Choosing the Right Program
Planning to start university? Want to pursue graduate studies to broaden your knowledge or get into research? While it’s vital to choose a field of study that excites you, choosing the right program is also important. Program choice varies depending on your goals and your current circumstances (e.g., whether you are already employed).
Level of study
Universities offer various levels of study that lead to a degree. The Québec university system has three levels of study, each with its own different programs.
- Undergraduate: Bachelor’s degree, certificate, and short program
- Graduate: Master’s degree, specialized graduate diploma (DESS), and short program
- Doctoral: Doctorate (Ph.D.)
The term graduate studies often refers to both master’s and Ph.D. programs.
In Québec, a degree is a credential conferred by the university and certified by a diploma. Degrees include bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. (philosophiae doctor or doctor of philosophy). Some programs, such as a certificate, DESS, and the short program, do not lead to a degree.
Undergraduate degrees
Bachelor’s degree
The bachelor’s degree offers the most comprehensive training of all undergraduate programs. It can lead directly to the job market or to graduate studies. ÉTS engineering graduates can apply to the professional admission program of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.
Bachelor of Engineering degrees consist of 120 credits and 4 years of full-time study. The one exception is the Bachelor’s Degree in Distributed Computing, which consists of 90 credits and 7 semesters of full-time study.
Certificate and short programs
Both the certificate and short programs are designed to provide additional knowledge in a given field. They often complement another university degree as a form of continuing education for professionals already in the labour market. It takes 30 credits to earn a certificate and 15 to complete a short program.
Technological Academic Path
The Technological Academic Path does not lead to a university degree itself; rather, it is a one-year program to help students rapidly develop the practical knowledge they need for ÉTS’s various undergraduate programs. It is intended for applicants who either have a degree in or are studying the natural sciences, computer sciences, and mathematics, as well as those pursuing a college diploma in Québec that is not eligible for an ÉTS* undergraduate degree or those studying at a Lycée français in Québec.
*Check the fact sheet for the undergraduate degree that interests you to see if your program of study is eligible.
Graduate degrees
Master’s degree
A master’s degree enables students to develop high-level knowledge specific to their chosen field. There are two tracks for master’s degrees: project or thesis.
The project-track master’s degree leads to a Master of Engineering Degree (M. Eng.) and is intended to help students develop advanced technical and engineering project management skills. The project-track master’s degree usually consists of three technical and management courses plus a research project or industry internship (or both).
The thesis-track master’s degree (or research master’s), leads to a Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.). It usually consists of two semesters of courses and one research project that normally spans 12 months. At ÉTS, research projects are usually carried out in partnership with industry. Students develop skills that are transferable to industry and doctoral studies through solving complex problems and managing both large-scale development projects and technology transfer.
A project-track master’s degree usually takes 6 semesters (2 years) of full-time study or 12 semesters (4 years) of part-time study. A thesis-track master’s degree ordinarily takes 6 semesters (2 years) of full-time study.
Specialized graduate diploma (DESS)
The specialized graduate diploma (DESS) is a program that designed to help learners acquire specific expertise in a given field. It is for those who wish to expand their career horizons, both in terms of research and technological innovation and project management.
A DESS ordinarily takes four full-time semesters or eight part-time semesters to complete.
Short program
As with the undergraduate short program, the master’s short program is designed to equip students with additional knowledge in a given field. It often complements another university degree and provides continuing education for professionals already in the labour market. A master’s short program consists of five courses and a mandatory three-hour workshop for a total of 15 credits.
Doctorate
Ph.D.
The doctoral program leads to the Philosophiæ Doctor (Ph.D.) degree, the highest in the hierarchy of university degrees. Doctoral students acquire advanced engineering knowledge and train as researchers who can solve complex problems, both in business and in academia.
A 90-credit engineering Ph.D. consists of a mandatory three-hour workshop (0 credits), 15 academic credits, and 75 thesis credits. It takes place over 12 full-time semesters or 21 part-time semesters.
Program duration
The timeline varies by program and depends on factors such as the number of credits per semester, leave from studies, failed courses, internship extension, etc.
Typical program duration:
- Undergraduate degree: 4 years (12 semesters)
- Certificate: 8 to 12 months (2 to 3 semesters)
- DESS: 12 to 16 months (3 or 4 semesters)
- Master’s degree: 2 years (6 semesters)
- Ph.D.: 4 years (12 semesters)
If students take longer than expected to complete a graduate program, they must request an extension. More information on the duration of master’s and Ph.D. studies can be found in the Graduate Studies Hub.