Graduate Course Descriptions + Timetable

The Challenges of Urban Policy-Making
Addressing societal and engineering challenges in the 21st century requires engineers to think holistically about the systems we design and build. Public policy often dictates what engineering projects are commissioned and what values are being optimized for in engineering practice (e.g. cost, beauty, environment, safety, equity). However, too few engineers understand the drivers of public policy, how public policy is developed, and the role it plays in engineering. Similarly, too few policy makers understand the applied science of engineering. The interplay between policy and civil engineering is particularly acute in the urban environment, where civil engineering works (transportation, housing, water services, libraries, etc.) are concentrated and where, in Canada, the public policies of three levels of government influence engineering practice.
This seminar course challenges engineers to think about how public policy is made and how it guides the practice of engineering both directly and indirectly. Particular focus is placed on urban policy and urban engineering. The first month of the course will deal with the process of urban policy making examining how issues emerge, how important ideas are framed, priorities are established, and agendas are set and managed. Factors to be considered include the role of bureaucratic and political actors, organized interests and non-governmental groups, the importance and influence of networks, and the potential for new models and options for the engagement of stakeholders and citizens at large.
The second and third month of the course will focus on the relationship between public policy and the practice of civil engineering. The focus of the course will be to examine the myriad ways public policy and priorities intersect with the development of the built environment. The relationship between public policy and engineering in housing, transport, energy and sustainability will be discussed. The focus of the course will be on Canadian cities with examples from cities located elsewhere in the high-income world; examples and experiences from other parts of the world are welcomed.

Registration in this course is reserved for MEngCEM students only.

Infrastructure and Urban Prosperity
The course explores the evolution of great cities over time, looking at form and function to understand urban economic growth and accumulation of wealth. Drawing from various strands of economic thought, topics include: value theory; quantification of urban wealth; microeconomics of real estate markets; infrastructure for competitive financial centres; macroeconomics of urban form; growth theory; and evolutionary economics applied to urban systems. Using current and historical examples of urban development, the implications of infrastructure planning and management on the health/wealth of cities is examined.

Registration in this course is reserved for MEngCEM students only.

Solid Mechanics II
This course provides a continuing study of the mechanics of deformable solids. Stress and equilibrium conditions, strain and compatibility conditions, stress-strain relations and yield/failure criteria are considered in the context of civil engineering materials. Two-and three-dimensional elasticity theory is developed, with an introduction to the use of tensor notation. Advanced topics in bending, shear and torsion of beams are also covered, as is elementary plate bending theory. The course concludes with a further development and application of energy methods including virtual work, potential energy, strain energy, and related approaches.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Introduction to Structural Dynamics
The concept of dynamic equilibrium and corresponding equation of motion will be introduced. The theoretical solution of a songle degree of freedom system will be derived and the effects of verious types of loads, such as impulse load, sinusoidal load, or random vibration on the structural response will be discussed. To solve dynamic problems of multi-degree of freedom (MDOF) systems, concepts of mass, stiffness, and damping matrix will be introduced, which will be followed by eigen value analysis and modal analysis. The concepts of Fourier Transformation will be introduced, which will be used to interpret dynamic responses of structures or dynamic nature of applied loads. Dynamic experiments of elastic systems will be demonstrated using an educational shaking table.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Prestressed Concrete
An introduction to procedures for predicting the load-deformation response of prestressed concrete elements and structures with emphasis on how these procedures can be used in the design of new structures and in the evaluation of existing structures. Topics include: prestressing technology; control of cracking; response to axial load and flexure; response to shear and torsion; disturbed regions; restraint of deformations; design codes.

Prerequisite: CIV313H1 or CIV357H1 or equivalent.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Structural Analysis II
The general flexibility and stiffness methods of analysis; multispan beams, trusses, frames and grids; loadings due to force, support displacement, temperature change and member prestrain; axial and flexural stability; basic plasticity. Topics in this course represent the basis for the finite element method of analysis.

Prerequisite: CIV214H1.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Geotechnical Design
This course is built around a transportation project that contains all the essential geotechnical investigation and design elements and illustrates how they all come together on a project. The students will be taken through the entire design process from project initiation to construction. In essence, the project will include a bridge over a river with some property constraints requiring the use of a retaining wall as well as deep and shallow foundations and some groundwater control. The highway will require a soil cut. One section crosses a low-lying swampy area that will require embankment construction over deep soft soils. A short tunnel section is planned beneath a railway that cannot be taken out of service. A pavement design will be required along the entire route as well as materials testing and construction monitoring.

