Fourth Year, all programs contain a thesis or a design project, which provides students with the opportunity to carry out original work in their chosen fields of study. Students who intend to continue to a Master's degree may, with the approval of their Department, enrol in the Coordinated Bachelor/Master's Program in Fourth Year. For more information on this possibility, refer to Section 2.

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Weight Factor

As a guide to students in apportioning their time, a weight factor is associated with each course. This weight factor is used in the computation of the studentÕs weighted average in the work of the term. For courses taught by or for this Faculty, the weight is shown opposite the course listing on the following pages. For courses selected from other Faculties, as Free Electives, for example , the weight is specified by the offering Faculty. A regular program normally consists of five courses per term with a total weight of 2.5 credits; with the approval of the Chair of their Department full-time students may elect to increase their loads to a maximum of 3.0 credits per term.

To be eligible for any scholarship or award granted solely on academic standing, a student must have completed not less than the normal full load (5.0 credits) within the two terms upon which the award is based. A student whose program in these two terms contains repeated courses will only be eligible if the aggregate of new courses is equal to or greater than 5.0 credits.

The programs and regulations contained in this calendar hold good for this academic year only, and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering does not bind itself to adhere for the whole period of a student's attendance to the conditions here laid down.

The Faculty reserves the right to withdraw any course for which there is insufficient enrolment or resources, and to limit the enrolment in any course.

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Elective Courses

Elective courses fall into three categories: Technical Electives; Humanities/Social Science Electives; and Free Electives (in Fourth Year). In general, students must not select elective courses that would involve excessive duplication of material covered elsewhere in their programs. As the promotion of engineering students is based on weighted term averages, honours/pass/fail or credit/no-credit courses may not be taken as electives.

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Free Electives

In some terms of the Fourth Year there is provision for a Free Elective, which the student must fill. Any degree credit course listed in the current calendars of the Faculty of Applied   Science and Engineering, the Faculty of Arts and   Science, and the   School of Graduate   Studies is acceptable as a Free Elective provided it does not duplicate material covered in courses taken or to be taken. If taken within the Faculty of Applied   Science and Engineering, the Free Elective must be a course carrying a weight of at least .42 credits per term.

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Complementary Studies

The Faculty is aware of the heavy responsibility that lies on the shoulders of engineers in our modern technological society, and it strives to educate engineers with a strong sense of responsibility to others. The Faculty therefore requires from students a firm foundation of engineering ethics, familiarity with their heritage and history, and sensitivity to the social context in which they function. To this end, in addition to developing competence in appropriate aspects of mathematics, the physical sciences and design, aspiring engineers must acquire an understanding of the humane aspects of engineering. This is the aim of the complementary studies component of the curriculum, which includes the following essential elements:

  1. An introduction to the methodologies and thought process of the humanities and social sciences,
  2. A basic knowledge of engineering economics,
  3. Competence in oral and written communications,
  4. An awareness of the impact of technology on society.


We urge students to plan their complementary studies in accordance with their career aspirations; however, to ensure eligibility for registration as a professional engineer, each program contains specific provisions and compulsory courses addressing these elements. These are described below.

1. Methodologies & Thought Process of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Engineers' colleagues frequently have a background in the humanities and social sciences rather than in the physical or mathematical sciences, so students should have some understanding of the modes of thought used in these disciplines. The Faculty of Arts and Science offers a very comprehensive selection of such courses, however, many of these are full year courses and may be difficult to integrate into a studentÕs timetable. Individual programs have additional requirements and opportunities to take Humanities/Social Science electives. Subject to conditions imposed by the Faculty of Arts and Science, students may choose any course that does not include:

languages, grammar, mathematics (including symbolic logic and probability & inductive logic), economics, technique (e.g. art, music, video production), physical and life sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry, biology, zoology, computer science and psychology).
To facilitate scheduling, a selection of courses has been arranged specifically for students of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering; these are generally scheduled between 12:00 noon and 2:00 PM, so as to be available to most students. The courses are:

APS302H1F Engineering, Society and Environment II
APS304H1S Preventive Engineering and Social Development
ENG284H1F Varieties of Fiction
ENG287H1S Science Fiction
HPS280H1F History of Science
HPS284H1S History of North American Technology
PHL255H1F* Science and Pseudo Science
PHL273H1F Environmental Ethics
PHL291H1S Engineering and Ethics

* This course is administered by the Faculty of Arts and Science; the term and examination dates of that Faculty apply.

Students seeking a broader choice in their humanities/social science electives can obtain more information about appropriate courses and enrolment procedures from the Faculty Registrar's Office or their Departmental Offices. Enrolment may involve submission of a ballot or consultation with the offering department. Students should be aware that some courses require a larger commitment of time than the courses listed above.

2. Engineering Economics

Each program includes at least one required course on engineering economics. These courses provide an opportunity for students to become familiar with the basic tools used to assess the economic viability of proposed engineering projects.

The program-required courses are: CHE349H1 F/ S, CIV368H1 F, ECE371H1 F, MIE358H1 F.

