Power and Energy Engineering Technology – Faculty of Engineering

Power and Energy Engineering Technology

Learn about power quality, protection, and control, energy management, and renewable energy technologies such as biomass, fuel-cells, geothermal, solar, and wind from both technical and managerial points of view.

Length
24 courses (Advanced Entry From College)
Degree
Bachelor of Technology (Co-op Mandatory)
Program
Bachelor of Technology (Degree Completion)
Options

Co-op

Program highlights

Our unique ‘diploma to degree’ program is tailor-made for college graduates wishing to upgrade their education and further their careers. All eligible program entrants receive two years’ worth of advanced credit from their previously completed college diploma or university degree.

Curriculum

There are 17 core technical courses that cover advanced math, electricity and electronics, control theory, thermal fluids, as well as power generation, distribution, quality, protection, and maintenance. Seven management courses complement your studies.

Career paths

Graduates commonly work in the energy utility industry, for renewable energy integrators, for governmental bodies at all levels, and in the energy product manufacturing industry.

Admission requirements

Academic Prerequisites

Applicants must hold an advanced technology diploma (3 year) or equivalent in related technology field:

  • Electrical Engineering Technology
  • Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Electronics Engineering Technology
  • Energy Systems Engineering Technology
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology
Anticipated Admission Range
Minimum cumulative GPA of 75% or higher
OUAC Code
MET
View degree requirements

Additional notes:

  •  If your cumulative GPA is between 70-75%, or if it has been more than 10 years since you completed your qualifying education, please consider applying to the Technology Certificate program which, upon completion, may qualify you for admission into the B.Tech. Degree Completion program.
  • Applicants with educational backgrounds equivalent to those completing advance level college diplomas, including internationally educated applicants, will be considered on an individual basis and are encouraged to apply. We cannot pre-assess candidates for admission prior to becoming applicants.
  • You must submit transcripts for ALL post-secondary work that you have completed (i.e. at a university or college in Canada or internationally), including work in any non-technology field completed prior to or after your advanced diploma.

Eligible college partner programs

A list of eligible college partner programs can be found here.

Program structure

There are 24 courses required to complete your four-year McMaster University degree.

A flexible evening and weekend schedule runs for 12 months of the year (3 semesters), giving students the option to work full-time while completing the program.

Timetables:

 

View program sequence flowchart (Opens in new window)
Students in Genetic Tissue Engineering Lab

Co-op and experiential learning

Gaining relevant co-op experience is an essential part of earning a BTech degree.

This required 8-month co-op component will allow students to gain valuable work experience and career connections.

While support and guidance is available through the Centre for Career Growth and Experience to assist students with your job search, resume writing and interviewing skills, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to satisfy the co-op program requirement.

Students who have completed college work terms or who have work experience in a related field can be assessed for a waiver for the co-op requirement.

Learn more about co-op
BTech Student in Learning Factory

Application information

1. Review your eligibility for the program in the Admission Requirements tab. If you don’t see your program listed, please contact us to thinkeng@mcmaster.ca. Those who must begin in the Technology Certificate program can find application information here.

2. Fill out the online application: www.ouac.on.ca (enter Program Code – MET and select your area of interest)

3. If you have not already done so through your OUAC application, please send official post-secondary transcripts directly from your institution to:

Admissions Office, Gilmour Hall, Room 108 McMaster University 
1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8

Submit transcripts for all post-secondary work, regardless of when it was completed or what field your studies were in.

  • Applicants with international credentials must have their transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org/ca). We require a WES course-by-course with an overall GPA assessment to be completed and sent to McMaster.
  • High school transcripts are NOT required.
TermApplication DeadlineDocument Deadline
Winter 2025November 15, 2024November 30, 2024
Spring/Summer 2025 March 31, 2025 April 7, 2025
Fall 2025July 1, 2025July 15, 2025

Not finished college yet? In order to finalize your admission, we require final transcripts and indication that an advanced diploma has been granted. For this reason, students cannot begin in the term immediately following college studies.

Careersand further studies

Sample careers:

  • Power Systems Coordinator, ArcelorMittal Dofasco
  • Protection & Control Field Engineer, Hydro One
  • Vice President, Tiltran Power Services Corp. 
  • Electrical Engineer, AECOM

Further study:

  • MBA, McMaster University
  • MEng, Electrical, McMaster University
  • MEng, Electrical and Electronics, McMaster University
  • MEng, University of Toronto
Engineering Graduate Society

Future directions

Many BTech students inquire about study opportunities available to them after completing their undergraduate degree. With your four year degree from McMaster University, you can now move on to pursue professional designations or further education at the graduate (Master’s or Doctoral) level.

