Engineering Design
Collaborative Innovation: Engineering Design at Guelph
At Guelph Engineering, our interdisciplinary design courses are at the core of your learning experience. Each year, you'll dive into a hands-on, collaborative environment, working alongside students from different engineering disciplines.
With four unique design courses spread across your studies, you'll tackle real-world challenges, develop practical solutions, and build the teamwork skills essential for success in today’s engineering world. Prepare to innovate, create, and make an impact.
Discover the new Adams Collaborative Engineering Studio (ACE Studio), the new student-focused space where engineering students can design, build, collaborate and tackle real-world challenges. Find the new ACE Studio on the second floor of Albert A. Thornbrough Building, overlooking the Adams Atrium.
Interdisciplinary Innovation
Design at Guelph brings together students from all our disciplines to solve complex, real-world problems from multiple perspectives.
Team-Based Learning
Great design doesn’t happen in a silo. From day one, you'll work in diverse teams to brainstorm, prototype, and iterate — just like in the professional world.
Project & Time Management
Master the tools and techniques used in industry. Learn how to plan, lead, and deliver design projects on time and on budget — preparing you for co-op, capstone, and career success.
Hands-On, Impactful Projects
Every semester is a chance to build something that matters. Tackle real challenges through client-based design courses, giving you the opportunity to apply your skills and see your ideas come to life.
Major-Specific Design
As you progress, your design projects become more specialized—applying your skills to real challenges in your chosen field, from robotics to water systems to sustainable structures.
Creative Freedom, with Real Impact
You bring the ideas — we provide the space to develop them. In our collaborative labs and studios, you’ll test bold concepts, protect your IP, and create real-world solutions.
Level 1 | Design Foundations
Everyone starts here.
You’ll learn the design process, build confidence and develop the core skills to approach open-ended problems with creativity, empathy and a maker mindset.
SKILLS YOU BUILD
Teamwork
Ideation & creativity
Prototyping & testing
Communication
Human-centred thinking
Ethics & sustainability
Level 2 | Discipline Deep Dive
Build your technical edge.
You’ll step into your discipline to gain the technical skills and engineering knowledge that power innovation.
SKILLS YOU BUILD
Discipline-specific technical skills
Tools, methods & analysis
Critical thinking
Problem-solving
Independent learning
Professional practice
Level 3 | Problem Definition
Come together to frame real-world challenges.
You’ll work in interdisciplinary teams to define complex problems, blend diverse perspectives, and create meaningful opportunities for impact.
SKILLS YOU BUILD
Teamwork
Systems thinking
Cross-disciplinary collaboration
Problem framing
User research & context
Leadership
Communication and writing
Level 4 | Final Capstone
Design. Build. Deliver
You’ll apply everything you’ve learned to solve a real challenge in an interdisciplinary team, delivering solutions that matter.
SKILLS YOU BUILD
Advanced design & integration
Project management
Technical communication
Risk assessment
Entreprenurial mindset
Impact & sustainability
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