Doctorate in Engineering
Fall: August 1st
Winter: December 1st
Summer: April 1st
Application deadlines for international students with study permit
Do a PhD in Applied Engineering at ÉTS
Why do a PhD in applied engineering at ÉTS? Because by doing your doctoral studies here, you will gain access not only to more than 215 faculty members and their engineering expertise, but also to state-of-the-art facilities and a network of 200 industrial partners. In addition, our doctoral program in engineering is most flexible: you can choose your courses from a wide range offered by our seven engineering departments and from other Montreal universities, both French- and English-speaking.
Overview of our doctoral program
In our doctoral program in engineering, you will acquire advanced knowledge in your chosen engineering field, in addition to developing your intellectual rigour, your scientific curiosity and the creativity you’ll need to resolve complex issues, both in industry and in academia.
At ÉTS, we're recognized for applied engineering. This is why we’ve been able to forge close ties with our 200 active partners – corporations as well as public and private organizations – who entrust us with more than half our research mandates. In fact, more than 60% of our research work is carried out this way.
By doing your PhD in engineering at ÉTS, you will learn to solve real-world problems.
Help with the drafting of your doctoral thesis in engineering
At ÉTS, faculty members believe in the importance of mentoring you. In an oral examination, for example, you must present your review of the literature as well as the project statement for your thesis. This will provide you an opportunity to carefully delimit and adjust the focus of your thesis project, if appropriate, thanks to the informed comments of the professors who will constitute the jury.
Scholarships and financing to enable your studies
Many ÉTS professors pay a bursary to doctoral students they supervise from their research funds. Many ÉTS doctoral candidates receive approximately $20,000 annually to work on their thesis. Talk to professors who conduct research projects in the field that interests you!
You may also be eligible for excellence awards and other grants from Quebec and Canadian granting agencies during your doctoral studies in engineering. Here again, find out more!
Tuition fees among the most affordable in North America
Are you considered an international student (with a study permit)? Did you know that international students wishing to undertake doctoral studies at ÉTS are exempted from increased fees? This means you will pay the same fees as Quebec-born students. On the same subject, it is important to note that tuition fees of Quebec universities, including ÉTS, are among the most affordable in North America.
Specialized equipment
ÉTS is well equipped in terms of specialized equipment thanks to its 60 research units, among which are over 20 research chairs. In addition, because many researchers are working in research centres attached to university hospitals, they have access to many more technical and animal facilities in which to carry out their work.
Inter-university agreements help you acquire all the knowledge you need
We have concluded agreements that allow you to take courses at other (English and French) Montreal universities. These agreements will enable you to acquire all the state-of-the-art knowledge you need to complete your project.
Research Interests at ÉTS
The main themes of research at ÉTS are focused on:
- Aerospace
- Energy
- Environment
- Infrastructure and built environments
- Materials and manufacturing
- Health
- Information and communications technologies
- Land transportation
This being said, our research projects are interdisciplinary; they are not limited to these topics. At ÉTS, you can realize your dreams and your professional aspirations, because we are flexible. Discuss it with our profs!
Grade
Philosophiæ Doctor (PhD)
Program Objectives
To train the type of researchers who are sought after by industry. To enable students to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of engineering and to provide them with superior skills in terms of synthesis, innovation, technical objectivity, socioeconomic awareness and leadership.
PhD programs are offered by the following departments: Construction Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering and Information Technology Engineering.
Admission Requirements
Hold a Master’s degree (M.A.Sc. or M.Eng.) or equivalent in an appropriate field (both the holder of a master's degree with project or a master's degree with thesis is eligible);
or In exceptional cases, hold a Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field and have acquired the necessary knowledge, undergone adequate training in order to carry out the research and have exceptional university grades.
Under certain conditions, a student who is admitted to a Master program with thesis at ÉTS can enter a Doctoral program directly, without completing the Master program. For details, see Section 13.4 of the Règlement des études des cycles supérieurs (rules and regulations for graduate students).
Applicants must also provide proof that a professor at ÉTS has accepted to act as Thesis Director.
Applicants must commit to registering in a Doctoral program on a full-time basis*.
*In extremely rare cases, students may be admitted for part-time studies under the condition of providing reasonable proof of conditions that would allow them to work while pursuing a Doctoral degree, primarily in the form of support from an employer.
Language Policy
The candidate can be admitted on the basis of sufficient knowledge of English, attested either by a degree from an anglophone university or by successful completion of an English language exam prior to admission.
Program Structure
The PhD in Engineering is made of 90 credits which comprises 15 academic credits, 75 thesis credits and a mandatory worskhop.
1 mandatory 3-hour long workshop:
| ATE800 |
Intégrité intellectuelle : un savoir-être et savoir-faire (0 cr.) (Intellectual Integrity: Underlying concepts and techniques – available in French and English) |
2 optional courses (6 cr.) picked from the bank of graduate and PhD level engineering courses available at ÉTS*, with the exception of MTR871.
| AND | |
| DGA1030 | Doctoral Exam (9 cr.) |
| DGA1095 | Doctoral thesis - Applied Research profile (75 cr.) |
*Up to 6 course credits can be earned in another educational institution, following approval.
Students who intend to pursue a career in higher education can take courses in Teaching for Higher Education from the Graduate Studies Short Program offered by UQAM as credit courses.
Are you looking for a research project to complete your doctorate?
Are you looking for a research project to complete your doctorate? See the Research Projects for Students page. Faculty professors recruiting doctoral students will display their postings there. Also consult the areas of expertise of our faculty.
Have you found a thesis supervisor?
You must have a thesis supervisor when you apply for admission to ÉTS. For more information on searching for a supervisor, see the Find a Thesis Supervisor page.
The coming years will be favourable to professionals who do R & D in Quebec.
Everything indicates that the coming years will be favourable to professionals who do R & D in Quebec.
In 2017, the provincial government launched The Quebec Strategy for Research and Innovation (Stratégie québécoise de la recherche et de l’innovation). With a budget envelope of $585 million, this strategy aims to make Quebec one of the most innovative and creative societies in the world by 2030.
To achieve this goal, several financial initiatives have been put in place to support researchers, boost the innovations commercialization ecosystem and maximize the transfer and benefits of technological innovation. And Montreal is a nerve centre for several leading edge high-tech fields in applied engineering: life sciences and healthcare technologies, aerospace, information and communications technologies and artificial intelligence.