The Top Universities for Mechanical Engineering in Canada

Mechanical engineering students study the forces and thermal environment encountered by a product and its parts so they can come up with the best designs and manufacturing processes of a product. Most importantly, an in-depth understanding of objects and systems in motion are required, which makes mechanical engineering a broad and diverse discipline of engineering. While it can be difficult in the current climate to move to a new city or country in order to pursue your studies, many universities, including some of those on our list, offer distance-learning online degrees. You don’t have to leave wherever you're holed up and, most importantly, you can stay safe!

Mechanical engineering students in Canada are required to go through four years of a basic undergraduate education. Students learn about material properties, fluid and solid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and even biology, if they wish to design biomedical systems. After the completion of an undergraduate degree, the student can work as an EIT (Engineer in Training) for several years before receiving their professional engineering designation (P. Eng) in Canada.

1. University of Toronto

The University of Toronto has been named as one of the top 100 universities worldwide. The school is located in downtown Toronto, one of Canada’s largest cities. Students who are interested in studying mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto have to apply to enter a bachelor of applied science (BASc) program. Once admitted, they will study objects ranging from cars to medical devices to determine the ways in which they are designed using basic mechanical engineering principles.

The engineering program can be tailored to suit a student’s needs. Specifically, students can choose to enter the program in one of three ways: Core Programs, for those who know what discipline they want to study; TrackOne, for undeclared students; and Engineering Science, for those who wish to condense their discipline-specific learning into two years. . No matter how a student enters the mechanical engineering program, they can choose to specialise in one of the five following topics after the completion of their second year: mechatronics, manufacturing, solid mechanics & design, energy & environment, and bioengineering.

2. McGill University

McGill University is another public Canadian university with high worldwide rankings. Located in the city of Montreal, the mechanical engineering department offers the students a chance to enrol in a rigorous program as well as the opportunity for mentorship with some of the best and brightest researchers around the world.

The mechanical engineering program at McGill includes three different streams, which are Stream A, which is designed for students entering after CEGEP (pre-university and technical college), Stream B, which is for students who have not attended CEGEP, and Stream C, which is for honours students. No matter which stream a student chooses to study, they will have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities such as robotics, Formula SAE, and the Rocket Team. Additionally, specialised options such as a design concentration and the aeronautics concentration are also available for students interested in specialising in these subjects.

3. University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university located in the western Canadian city of Vancouver, where the climate is much more temperate compared to Toronto and Montreal. To enter the mechanical engineering program, all prospective students must complete a year of general engineering studies at the University of British Columbia or at another college with a transfer program. Due to the limited number of spots available, only applicants with the top grades and personal profiles are selected to enter this program.

Once admitted, students have the opportunity to participate in a unique program called MECH 2. This program allows students to take four consecutive courses over the entire year instead of six or seven courses per term. Instead of studying each subject separately, the principles of mechanical engineering are put into a practical context and the classes are held in small sessions along with various field trips and hands-on projects.

4. University of Alberta

The University of Alberta is a public research university based in the western province of Alberta, with the main campus in the city of Edmonton. The school of engineering is home to several faculties, including the faculty of mechanical engineering.

Undergraduate students have numerous opportunities to learn and prosper here. Some extracurricular opportunities include the Undergraduate Research Initiative, which pays students to participate in research, and the Formula SAE team, which designs race cars, and Engineers Without Borders. Students can also choose between different tracks of the program, which include the traditional four-year stream, the cooperative education stream – which adds extra time to the degree and allows students the chance to participate in up to 20 months of paid work experience – and the option to specialise in biomedical engineering.

5. McMaster University

McMaster University is a public research university located in the eastern Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario. Its engineering faculty has consistently been ranked as one of the top schools in the world, with the mechanical engineering discipline being one of the options offered to students admitted to the faculty.

Like most engineering programs, the admissions criteria are quite competitive, requiring most applicants to have an average in the high 80s to be considered. Once admitted, students can choose between enrolling in a traditional four-year program and a co-op program which gives students time off between semesters to look for paid work that can last up to 16 months.

6. University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is a public research university located in Waterloo, in the eastern province of Ontario. Its mechanical engineering program is designed to give students the foundation of mechanical design, including mechanics, manufacturing, power, and control.

Students are admitted based on their grade 12 marks for selected courses such as chemistry and physics. Once admitted, students get the opportunity to participate in co-op terms where they will acquire up to two years of relevant work experience. What’s more, the average student earns $22.92 an hour, giving them enough resources to pay for more semesters of school.

7. University of Western Ontario

The University of Western Ontario is another Ontario university located in the city of London, Ontario. Its department of mechanical engineering consists of 30 faculty members working in various fields of research.

Students enter the mechanical engineering program after one year of general engineering studies. The second and third years of their studies include courses that provide a strong foundation for mechanical engineering. In their fourth year, students can choose to specialise in specific areas of mechanical engineering, including fluid and thermal systems, computer-aided design, robotics, and energy conversion.

8. University of Calgary

This is a public research university based in the western Canadian city of Calgary, in the province of Alberta. The university’s mechanical engineering program is part of the larger faculty of engineering, named the Schulich School of Engineering.

Students interested in studying mechanical engineering here must apply to enter the Schulich School of Engineering first. Once accepted, all students must go through a common first-year program consisting of ten foundational courses in engineering, such as computing, engineering principles, physics, and mathematics before applying to join the mechanical engineering program. Students can choose from several minors, including biomedical engineering, digital engineering, and mechatronics.

9. Queen’s University at Kingston

Queen’s University is a public research university located in the eastern Canadian city of Kingston, Ontario. The university’s mechanical engineering program provides students with the foundational knowledge to work in mechanical engineering. In addition, the school’s machine shop is complete with CAD workstations as well as CNC machines so students can gain hands-on experience in manufacturing.

After the completion of year two of the program, students can choose to stay in their general mechanical engineering studies program or choose to specialise in concentrations such as biomechanical engineering or energy and fluid systems.

10. Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University is located in the Maritime province of Nova Scotia, in the eastern city of Halifax. The university’s mechanical engineering program offers the opportunity for undergraduate students to experience mechanical engineering through labs and co-op experiences.

Similar to other engineering schools, all engineering students must take common first-year courses before applying to a specific discipline of their choice. Once accepted into the mechanical engineering discipline, students can choose between a traditional four-year degree or a five-year co-op program which gives students the chance to work between their studies.