University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto (U of T) is one of Canada's largest engineering teaching and research institutions. The University of Toronto Engineering Society is the community of engineering students at U of T and uses the term Skule™, which embodies the engineering spirit at the university. As of 2006, the Faculty has approximately 4,550 undergraduate students, 1,400 graduate students, 220 faculty members, and 30,000 Skule™ alumni.
History
In 1873 the Ontario legislature called for the creation of the School of Practical Science. In 1878 the school offered instruction and three year diplomas in mining, engineering, mechanics and manufacturing. The school was affiliated with the university, but was a separate institution. Classes were held in a building known as the "Little Red Skulehouse", which stood for nearly 100 years at the site of the current Faculty of Medicine building. The school name was changed to the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering on June 20, 1906 when it officially became part of the university.
The faculty occupies several buildings at the southern edge of the St. George Campus including Sandford Fleming, Wallberg, Haultain, Galbraith, Mechanical, Rosebrugh, Pratt, Mining and the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. The Faculty also occupies 20% of the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research (opened November 3rd, 2005).
The current Dean of the Faculty is Professor Cristina Amon as of July 1, 2006. She succeeded Dr. Anastasios (Tas) N. Venetsanopoulos.
Students
The engineering faculty at the University of Toronto claims spirited and enthusiastic students. The student Engineering Society, known as Skule™ , hosts events, parties, activities, inter-faculty sports, and special interest lectures throughout the year.
It is tradition that first year engineering student, called F!rosh, receive yellow hard hats at the beginning of the year during events celebrating the new school year. Due to the ongoing rivalry between Engineers and Artsies (Arts & Science undergraduate students), these engineers must be careful to not let their hardhats be stolen. Some engineering students will attach a chain to their hat and tie it around their waist. The main symbol/mascot for Skule™ is the cannon, which is fired at many Skule™ events. Skule™ is represented at many events by the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad (sic) [1], made up of engineering students, a few of which have some musical talent.
Programs
The faculty offers undergraduate programs in Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, Materials, Mechanical, and Mineral engineering through its six departments. It also offers the multidisciplinary Engineering Science program.
The discipline with the largest number of entering students is the combined Electrical and Computer engineering program (over 400 for 2005), followed by Engineering Science (over 330 for 2005).
Electrical engineering students share all courses with Computer engineers in the first two years. Recent changes to the curriculum allow Electrical and Computer engineers to share more courses in third and fourth year, blurring the distinction between the two disciplines. Mechanical engineers also share many of the same courses as Industrial engineers in first year. As well, Chemical and Civil engineers can choose the Environmental option and thus share a set of courses.
Engineering Science[2], or NSci, EngSci or N-Ψ (N-) as it is known, carries a heavier workload than more traditional engineering disciplines, and places greater emphasis on theory. The first two years of the program contain courses from a broad range of disciplines, including mathematics, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, and biology. For the final two years, Engineering Science currently offers specialization options in Aerospace, Biomedical, Computer, Electrical, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Nanoengineering and Physics. The Nanoengineering option was the world's first undergraduate program in nanotechnology [3].
Engineering Science was founded in 1934 under the name of Engineering Physics. The program originally had six physics-related options: Electricity and Communications, Elasticity of Materials and Structures, Geophysics, Applied Hydrodynamics, Illumination and Acoustics, and X-Rays and Spectroscopy. The name was changed to Engineering Science in 1964, because the set of options had broadened, and had come to include a Chemical option. [4]
Competition for entry to the faculty is amongst the highest of engineering schools in Canada.
The faculty offers a cooperative education program called the Professional Experience Year [5] where a student works for a company for a span of 12 to 16 months.
Students must obtain 600 hours of practical work experience to receive their undergraduate degrees. This can usually be completed between school terms.
The faculty also operates a program called the Jeffrey Skoll BASc/MBA program [6] which allows students to earn a BASc for engineering and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. Engineering students apply to the program after completing 2nd year.
Academic Units
Departments
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry [7]
- Civil Engineering [8]
- Electrical and Computer Engineering [9]
- Mechanical and Industrial Engineering [10]
- Materials Science and Engineering [11]
- Mineral Engineering [12]
Divisions
- Environmental Engineering
- Engineering Science [13]
Institutes
- University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS)
- Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME)
Research Centres
- Joint Program in Transportation
- Centre for Chemical Process Metallurgy
- Centre for Advanced Coating Technologies
- Pulp and Paper Centre
- Centre for Technology and Social Development
- Nortel Institute for Telecommunications
- Centre for Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging
- Centre for Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship
- Lassonde Institute
- Intelligent Transportation Systems Test Bed and Centre
- Energenius Centre for Advanced Nanotechnology
Ontario Centres of Excellence
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technologies (CRESTech)
- Communications and Information Technology Ontario (CITO)
- Materials and Manufacturing Ontario (MMO)
- Photonics Research Ontario (PRO)