VIII. Graduate Programs

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Engineering

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The graduate degree programs in engineering include research and course work options, as well as full- and part-time studies. A thesis-based MSc degree program is available in four research fields: biological engineering, environmental engineering, engineering systems and computing, and water resources engineering. An MEng degree is offered in three areas: water resources engineering, environmental engineering and biological engineering.

The research-based MSc and PhD programs provide the opportunity to obtain advanced training in the engineering sciences and in research methodology through a variety of applied and basic research topics and courses. They provide for specialization in the fields of biological engineering, environmental engineering, engineering systems and computing, and water resources engineering. Biological engineering research concentrates biological processing environments and human factors; it covers physical processing of food, restructuring of foods and wastes, physical properties of biological materials, and biomechanics. Environmental engineering research examines methods to understand and enhance processes central to environmental protection. It includes the assessment of the fates of substances in the environment, development of new process technology and remediation of contaminated material and sites. Water resources engineering research concentrates on watershed engineering, hydrology, erosion, drainage & irrigation flood control, water-resource systems management, soil and water conservation, storm water and water-quality management. Engineering Systems & Computing research examines techniques, methods and procedures for systems where the computer plays an integral role. In today's society, a computer is intimately integrated into industrial processes and everyday appliances and equipment. Research encompasses aspects of software, hardware, intelligence as well as a focus on particular application areas. Software areas include real-time systems, embedded computing, distributed processing as well as communication systems. Hardware areas include VLSI, special purpose computing and embedded systems. Intelligent systems exploration into control, autonomous robotics, machine vision, image processing, soft computing and human-machine interfaces. Typically a research project will be within the scope of an application area, for example automation, biomedical, food sciences or environmental.

The objective of the MEng degree in biological engineering, water resources engineering and environmental engineering is to provide students (mostly practising engineers) the opportunity to extend their understanding of engineering principles involved in these disciplines beyond the coverage possible in an undergraduate program and to enlarge their grasp of the application of these principles to the solution of complex, practical problems. Areas of emphasis currently covered in water resources engineering are hydrologic modelling and model applications of water supply assessment, pollutant transport and management, watershed management, agricultural water management including irrigation, drainage, erosion and sediment transport and design of naturalized channels. The areas of emphasis currently covered in environmental engineering are water treatment, site remediation, management of agriculture and municipal solid and liquid wastes and risk assessment. Areas of emphasis currently covered in biological engineering are food engineering, and bioprocess engineering.