Consult the Faculty’s Academic Calendar to see which electives you must take to fulfill your program requirements. Elective courses are classified into five groups:
- Complementary Studies (CS)
- Humanities and Social Science (HSS)
- Natural Science* (NS) (For MIE students)
- Technical Electives
- Free Electives
If you plan to take an Arts & Science course to fulfill your elective requirements, please read the Guide to Taking Arts & Science Courses.
If you are having trouble deciding which electives to take, you should consult your Academic Advisor before making your choice. Your Advisor can let you know which courses best fit your schedule, notify you if a course does not qualify as an elective, inform you of enrolment restrictions and more.
Complementary Studies (CS) Electives
Complementary Studies (CS) courses are broadly defined as studies in the humanities, social sciences, arts, management economics and communication. All students are required to take CS electives at some point during their program. Students are responsible for determining their qualifications for taking a CS course, including but not limited to prerequisites and required permissions. A list of eligible CS elective courses is available online.
Humanities and Social Science (HSS) Electives
Undergraduate engineering programs have various requirements and opportunities to take Humanities and Social Science (HSS) electives. Please note that HSS electives are a subset of Complementary Studies (CS) electives; therefore, they can be used to satisfy CS requirements. Students are responsible for determining their qualifications for taking an HSS course, including but not limited to prerequisites and required permissions. A list of eligible HSS elective courses is available online.
Natural Science (NS) Electives
The Natural Science (NS) elective list applies to students in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering. As defined by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board: “The natural sciences component of the curriculum must include elements of physics and chemistry; elements of life sciences and earth sciences may also be included in this category. These subjects are intended to impart an understanding of natural phenomena and relationships through the use of analytical and/or experimental techniques.”
Technical Electives
Each program has a selection of technical electives carefully designed to enhance students’ technical knowledge in specific areas. Please consult your department's program information to learn which courses count toward your technical electives requirement.
Free Electives
Some undergraduate programs require students to take a free elective. A free elective is any degree credit course offered by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, the Faculty of Arts & Science or the School of Graduate Studies. A course is considered a free elective if it does not duplicate material covered in courses already taken or that are required to be taken. If it is an Engineering course, it must carry a weight of at least .42 credits per session.