Hey guys, I'm just wondering if grad schools care about which university you went to for your undergrad in engineering? Would you say McMaster is would definitely be up there in terms of "rep" or should I not worry about any of that "rep" stuff. I don't mean any offense, just curious. Thanks!

Not sure about grad school but it seems mac is trying to make eng their #2 most popular program

Would mechanical engineering be a good undergraduate degree if I wanted to pursue biomedical engineering for post-grad? Thanks!

Mac has a unique but very competitive electric biomedical program.

Mcmaster's Eng school is considered one of the top in the country. Uft/Waterloo are often accredited a bit better but Mac has a lot of rep overall.

As for Elec Biomed....this is mostly elec. Biomed is a pretty unique field and often needs graduate school. That said I believe there are some graduate programs that specialize in a more mechanical-biomedical specialty.

If an employer were to compare a Mac engineer vs a Waterloo engineer, and both have no work experience, and he/she had to choose, the Waterloo engineer would prevail. It's the hard truth when a university's reputation plays a role, and so does experience if you have any.

The mac electric biomedical program is mostly electrical focus as oppose to mechanical.

dynasty's statement is somewaht true. But it also depends on where you apply and what you apply for. Certain companies for example would prefer McMaster since they are big in polymers and material science. There are many other factors to consider, but overall Waterloo comes out stronger because of their coop program

Work experience > Anything else. Get some work experience.

It wouldn't make a difference as long as the program you've completed is accredited.

You can go into biomedical engineering from many different sides. Electrical and chemical seem to be popular but mechanical and even engineering physics also have some applications in biomedical engineering. In terms of research there are a whole lot of options.

The applications of biomedical engineering are very broad and multidisciplinary. You can get a better idea by looking at the research that a university does with regards to biomedical engineering to find which ones focus on a particular concept related to mechanical.

Here's Macs school of biomedical engineering:
http://msbe.mcmaster.ca/research/research.html

Oh okay, thanks very much for all the replies! I'm aware that mac has a elec & biomed program, but I'm uninterested in electrical (although I might change my mind after first year) but from my experiences, I don't think I'd enjoy doing programming and circuits.

Originally Posted by lgdynasty

If an employer were to compare a Mac engineer vs a Waterloo engineer, and both have no work experience, and he/she had to choose, the Waterloo engineer would prevail.

This statement makes no sense. Fun fact: If you are a Waterloo Eng grad, you have more than a year of co-op experience in your engineering field -- Mandatory. So the comparison you made does not exist. If an employer compared a Waterloo and a Mac Eng grad, the only one that might have no work experience is the Mac Eng grad.

And there isn't really a "degree" to which schools get accredited. You are accredited or you aren't. And! You don't get an all-around accreditation status: Your individual departments get accredited. So to say Waterloo or UofT's programs are slightly better accredited is just nonsense. Mac has more than a handful of engineering departments with their own accreditation status.

Originally Posted by mike_302

This statement makes no sense. Fun fact: If you are a Waterloo Eng grad, you have more than a year of co-op experience in your engineering field -- Mandatory. So the comparison you made does not exist. If an employer compared a Waterloo and a Mac Eng grad, the only one that might have no work experience is the Mac Eng grad.

And there isn't really a "degree" to which schools get accredited. You are accredited or you aren't. And! You don't get an all-around accreditation status: Your individual departments get accredited. So to say Waterloo or UofT's programs are slightly better accredited is just nonsense. Mac has more than a handful of engineering departments with their own accreditation status.

Eng degree accreditation is a minimum requirement. Some schools have better programs than others. For example Waterloo has the best software program in Canada by far. And to an employer the university can make a difference, even if the programs are identical. Its a personal thing. That said work experience is still king.

Originally Posted by J.Clouseau

Hey guys, I'm just wondering if grad schools care about which university you went to for your undergrad in engineering? Would you say McMaster is would definitely be up there in terms of "rep" or should I not worry about any of that "rep" stuff. I don't mean any offense, just curious. Thanks!

Waterloo and UoT would give you easier time to find Co-op based on their program layout and connections. As everyone had mentioned, work experience is King, thus you should attempt to go to those school if possible.

Interesting stuff , I'll keep it in mind. I also have a few other questions (sorry guiz):

1. Should I be frightened of the engineering workload? I play a few sports in high school and can balance my academics with my athletics adequately. However, I often see some people post engineering calendars and they're jam packed...... I have no idea how I'll still be able to play sports whether recreationally or competitively.

2. I didn't take computer science, computer tech, nor any other computer courses tbh... Will I be okay in engineering? I don't really have an interest in comp or electrical eng. If anything, probably mechanical or the mechanical side of biomedical engineering. Will I be okay lacking the knowledge of computers?

Thanks for taking your time to read and answer my questions!!

Won't let me edit so I'll add a bit. People often say if your heart isn't in engineering and you're only in it for the money, then you will be unhappy. To be honest, I'm going into engineering because math and physics are my favourite subjects. The money is a cool thing to think about but it is by no means my priority. Also, I do not tinker... and have not tinkered as a little kid. Only thing I did was game all day. Are these good enough reasons to go into engineering or will I end up regretting it cause my 'heart' wasn't in it. Or is it something I just have to try for myself and see how it goes? Thanks!