Prerequisite: CIV321H1/CME321H1; equivalent or permission of instructor.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Urban Activity, Air Pollution and Health
This is an interdisciplinary course where the challenge of air pollution is introduced with a focus on urban areas. The interdependencies between transportation, air quality, and health are demonstrated. The city and the behaviour of its inhabitants constitute the context for the following course topics: overview of air pollutants in urban areas, urban air quality monitoring networks, mobile source emissions, air pollution and meteorology, atmospheric dispersion, chemical processes specific to cities, personal mobility and exposure to traffic-related air pollution, epidemiology of air pollution.
View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Groundwater Flow and Contamination
Mechanics of saturated and unsaturated fluid flow in porous media. Confined and unconfined flow. Flow to wells. Analytical and numerical solutions of groundwater flow equations. Non-reactive and reactive contaminant transport on groundwater systems. Analytical and numerical solutions of contaminant transport equations. Flow and solute transport in fractured porous media. Assessment of environmental impacts of waste disposal operations. Remediation of contaminated groundwater.

Prerequisite: JVM270H1/CIV270H1/CME270H1, CIV250H1/EDV250H1 or equivalent.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Studies in Building Science
This course examines the basic principles governing the control of heat, moisture and air movement in buildings and presents the fundamentals of building enclosure design. With this background, students are required to research advanced topics related to emerging areas of Building Science, and to write and present to the class an individual comprehensive paper related to their research. Lectures for this course will be jointly offered with those of CIV375H1.

Exclusion: CIV375H1.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities
Developing infrastructure for sustainable cities entails understanding the connection between urban morphology and physiology. This course uses a systems approach to analyzing anthropogenic material flow and other components of urban metabolism, linking them to the design of urban infrastructure. Elements of sustainable transportation, green buildings, urban climatology, urban vegetation, water systems and local energy supply are integrated in the design of sustainable urban neighbourhoods.

Prerequisite: CIV340H1, [CIV375H1/CIV575H1], CIV531H1.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Engineering and Management of Large Projects
This technical elective course will investigate the role of stakeholders in major civil engineering projects; the complexities of managing project stages, multiple stakeholders, and technical challenges, and, social and environmental factors.

Each week includes a different speaker who can address issues related to technical, social, and environmental challenges in the project and how they were overcome.
View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Bridge Engineering
This course deals with advanced topics in modern bridge design. Actual course content will vary from year to year, and will include topics selected from the following list: concrete segmental bridges, cable-supported bridges, arches, precast concrete systems for rehabilitation of existing bridges, and innovative composite systems. For a given topic, the approach taken will be to define performance requirements; describe structural systems, components, and critical details; and develop analytical methods for dimensioning and validation, giving special consideration to the interaction between design and construction. There will be a strong emphasis throughout the course on the application of leading-edge and emerging technologies, including high-performance materials.

Advanced Topics in Building Design
Introduction to various structural systems; analysis of coupled shear walls using various techniques such as Laminar method, Finite difference formulation, Equivalent Frame method; stagewise incremental analysis of walls including plastification of laminae; design of walls and coupling beams; shear wall-frame interaction; behaviour of framed tubes; shear lag in tubes; approximate methods of analysis for frame tubes and multi-storey frames. Individual projects involving specialized topics will form an integral part of the course.

Finite Element Methods in Structural Mechanics
Review of required mathematical concepts. Thorough development of the displacement method of finite element analysis; Derivation of the element matrices for planes stress and strain, three dimensional, axisymmetric and plate bending elements; Introduction to nonlinear analysis; Application to structures using existing computer capabilities.

Structures Under Blast and Impact
The behaviour of structures subjected to accidental or intentional blast or impact loading is exemplified beginning from understanding the nature of threats and blast loading evaluation, to dynamic analysis and specific structural design considerations. Topics presented include:

1. Threat and risk assessment;
2. Explosive processes. Detonation and deflagration;
3. Explosion effects. Loads on structures;
4. Dynamic analysis of structures;
5. Material behaviour under high-strain rate loading;
6. Design of reinforced concrete structures;
7. Design of steel structures;
8. Behaviour of glazing systems;
9. Pressure-impulse diagrams;
10. Industrial explosions;
11. Design for impact loading; and
12. Progressive collapse.