3. Oral and Written Communications

Engineers must be able to communicate effectively with each other, with other professionals, and with the public at large. Technically sound solutions will often be accepted only after the engineer has convinced the public and governmental agencies that they are also socially acceptable. Consequently each program includes the equivalent of one course on technical communications developing skills in report and letter writing, public speaking and graphical presentations.

The program specific course in First Year is ENG 182H1 F/S  Effective Technical Writing, except for Engineering Science students, who are required to take ESC300S, Written and Oral Communication. In addition to this, most programs include material on oral and written communications as an explicit component of their curriculum in later years.

4. Impact of Technology on Society

The course APS103H1 F/S Engineering, Society and the Environment is required for all programs except Engineering Science, for which PHL193H1 S, Science and Social Issues is required.

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Complementary Studies Certificate Programs

Students may wish to consider other areas of complementary studies. Courses in these areas contain some of the four essential elements described above. Two such possibilities are described as follows:

Preventive Engineering and Social Development
The Centre for Technology and Social Development offers an elective sequence to students interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of how technology fits into and interacts with human life, society and the environment, and how this knowledge may be used to avoid negative impacts through preventive engineering approaches. It is a response to the growing need for engineers to understand the human, societal and environmental as well as the technical dimensions of the decisions they make. The elective sequence also helps prepare engineers for graduate work in technology-related areas, such as technology and public policy, environmental assessment, technology transfer and foreign aid, pollution prevention, or alternatively, a career such as teaching science-technology-society issues in high schools or community colleges. The requirements for the elective sequence are: APS302H1 F and APS304H1 S. These courses build on APS103, which is compulsory for all programs except Engineering Science.

Students who successfully complete these three courses may obtain from the Centre a Certificate in Preventive Engineering and Social Development. For further information, please refer to the description of the Centre for Technology and Social Development in Section 10 of this Calendar. Students should register for this elective sequence in their First Year.

Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Small Business:
Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, engineers have been amongst the most successful entrepreneurs, and this is especially true in today’s global economy. Furthermore, strategic uses of technology in all sorts of businesses make the difference between success and failure for these firms. Competition in manufacturing, product distribution and multinational enterprises is producing a significant demand for engineers who can manage all aspects of the enterprise. The most successful people in these activities will be those who have the “entrepreneurial” spirit and the drive and persistence to make a difference to their companies. Also, to participate effectively in this global economy, large and medium sized corporations are desperately seeking intrapreneurs, entrepreneurial individuals who prefer to work inside a larger firm rather than to start or run their own business.

Owning a business has many advantages. Entrepreneurs can control their own lives, structure their own progress and be accountable for their own success. Furthermore, engineers are the most capable people to be in the forefront of this drive to the business life that will more and more depend on the on-line e-Business environment fostered by the Internet and the Web in the new millenium.

The development of these talents is addressed in a set of two courses offered to the undergraduate engineering students in our Faculty. These courses require a substantial effort on the part of the student and the instructors. They are unusual in that, to be accepted into them, a student has to possess some of the prerequisite personality and some unique abilities required to become a successful entrepreneur. Prior to being accepted into the first of the courses, a short test is offered to those who believe that they have the drive and talents to start their own business. The first of these two courses is available in the Fall session of the second year. The second one is offered in year two, three or four, Winter Session as the student’s timetable allows. The courses are sequential and the first is the pre-requisites of the second.
 

The following are the two courses:
APS234H1 F  Entrepreneurship and Small Business 
APS432H1 S  Entrepreneurship and Business Management
 

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Program and Course Approvals

Students must obtain the approval of their department for their course selection and, in selecting elective courses, and must also conform to any enrolment requirements set by the department offering the course. A student wishing to take as an elective a course not included in the sources specified above may seek permission to do so by petition to the Faculty Registrar.

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Practical Experience Requirement

It is a regulation of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering that all students complete a minimum of 600 hours of practical work before graduation. This experience is normally obtained during the summer periods but work done before entering the Faculty may also meet the requirement.

The nature of the work undertaken should be consistent with the intent of this requirement, that is, the experience should form an integral part of a student's education, leading to a career in engineering. Therefore, work in any facet of engineering would be acceptable for this requirement, including design, maintenance, technical sales, research and so on.

In some cases work experience in fields other than engineering may be acceptable, provided that work requires a good measure of responsibility (management of personnel and finances), sound judgement and effective communication, and that the experience is supportive of the professional career of the student after graduation.

Practical experience certificate forms may be obtained from the departments and should be returned when completed. The satisfaction or non-satisfaction of this requirement for graduation will be indicated on the student’s grade report for Term 4H1 Sas a grade of CR (Credit) or NCR (No Credit). Participation in the Professional Experience Year automatically satisfies the practical experience requirement.

The Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) have proposed allowing pre-graduation experience to count towards 12 months of the 4 year "experience requirement" for the P.Eng. license. The PEO will require that a "Pre-Graduation Experience Record" is maintained. For further information visit the PEO web site http://www.peo.on.ca or contact the PEY office SFB740. Please note that the records required by the PEO are different from the 600 hours, practical experience records for the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.

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