Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design (TISED)

About TISED

Established in 2012 through a gift from the Trottier Family Foundation, TISED supports research and offers courses on sustainability in engineering and design at the Faculty of Engineering and informs and educates decision-makers and the public about sustainability issues.

TISED's membership comprises tenured and tenure-track professors from across six departments and two schools at the Faculty of Engineering who conduct research related to TISED's research themes:

sustainable industrial processes and manufacturing;
renewable energy and energy efficiency;
sustainable infrastructure and urban development; and
climate change adaptation and resilience.

Admission Requirements and Application Procedures for Sustainability in Engineering and Design

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program requires an undergraduate degree in engineering, urban planning or architecture (or equivalent) and a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0, or a GPA of 3.2 out of a 4.0 in the last two years of full-time studies in the relevant undergraduate program. Note: This program is not offered on a part-time basis.
The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department. Applicants are required to upload:

Two (2) letters of reference submitted directly by the referees which should comment on the candidate’s interest and potential for competence in undertaking the M.Eng. Sustainability in Engineering and Design. At least one must be from a current or past professor;
A current version of their curriculum vitae (CV);
A one (1) page personal statement describing their background, research interests, and/or streams of interest, and reasons for wishing to undertake the proposed program; and
Proof of competency in oral and written English for applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction or from a recognized Canadian institution (anglophone or francophone). By the application deadline for the program, appropriate exam results must be sent electronically directly from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) Office (Note: McGill's Institutional Code is 0935). The minimum requirement for the TOEFL is a score of 94 on the Internet-based test (iBT), with each component score not less than 20. The minimum score for the IELTS test is 7.0, with a score of at least 6.5 for each component.

Meeting minimum admission standards does not guarantee admission.

Application Procedures

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.

See University Regulations > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by TISED and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.

For more information regarding the program, please consult the TISED website.

Available Programs

Sustainability in Engineering and Design (Non-Thesis) (M.Eng.) (45 credits)

Program Overview

TISED offers the Sustainability in Engineering and Design (Non-Thesis) (M.Eng.) which comprises a broad sustainability training in an interdisciplinary environment. The program—open to students with an undergraduate degree in engineering, urban planning, or architecture—offers advanced training in fundamental and contemporary concepts of sustainability and equips students with specific skills to understand and address critical sustainability challenges in the practice of engineering, architecture, and urban planning.

The interdisciplinary format of the program allows students to learn to integrate non-engineering disciplines and systems-based approaches, such as industrial ecology and life-cycle assessment, into their engineering and design solutions. Program graduates will understand the broad ramifications of sustainability and its interplay with engineering and design and be able to implement sustainable engineering and design solutions within the context of broader sustainability theory for their future employers in industry, government, or academia.

2025-2026