The course addresses the existing lack of expertise in the area of extreme loading on structures and resilience of critical infrastructure, at a time when the need for knowledge in protective design is continuously increasing worldwide. At the forefront of engineering science, the course is unique in Canada and enhances the area of Structural Engineering, in general, and Physical Infrastructure Protection, in particular.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Structural Health Monitoring
Special studies courses are offered when a Professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Building Performance Assessment
It is well known that significant performance gaps exist between the building design stage and building operation.  To ensure buildings achieve predicted performance in terms of resource use and occupant comfort, health and wellbeing, post-occupancy performance assessment is required. This course begins by introducing students to common building performance issues, the existing frameworks and rating systems designed to characterize these issues as well as the three performance gap types: prediction, expectation and outcomes.  Next, the relationship between occupants, the building envelope and mechanical systems is explored, including the influence of each of these elements on indoor environmental quality and resource use.  Through a field study in an occupied building, students will gain experience with the metrics, measurement methods and data analysis techniques used in the holistic assessment of building performance. 

Infrastructure Renewal
This course deals with the assessment maintenance and repair of concrete structures. Topics covered include: inspection and monitoring of concrete structures (including instrumentation and non-destructive testing); identification of material failure mechanisms; residual service life prediction; life cycle cost analysis; and methods of repair and rehabilitation. Case studies of problems in structures due to reinforcement corrosion, alkali-aggregate reaction and free-thaw cycling will be investigated in detail. Recent advances in inspection and repair techniques will be critically evaluated.
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Microscopy Applied to Building and Geomaterials
This laboratory course covers visible light, electron, and x-ray microscopic methods for the characterization of concrete and geo-materials, including methods of sample preparation. Topics include fluorescent dye impregnation to characterize cracks/grain boundaries/pores, chemical staining procedures, image and quantitative chemical analysis using free software packages (ImageJ, MultiSpec, and DTSA-II). After taking this course students will be able to take a geologic or concrete sample through the entire process of stabilization, preparation (cutting, grinding, polishing) and examination by microscopic methods.

Construction Contract Documents
This course examines various construction contract documents used by government and private bodies. Legal principles and relevant cases are discussed with a view to providing students with an understanding of the legal framework surrounding the documents. Contractual problems including the nature, causes, and quantification of construction claims are also examined. Emphasis is placed on how to avoid construction contract problems, as well as how disputes may be efficiently resolved once they arise. Issues of payment security, bankruptcy, liens and professional liability are also studied.

The Business of Knowledge in Civil Engineering

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - The Business of Selling Civil Engineering Knowledge
Special studies courses are offered when a Professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Asset Management
This course presents a number of quantitative tools and analytical methods for the asset manger. Topics covered include data modeling and management, stochastic and deterministic models for asset deterioration, models for optimal asset repair/replacement decisions, tools for asset risk assessment, multi criteria decision making models in the context of asset management problems, infrastructure resiliency and adaptation for climate change. Two guest lecturers will be invited to present current practices and emerging trends. A course project will involve the application of tools and methods presented in class on actual infrastructure data sets.
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Special studies courses are offered when a Professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Introduction to Construction Claims
This course is designed for students and professionals in the construction industry looking to advance their understanding of construction claims. The course will provide attendees with techniques to manage the unique contractual challenges that come from different construction project delivery methods and which could lead to cost intensive disputes).

Water Resources Systems Modelling
Water resources systems are physically complex and the solution of appropriate mathematical models is computationally demanding. This course considers physical processes in water resource systems, their mathematical representation and numerical solutions. Newton's 2nd law and the equations of mass and energy conservation are developed and applied to closed-conduit, open-channel and groundwater flow problems. Procedures for efficient numerical solution of the governing equations are presented. Problems of non-linearity, sensitivity to data and computational complexity are introduced.

Prerequisite: EDV250H1 or permission of the instructor.

Physical and Chemical Treatment Processes
Theory and application of physical and chemical operations and processes for the treatment of water and wastewater. Specific processes covered include sedimentation, coagulation, filtration, and disinfection, with an overview of reactor theory. Laboratory experiments are designed to support and demonstrate the lecture material.

Advanced and Sustainable Drinking Water Treatment
*enrollment preference will be given to students in the Advanced Water Technologies & Process Design specialization, and the Drinking Water Research Group.*

This course covers sustainability issues as they apply to the provision of safe drinking water. Water reclamation and reuse topics focus on strategies that allow wastewater to be treated for indirect potable reuse as well as many other purposes. Other major topics include: risk assessment associated with emerging pathogens and chemical constituents present in source waters, advanced drinking water treatment processes including membranes (UF, NF and RO), advanced oxidation and activated carbon. Throughout the course, case studies, application examples and numerical problems will be presented.

