Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering - Communications

Our ECE graduate students are known for their innovation and problem-solving; approximately nine out of ten of our department invention disclosures each year involve a student, and dozens of our students receive major awards from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and other agencies. Last year our research-stream students received funding totalling more than 12.5 million dollars and our 8:1 graduate student-to-faculty ratio provides our students with an excellent opportunity to build professional relationships with our faculty members. Upon graduation our students are primed for success in many fields, not only in engineering but also business, health care, law and more.
Our PhD program provides students with the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of a particular field — it is a serious commitment to a given area or topic, and students are expected to make novel and significant contributions to their area of study. In addition to conducting research under the supervision of one or more members of our faculty, PhD students take relevant courses and must complete a qualifying examination. We expect that our PhD students will finish their study and research within a 48-month period. If maintaining satisfactory progress, they will receive financial support from the department and their research advisor for four years. We expect that our PhD students will publish their research results in internationally recognized and reputable scientific journals and conferences.
The research interests in Communications fall into three broad categories: communication networks, digital communication and signal processing. Research in communication networks includes areas such as advanced switching concepts, broadband, light wave and local area networks, packet video processing, and queuing theory.

To be eligible for admission to the PhD program, an applicant will typically hold the equivalent of a University of Toronto MASc degree, with thesis, in electrical or computer engineering, or a related field, with an overall average equivalent to at least B+ (as per the SGS International Credential Equivalencies tool).

Direct-entry to the PhD program may be available to exceptionally qualified applicants with a four-year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. An applicant interested in direct-entry to the PhD program should submit an MASc application and then discuss their desired academic path with potential supervisors. A minimum overall average equivalent to at least A- (as per the SGS International Credential Equivalencies tool) is required.