Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • Degrees Offered: MEng, MScE & PhD
  • Application Deadline: Open
  • Study Options: Coursework only (MEng), Coursework and Thesis (MScE & PhD)
  • Length: Up to 24 months (MEng), Two years (MScE), Four (PhD) Years
  • Entry Terms: Fall, Winter

The graduate programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) attract students from all over the globe; approximately 26 countries have been represented by our graduate students over the past decade. The department endeavors to create a warm, friendly, and collaborative atmosphere in which graduate students are encouraged to develop their full potential.

Graduate class sizes are typically small, allowing for substantial interaction between students and professors. In addition to various research opportunities, there are numerous teaching assistant (TA) positions available during the Fall and Winter terms; graduate students may also participate in the engineering co-op program once eligibility requirements are met.  

ECE has developed research strengths in the areas listed below. Of special note, the world-class research conducted by the Emera and NB Power Research Centre for Smart Grid Technologies, the Optical Fiber Systems Research Laboratory (housed within ECE), New Brunswick's first satellite designed by CubeSat NB, the research conducted by the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (closely affiliated with ECE), and COBRA (Collaboration Based Robotics and Automation). 

Our recent graduates have moved on to successful and rewarding careers at other universities, research institutions, power utilities, IT companies and numerous others ranging from local start-ups to large multi-national corporations.

Research areas

For information regarding faculty and research feel free to view our faculty directory.

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Communication Systems
  • Controls and Instrumentation
  • Electromagnetic Systems
  • Electronics and Digital / Embedded Systems
  • Signal Processing
  • Software Engineering
  • Smart Grid
  • Power and Energy Systems
  • Power Electronics

Application requirements

  1. Applicants are required to submit a complete application - including three references and a brief statement describing their academic and/or professional background and areas of interest. Once completed, applications for research-based programs are distributed to and assessed by faculty members conducting research in the area(s) indicated on the application. Applications for the course-based MEng program are assessed by the ECE graduate committee.
  2. Applicants interested in the research-based programs may contact individual faculty by email to inquire about potential research opportunities and funding. However, please understand that some faculty find it difficult to respond to the large number of email inquiries they receive and prefer to concentrate their efforts on reviewing and assessing the completed applications that have been forwarded to them. Should a potential supervisor wish to speak with you, they will contact you directly.
  3. Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited university with a minimum average of 80% or First Class standing. In addition, PhD applicants are expected to hold a Master’s degree from an accredited university.
  4. International applicants whose first language is not English will be required to submit language scores. Examples of minimum acceptable scores include:
    • 580 for the paper-based TOEFL with 4.0 for TWE
    • 94 for the internet-based TOEFL with 25 for the writing component
    • 237 for the computer-based TOEFL with 4.0 for the writing component
    • a score band of 7.0 for the IELTS
    • 85 on the MELAB
    • and a score band of 4.75 on the CanTEST

Contact us

For more information, please contact Dr. Brent Petersen at brent.petersen@unb.ca, Director of Graduate Studies, or the Graduate Studies Program Assistant Denise Burke at dburke@unb.ca.

Office: Head Hall, Room D36

Phone: 506-453-4561

Related: Electrical and Computer Engineering Department