Indoor Air Quality
Contaminants in indoor air have enormous impact on human health, productivity, building energy use and sustainability. This course focuses on important contaminants, fundamental tools and methodologies to measure and model the indoor environment, and on engineering solutions to improve indoor air quality. The course covers a rationale and motivation for the investigation of indoor contaminants, important contaminants and sources, the use of mass balances to assess indoor concentrations, fundamental transport and transformation processes that occur indoors, indoor exposure assessment, and methodologies to assess costs and benefits for technologies and techniques to improve indoor air. The course explicitly links the air inside of buildings to building materials, energy use, outdoor air quality, and human health.

Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Global Health

This course focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in low-income settings from an engineering and environmental health perspective. With respect to water, the course will cover drinking water quality and quantity, water access, and appropriate water treatment and storage options. The course will cover aspects of sanitation promotion, sanitation in challenging environments, and fecal sludge management. Hygiene topics will include disease transmission, handwashing station design, and theory and practice of hygiene behaviour, education and behaviour change. Local and national governance in WASH will also be explored

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Waterpower Essentials
This course presents an overview of the waterpower industry, beginning with its historical development, how power stations work, and their major components. After a site tour, students will consider the major decision making factors in the design of a waterpower facility: policy and planning considerations, the business case, commercial markets, and risk management. With this, the finer details of power station design are introduced: turbine selection, electrical and control components, as well as how these components work. Further, students are introduced to operations and maintenance considerations, contract models, and dam safety. A course project will mirror these topics, as students evaluate the feasibility of a waterpower facility. With the support of industry professionals, students will work through the complexity and ambiguity of a development project.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Climate change and implications for engineering systems

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Strategies & Applications for Meeting Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Soil Properties and Behaviour
The fundamental concepts of soil mechanics and foundation engineering presented at the undergraduate level will be further developed in the context of advanced topics including: undrained loading and soil liquefaction; coupled hydro-mechanical modeling using Biot theory; cemented soils; unsaturated soil mechanics; constitutive models and laboratory test methods; and field monitoring techniques. Extensive reading assignments will be given. Research papers, numerical modeling assignments, and class presentations will be used as the basis for evaluation.

Advanced Rock Engineering: Fractured Rock Masses
Rock masses can be defined as made of intact rock blocks and discontinuities (joints, faults, etc…). It is the presence of those weak features that determine the overall hydro-mechanical response of the rock mass that engineers observe in the field. Therefore, to correctly engineer any structure in rock, we cannot relay only on the mechanical properties of the intact rock, but we need to be able to properly understand the role that fractures play on the overall behaviour that we observe, and how to account for them during the different phases of the rock engineering design.
This course will try to address this specific issue by presenting the latest scientific discoveries and engineering approaches in the field. It will also present students with innovative methodologies for the quantification of fracture shear strength, rock mass mapping, and rock mass modeling tools such as the Combined Finite-Discrete Element Method for simulating damage and fracture in geomaterials.

Specials Studies in Civil Engineering: Constitutive Modelling in Geomaterials
Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering – Introduction to Data Science for Civil and Mineral Engineers
Data Science is redefining how people and organizations solve challenging problems and has become an essential skill for engineers in the 21st-century. This intermediate-level class bridges between APS106 (Fundamentals of Computer Programming) and CME263 (Probability Theory for Civil and Mineral Engineers) and upper-level machine learning, computer science and statistics courses. In this course, we explore key areas of Data Science including question formulation, data collection and cleaning, visualization, and applied machine learning. All lessons are taught with Python code and a strong emphasis is placed on the development of a solid foundation in programming. This course touches on a range of topics from visualization to machine learning which we believe serves to enhance the learning experience for students by allowing them to gain an appreciation for the close interplay between these topics.
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Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Mining and Geomechanics
Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Rock Fracture Dynamics and Induced Seismicity: Experimental Methods
Fractures play a major role in the strength and behaviour of materials at all scales from global earthquakes in rock to grain scale microcracks within individual crystals. Mechanically, cracks make materials more compliant and influence fluid flow. A key consequence of fractures (both density and alignment) is their significant influence upon elastic wave velocity and the development of anisotropy in materials. This course will focus on the experimental imaging of microcracks and fractures in rock and rock like materials using a combination of rock-mechanical and geophysical methods. Induced Seismicity is both a monitoring tool and a hazard and its causes and utilization for engineering the subsurface will be analyzed. Case studies of hydraulic fracturing, waste water injection, deep geological disposal of radioactive waste and mining- induced seismicity will be studied.
The lectures will provide a framework for the geophysical interpretation of fractured materials and induced seismicity. The main focus of the course will be to conduct laboratory-controlled experiments to measure the effect of fractures on the strength and behavior of rock, under simulated earth-like and engineering conditions and interpret the results.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering: Geotechnical Seminars
Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Mining and Geomechanics
Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Transportation Research Seminars
This is a credit/non-credit seminar series that is mandatory for research students in the Transportation Research Group. This course does not count toward program course requirements. Talk to your supervisor for more information on how this course fits into your program.