Every program has different requirements for admission and a unique admission process. Some general information can be found below. Students are encouraged to contact the graduate programs of interest directly for more information.

Students can continue their studies within the Walter G Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology through any of the five professional Master’s programs offered:

  • Master of Engineering and Public Policy (MEPP)
  • Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering (MEME)
  • Master of Engineering Design (M.Eng. Design)
  • Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MTEI)

B.Tech. students or graduates who are interested in any of the professional master’s programs offered by W Booth School should contact the relevant grad studies representative to arrange for an interview with a faculty member. The same advice would apply to those seeking graduate programs outside of W Booth School.

For interested fourth years…

There are now 400/600 level courses available for you to take in your final year of B.Tech!

What is a 400/600 level course?

These are 400 level courses in your program that are cross listed at the 600 (graduate level). The 600 level course is an undergraduate course with additional work, commonly extra assignments or a project beyond the requirements for the corresponding 400 level course.

The 600 level course can be taken by undergraduate students (with permission from the course Professor) or graduate students. If you wish to complete a 400 level course, with 600 level credit, speak with your instructor at the start of the term.

What is the advantage of taking a 600 level course?

Students in B.Tech. can take up to 2 courses at the 600 level. Upon successful completion of a course, a PASS/FAIL notation will be made in the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology (SEPT) Graduate Program office, which will allow you to receive credit for these courses should you enter into one of the SEPT Master’s programs.

*not ALL B.Tech. courses qualify for advanced credit for ALL M.Eng programs – consult your department head for more information.

For more information on your eligibility for M.Eng programs offered by W.Booth, please contact wbooth@mcmaster.ca!

    • Effective May 15, 2023, the PEO’s updated application criteria for the PEng designation affected the eligibility of McMaster BTech graduates. Under the new application criteria, the BTech degree does not satisfy the PEO’s academic requirement for PEng licensing (although BTech grads do qualify for a PEO Limited Licence – LEL).  We are in active communication with the PEO in an effort to re-establish the previously approved PEng pathways for BTech grads; please revisit this website for updates. In the meantime, BTech grads can still apply to become a P.Eng. in other Canadian Provinces, completing the process online while working in Ontario, and, once licensed, transfer their P.Eng. licence to Ontario.

Master of Engineering (MEng) degrees are typically course-based (as opposed to research-based) and are also sometimes referred to as project-based master’s degrees, since MEng degrees usually comprise a combination of course work and a project. The nature of the project is usually “professional” rather than “research” (e.g. dealing with design or manufacturing problems in industry).

These kinds of programs are considered to be an excellent fit for graduates of BTech programs which concentrate on developing advanced technological skills in an environment which is more concerned with application than with research. The advanced coursework in the master’s degree program and the experience developing, conducting, and completing a major application-oriented project would provide a good educational base for technologically-focused positions in industry.

Most of the Engineering Departments at McMaster University offer MEng degree programs; the details of these can be found in the calendar of McMaster University’s School of Graduate Studies or the Faculty of Engineering Graduate Programs search page.

McMaster University’s research-based master’s degree programs in engineering lead to a Master of Science (MSc) or a Master of Applied Science (MASc). Typically, these programs require a relatively small number of courses and a major research project culminating in a thesis. A research-based master’s program is considered the ideal route towards doctoral studies.

Research-based master’s programs are suitable for BTech graduates who have a very definite career objective in fundamental and/or applied research. BTech graduates interested in these programs should have very strong mathematical abilities.

Most engineering departments at McMaster University offer MASc. degree programs; the details of these can be found in the calendar of McMaster University’s School of Graduate Studies or the Faculty of Engineering Graduate Programs search page.

BTech students or graduates wanting to pursue a research master’s program at McMaster University are advised to contact the relevant department and arrange for an interview with a faculty member. A useful approach is to do some preliminary and preparatory investigation to identify professors whose research program aligns well with the interests and skills of the student. The same advice would apply to those seeking admission to programs at other universities.

MBA programs offered at McMaster University and other universities provide an opportunity for university degree graduates in a variety of fields to develop a broad set of advanced business administration skills. Typically, these programs are course-based and may include a co-op component (e.g. the MBA program offered by McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business). MBA programs are suitable for B.Tech. graduates who wish to broaden their career opportunities to include leadership positions which require both technological and management education.

Note that successful completion of an MBA program could position the student for PhD studies in business.

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W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology

We blend our focus between academic theory, engineering practice and understanding how to leverage technology to create solutions and produce value for society.

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