Frequently asked questions

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Courses | Advising | Program | Miscellaneous


 

Courses

I am having trouble registering for a course. MINERVA gives me one of the following error messages:

Prerequisite/Test-Score Error: Ensure that you have passed the corequisite, or registered simultaneously in the corequisite course(s) and have passed the prerequisite course(s). All core courses (prerequisites & corequisites) must be passed with a grade of C or better.

Faculty/Major Restriction: Ensure that this course is open for students in the ECE Department. If you are a new student, please be sure that you have declared your major on MINERVA.

Departmental Approval Required: Please contact the department via undergrad.ece [at] mcgill.ca (e-mail). Please remember to include your name and student ID.

What do I do if a course is full?

Some courses may be full before your registration date because returning students have registration priority. Continue to try to register as students may drop courses until the end of the add/drop period. We will ensure that you find a place in the core courses that you need to take as listed in your sample curriculum except for WCOM 206 and FACC 300 which have limited enrollment.

A course labeled Temporarily Closed means that the department may be working on that particular section as per the request of the instructor or the timetable coordinator. There is the possibility that the course will remain closed for the semester. Please check back again soon.

I have completed Calculus III at CEGEP. Can I receive advanced credits for MATH 262?

No, students who have completed Calculus III at CEGEP must register and complete MATH 262 at McGill. We do not offer any placement exam for MATH 262.

How do I register for an ECSE course with limited enrollment?

Please contact the ECE Undergraduate Office via undergrad.ece [at] mcgill.ca (e-mail).

Am I eligible to take courses outside of McGill?

You are only allowed to take humanities and social science courses outside McGill. Rare exceptions to take other courses must be approved by the Associate Chair. Permission to take a humanities and social science course outside McGill must be obtained in advance from the Faculty of Engineering (FDA 22).

I want to register for more than 18 credits but MINERVA won't allow me. What do I do?

Only under exceptional circumstances will a student be allowed to take more than 18 credits per term. For approval, please send an undergrad.ece [at] mcgill.ca (e-mail) to the ECE Undergraduate Office.

What do I do if I want to review my final exam?

You must fill out a "Request to Review Final Exam" form to obtain authorization to review a final exam. You must fill in and sign this form before making an appointment to meet with the instructor. If, after the review, you remain dissatisfied with the grading of an examination, then you may apply to the Student Affairs Office (FDA 22) for a formal re-read of the examination. The ECE department will then arrange to have the submission read by another faculty member; please note that the possibility exists that the grade may be lowered or raised. The deadlines to make an application for a review of a final exam and/or re-read are the last days of March, July and September for fall, winter and summer courses respectively.

How do I register for a 500-level course?

All 500-level courses are designed for graduate students and honours students with the exception of a few which are open to Computer or Software Engineering students. Non-honours Electrical Engineering students may choose to do a 500-level course provided there is no equivalent 400-level course, they have a CGPA of 3.0/4.0 or above, and B+ or better in the prerequisite course(s). Students must send an undergrad.ece [at] mcgill.ca (e-mail) to the ECE Undergraduate Office.

Where can I find a list of technical complementaries?

These are listed in our sample curriculum. You can find them according to your program and year of entry here. You can also select any of the technical complementaries that may have recently been added to your program. However, there are certain TC courses that were added to the Electrical Engineering list and they are not permitted  (ex. PHYS 434 and PHYS 446). 

May I take a TC listed in the newer program curriculum?

We are aware of some of the TC courses switching from list A to B, and understand how confusing that can be. Rest assured that as long as a course appears in a list (at any point), you can take it as such to fulfill the requirements of the list in which it appears (even if it switched to the other list in more up-to-date TC course listings), and you will not be penalized for doing so. We would, however, encourage you to follow the List A/B TC list of the newest academic year in terms of selection, because it is the most up-to-date, even in terms of what courses are being offered.  It is important that you continue to follow the TC requirements of your admit year.

My program curriculum has changed. Should I follow the new curriculum?

You should continue to follow the curriculum of the year that you entered your program, unless you have been notified otherwise by the Department. In some cases, it may be possible to follow the new curriculum instead, but you must get approval from a departmental advisor to do this.

 Advising

How do I schedule an appointment with a departmental adviser?

Please click here to schedule an appointment with an academic adviser. All students are strongly advised to meet with an adviser at the beginning of each year. This will help you to avoid unnecessary complications at the time of graduation.

I require a letter stating I am graduating. Where do I obtain such a letter?

Students must submit an online form via the Service Point website here. They will prepare the letter, which can then be picked up at the Service Point located at 3415 McTavish.

What is the maximum number of credits I can take per semester if I am on probationary standing?

You can take a maximum of 13 credits per semester.

Program

I want to register in the Honours program. What do I do?

An application form  for the Honours program will be sent by e-mail around mid-June. Students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher are eligible to apply,  but  only the top students will be selected to join the program as the enrollment is limited. Students are admitted on the basis of their grades at the start of the third semester for students entering from CEGEP (seven-semester students) and at the start of the fifth semester for students from out of province (eight-semester students). Additional details can be found here.

I want to switch programs, what do I do?

Students wishing to transfer into ECE or within ECE, please refer to the MESC page for more information.

Which minor programs are available in engineering?

General information concerning minors that are designed for students registered in the Faculty of Engineering can be found here.

How do I register for a minor program?

In order to register for a minor available for Engineering students you must complete a "Request for Course Authorization " form.  You can find the contact information for each minor here.

Miscellaneous

How can I get a Skills Confirmation Letter signed?

Send your request to undergrad.ece [at] mcgill.ca, with the letter as an attachment. When requesting a Skills Confirmation Letter to be signed, please ensure that there is no “or” in the skills being specified (i.e. Linux or Unix), and that the skills are listed per the respective course. Finally, the design project claim needs to be supported by an email from the supervisor.

Are the 4th floor break-out rooms available for students?

The 4th floor break-out rooms can only be booked by professors and TAs. Students can only use the 5th floor study rooms.

Where is the Faculty of Engineering located?

The Faculty of Engineering is located in the Frank Dawson Adams Building (FDA), room 22.

Where is the lost and found located in the Trottier Building?

The main lost and found office is located in Burnside Hall, room 120. If you lost an item in the Trottier building, please check first at the technical help desk located on the 4th floor or the Porter's office in the Physics building.

Do I have after hours access to the Trottier Building?

Yes, students who are taking ECSE/COMP courses have access to the Trottier building at all times.

Are computers available for students in the Trottier Building?

Computers are available on the 4th and 5th floors of the building. These computers are maintained by Engineering Microcomputing Facilities (EMF).

I can't log into the computers. Who can help me?

For login problems with computers in the general open areas, contact EMF in the Macdonald-Harrington Building, room G-15. For login problems with computers in a lab, go to Trottier 5081 on the 5th floor.

How do I get a locker in the Trottier Building?

You must go to the Engineering Undergrad Society (EUS) secretary to register (McConnell 7). All lockers are half sized and the cost is $20 for the full year (plus $10 deposit). Locks are provided.

How do I add money to my ECE printing account?

EMF is now cashless. For more information, please refer to this page.

I can't find my professor's office in Trottier.

Professors' offices are not located in Trottier. They are located in the McConnell Building. Please verify the directory located on the 6th floor of the McConnell Building next to the elevators.

 

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