Freight Transportation and ITS Applications
Efficient movement of freight is crucial for national economic viability. This course introduces the structure of the freight industry and relates it to business logistics and planning of supply chains. Planning of freight services at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels is presented and models of international, inter-city, and urban freight movements are introduced. Shipper behavior related to mode choice, carrier selection, adoption of 3-PL and information technology options is considered. The course also introduces the role of advanced technologies (ITS) in improving freight operations, and the implications of e-commerce on planning of freight services. The course concludes by providing an overview of policy issues, data sources and needs, and the particularities of the Canadian freight transportation context.

Fundamentals of ITS and Traffic Management
This course focuses on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) with emphasis on Advanced Traffic Control and Management Systems (ATMS) and applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ATMS. Topics include:

• Overview and Introduction to ITS


• Traffic Flow Modeling for ITS: Macroscopic, Microscopic and Mesoscopic


• Transportation Networks Modeling and Traffic Assignment


• Genetic Algorithms (GA) for Optimization (Artificial Intelligence Part I)


• Applications of GA: Emergency Evacuation Optimization, Origin-Destination Estimation, Dynamic Congestion Pricing


• Artificial Neural Networks (Artificial Intelligence Part II)


• Applications of NN: Automated Incident Detection (AID), Short-Term Traffic Flow Forecasting,


• Traffic Control and Optimization Theoretical Primer


• Reinforcement Learning (Artificial Intelligence Part III)


• Introduction to Deep Learning (Deep NN + RL)


• Freeway Traffic Control and Optimization


• Street Traffic Control and Optimization


• Other Research Topics (time permitting), e.g. Modelling and Exploiting Vehicle Automation and Connectivity for 21s Century Traffic Control.

Prerequisite: CIV332H1.

Transportation: Urban Operations Research

This course focuses on quantitative methods and techniques for the analysis and modelling of urban transportation systems. Major topics include probabilistic modelling, queuing models of transport operations, network models, and simulation of transportation systems. The application of these methods to modelling various components of the transportation system (including road, transit and pedestrian facilities) is emphasized in this course.

Tunneling and Urban Excavation
Introduces fundamental concepts of underground tunneling and its impact on surrounding urban environment. Topics: role of geology on the choice of tunneling methodology; classical and mechanized tunneling excavation methods; interaction between tunnel and surrounding structures; tunnel support methodologies; innovation and current research in tunneling and underground construction.

Human Resources Management: An Engineering Perspective
This course analyzes the relationship between management and workers in an engineering (including construction and manufacturing) environment. The course takes a holistic and strategic view of how industrial relations affect the business environment. Students will study industrial relations from the context of engineering-related industries, economics, sociology, and psychology. Students will develop an historical appreciation and perspective of the evolution and development of labour relations through concepts presented by figures such as Adam Smith, Fredrick Taylor, Charles Deming, and J.M. Juran. The goal of the course is to provide a general manager with a thorough understanding of how they can develop a competitive advantage for their organization through effective and thoughtful human resource management practices. In the context of how they relate to engineering and industrial relations, the course topics include: organizational behaviour including methods of motivation, scientific management, quality control, employment and economics, employment as a social relation, unions and other forms of employee representation, internal labour markets, strategic planning and the formulation of human resource strategy, practices and policies.More info

Supply Chain Management and Logistics
This course is to provide students with a framework to design and control supply chain systems. To achieve the goal, the course will cover key modules in supply chain. The students will be exposed to topics such as: inventory theories, transportation, postponement strategies, supply chain dynamics, value of information, supply chain flexibility, and environmental issues. We will focus on the analytical decision support tools (both models and applications), as well as on the organizational models that successfully allow companies to develop, implement and sustain supplier management and collaborative strategies.
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Infrastructure Protection
A fully integrated protection scheme is necessary to efficiently implement an Infrastructure Resilience Plan to assure operational survival following a catastrophic event. Building on the first principles of security integration and fortifications practice, illustrated with case studies through history, the students explore site security surveys, different tools, mitigation methods and models in common use and the assumptions and technology behind them in order to make informed decisions on how to approach and solve an infrastructure protection problem for the full range of event types. This is then practised in partnership with industry, analysing real security integration issues for real clients, to whom the students will present their protection schemes. More info

