^ It depends on the lab too.

The one I'm working at has 2 Masters and 1 PhD. You're not really treated as a statistic, even though it's U of T.

However, there's another lab across the hall and it's gigantic.

Originally Posted by Mowicz

Masters programs are a good experience just about anywhere you go. Your brother should have been considering a few things already:

Does he want a large university? - Advantage: Many resources professors and facilities so you're quite likely to find a research partner doing precisely what you'd like to do. Disadvantage: It's harder to shine, it's more likely that you'll be treated as a statistic and not as a person unless you do something stellar.

Does he want a small university? - The exact opposite holds. You may not be able to find a prof who matches your research interests as closely as in a large university, but you'll be treated fairly by the professors and the department.


Mac is a small to mid-sized university, when compared with universities like York or UofT.


I don't think you could really find much more help than this on here...I don't recall seeing anyone from a Masters in Engineering program.

I'm working with a bunch of Master and PhD students at Mac this summer, although they're in Eng Phys not ECE. It seems like its a really good atmosphere, and as far as I can tell, Mac just got more funding for their engineering research programs, which suggests that the program is going to improve and grown within the next few years. The research programs at Mac are excellent, and I know we have some of the best facilities in Canada.

I can't answer specific questions about a Master's in ECE, but I can try to help you out with the basics of a Master's program in Eng, because it's kind of what I hope to be doing when I graduate

Originally Posted by jesus

^ It depends on the lab too.

True say. Make sure you make note of your specific program's role in the university...because as noted, it may be a 'small program' within a 'large university.' But then you'd just consider it a 'small university' and apply my post above.

Originally Posted by Geek

I'm working with a bunch of Master and PhD students at Mac this summer, although they're in Eng Phys not ECE.

NSERC USRA?

Originally Posted by Mowicz

NSERC USRA?

I have no idea what that is lol....

Originally Posted by Geek

I have no idea what that is lol....

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Undergraduate Student Research Awards Program

Originally Posted by Geek

I have no idea what that is lol....

Then it must not be what you've gotten lol

It's a research award that pays both you, and your lab, money for summer research.


Then to reiterate my question: If you didn't get it through an NSERC USRA, how did you come to work in a lab over the summer?

Originally Posted by Mowicz

Then it must not be what you've gotten lol

It's a research award that pays both you, and your lab, money for summer research.


Then to reiterate my question: If you didn't get it through an NSERC USRA, how did you come to work in a lab over the summer?

I applied for the job? Hahah, I really have no idea, I've heard of NSERC, but I doubt my grades were high enough for that. It's an awesome job though, I love it!

Originally Posted by Mowicz

Then it must not be what you've gotten lol

It's a research award that pays both you, and your lab, money for summer research.


Then to reiterate my question: If you didn't get it through an NSERC USRA, how did you come to work in a lab over the summer?

:p I've never bothered appling for NSERC, but I've been working in a lab two summers in a row.

There are other scholarships and most labs have lots of funding :p

How do you go about applying for a lab position?

Originally Posted by jhan523

How do you go about applying for a lab position?

I talked to the prof that I wasn interested in working for, found out more about his research and how it related to what I was interested in, and then sent in a resume/cover letter.

It really wasn't a complicated process, but I didn't even know profs hired summer students until all my friends started applying for summer jobs.

I was just looking into it, and apparently you need a 10.0 GPA to apply for NSERC . Youch.

Originally Posted by Geek

I talked to the prof that I wasn interested in working for, found out more about his research and how it related to what I was interested in, and then sent in a resume/cover letter.

It really wasn't a complicated process, but I didn't even know profs hired summer students until all my friends started applying for summer jobs.

I was just looking into it, and apparently you need a 10.0 GPA to apply for NSERC . Youch.

Oh, alright. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Geek

I was just looking into it, and apparently you need a 10.0 GPA to apply for NSERC . Youch.

I believe NSERC (itself) has a 9.0 requirement. MacEng has a 10.0 requirement (for ****-knows what reason), and Science has a 10.5 requirement.

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I guess with Math there weren't a whole lot of lab opportunities for undergrad students since we know next to nothing in the field, haha.

Also, you probably won't get it unless you have mid11s in science lol.