Smart Grid Case Studies
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Urban Sustainability and Ecological Technology
Ecological technology, in a limited sense, encompasses those technologies that incorporate ecosystems to replace mechanical or non-living components in a machine or a piece of infrastructure. These technologies might include green roofs, green walls and living machines. As cities grow and as densities increase, green space often decreases, leading to a number of consequences, some expected and some unexpected. Can ecological technologies replace the green spaces, in terms of area and function, within a city? Can these technologies be used as adaptation strategies to climate change? Are there unexpected consequences that would reduce sustainability? Expanding the definition of ecological technology to include design according to ecological principles, whether the design is for a particular machine, a building, a community or even a city expands the discussion to include economics, geography, sociology, psychology, engineering, architecture and urban planning.
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Water Resource Management and Policy
There is a pressing need to study the complex relationships between the environment and human health, especially as we are increasingly challenged by environmental health issues. This course introduces students to various issues related to environment and health in providing an academic environment of inquiry and dialogue in which academics and graduate students from various disciplines can exchange ideas, information and insights. The aim is to expose the students to the many ways that issues related to the environment and health are framed, examined, discussed and engaged. The course will stimulate students to reflect on this diverse discussion and to integrate their work into a broader context and perspective. Students will have the opportunity to explore linkages between environmental factors and health issues as these intersect with environmental and health policy, standards and guidelines; biological impacts; psychosocial factors; economic factors; and ethical and legal issues.
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Environment and Health of Vulnerable Populations
The seminar will introduce students to a wide range of topics and issues as they relate to the environment and health of vulnerable populations. Through readings and discussion, students will explore the potential health effects of exposures in children and other vulnerable populations to a variety of chemical and physical agents in both the indoor and outdoor environments. A number of case studies or topics will be examined to exemplify why certain populations may be especially vulnerable to various environmental hazards. Topics for discussion will be chosen to demonstrate the wide range of potential human health effects due to chemical and other exposures. Policy instruments and tools in place to protect the health of vulnerable populations, as well as issues related to equity and justice, will be critically examined.
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Topics in Global Affairs II: Water as a Global Challenge: Science, Economics and the Politics of Policy-Making
This course is a joint course with the Munk School of Global Affairs, Economics and Engineering. There is limited space.

Description:
Water scarcity may soon become the dominant resource issue affecting nations world-wide. As a global problem that transcends discreet disciplinary approaches, the course will begin by surveying tools from the physical, life and social sciences that are essential to understanding water related issues and developing effective, sustainable and equitable solutions. It will use a series of case studies to learn how water scarcity issues are being approached in various local, national and regional contexts. Modelled on real water scenarios, students from multiple disciplines will form teams that apply a systems thinking approach to:

1. formulate a collective understanding and articulation of a specific challenge;


2. explore existing and novel solutions that can address the challenge; and


3. build a strategy that can be used to move towards an integrated solution.

The course will be team taught by faculty members from Engineering, Economics and the Munk School, and consist of lectures, guided discussions and activities, team meetings, and invited speakers. Deliverables will be assigned throughout the term and will build toward a final strategy proposal and presentation.
- See more at: Munk School of Global Affairs Course Page.

Alternative Energy Systems
This courses covers the basic principles and design of selected alternative energy systems. Systems discussed include solar thermal systems, solar photovoltaic, wind technology, fuel cells, and energy storage.

Pre-requisites: MIE210H, MIE312H and some knowledge of chemistry, or equivalent courses

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Statistical Models in Empirical Research
This course covers various statistical models used in empirical research, in particular human factors research, including linear regression, mixed linear models, non-parametric models, generalized linear models, time series modeling, and cluster analysis. For various observational and experimental data, students will be proficient in generating relevant hypotheses to answer research questions, selecting and building appropriate statistical models, and effectively communicating these results through interpretation and presentation of results. Basic knowledge in probability, statistics, and experimental design is required. The course will not focus on the design of experiments. In addition to homework assignments and exams, the students will review and critique journal articles and conference papers for the validity of the use of various statistical models. The students will work on a term long project of their choice and will be encouraged to relate this assignment to their current research projects. The examples used in class and the assignments will be drawn from human factors research. However, the students will not be required to use human factors data for their project. More Info