How to Apply to Engineering at Western University: A Common First Year, Then Ranking Seven Programs by Average and Course Marks, Casper Required, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

At Western University in London, Ontario, undergraduate engineering is offered by the Faculty of Engineering and leads to the Bachelor of Engineering Science (BESc). Western lists a duration of 4–5 years, the OUAC code EE and a first-year class of about 850. This guide, based on Western’s official information for September 2027 entry, is organised for domestic applicants (by province), international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer Science sits in the Faculty of Science at Western (OUAC code ECS) and has its own guide on this site, so it is not covered here.

1. Programs and accreditation

• Seven programs: chemical, civil, electrical, integrated, mechanical, mechatronic systems and software engineering. Listed options include chemical (chemical, or biochemical and environmental), civil (structural, environmental, international development), electrical (information communication and transmission, power systems, biomedical engineering) and software (health informatics).
• Add-on options and combined degrees: Biomedical Engineering (BME) and Artificial Intelligence Systems Engineering (AISE) are taken together with electrical, civil, mechanical, mechatronic or chemical engineering; Western describes BME as two degrees in five years. Combined degrees with the Ivey HBA and with Law (JD) are also listed.
• Common first year: all new students take the same courses before moving into one of the seven programs.
• Accreditation: Canadian engineering degrees are normally accredited by CEAB, but the Western engineering and admissions pages I read do not mention CEAB accreditation or P.Eng. licensure. Ask Undergraduate Services (engugrad@uwo.ca).
• Co-op: see section 7.

2. How admission works: common first year, then placement by marks

• One choice on the application: Western Engineering asks you to choose a single program when applying on OUAC and says choosing more than one does not improve your chances; you do not apply to a specific discipline.
• First-year courses (as listed): Linear Algebra with Numerical Analysis (NMM 1411), Calculus for Engineers I and II (NMM 1412, 1414), Chemistry for Engineers (Chem 1302), Physics for Engineering Students I and II (Phys 1401, 1402), Engineering Statics (ES 1022), Properties of Materials (ES 1021), Programming Fundamentals for Engineers (ES 1036), Introductory Engineering Design and Innovation Studio (ES 1050) and Business for Engineers (BUS 1299E). The faculty builds your timetable and changes are not permitted.
• Staying in the Faculty: a first-year Fall/Winter year-weighted average (YWA) of at least 60% and a pass in each course keep you in good standing; below 60% you are required to withdraw from the Faculty unless you signed up for the Extended First Year program by the January deadline.
• Entering a program: each March you rank program choices in Intent to Register (ITR), with 17 options including each discipline and its BME and AISE pairings. You must finish the entire first-year program with no outstanding credits, and meeting the minima does not guarantee a particular program. Western says students who miss the ITR period and change or submit later are handled first-come, first-served and may not get a first choice.
• Program minima (Western’s table): a first-year average generally above 60%; chemical, civil, electrical, integrated and mechanical give first consideration to applicants with 60% or more in listed courses (the three math courses plus relevant physics, chemistry, design and programming courses); mechatronic systems requires an average above 70%; software requires 60% in NMM 1411/1412/1414 and Physics 1402 and at least 70% in ES 1036; the BME and AISE options need first-year averages of 70% and 75%. The BME row shows “>60%” while its text says 70%, so the two statements conflict. Confirm with the faculty.
• Past outcomes: in 2026, 73.4% of students got their first choice, 86% one of their top two and 92% one of their top three. Cut-off averages were chemical 60.0, civil 60.0, electrical 71.2, integrated 61.4, mechanical 73.4, mechatronic 73.8 and software 60.0, with 67.0 for BME and 70.7 or 74 for the AISE pairing. In 2025 the shares were 69.7%, 80% and 89%, with electrical at 71.8, mechatronic at 74.0 and mechanical at 73.6. Western notes that thresholds vary each year. The table uses abbreviations (CBE, CEE, EE, IE, MME, MSE, SE); I matched them to program names in order, so check the original table.

3. High school courses and deadlines

• Ontario: ENG4U, MHF4U, MCV4U, SCH4U and SPH4U. Western’s admission average guideline is the high 80s to low 90s, based on Ontario students and not a guarantee.
• British Columbia: English (English Studies 12), Calculus 12, Pre-Calculus 12, Chemistry 12 and Physics 12, with at least 70% in each.
• Alberta: English Language Arts 30-1, Math 31 (calculus), Math 30-1, Chemistry 30 and Physics 30, with at least 70% in each.
• Other provinces: Admissions lists each province separately; I read only the three above, so check the page for yours.
• How your average is calculated: the BC page says five courses are used, English always counts, and the rest are your best acceptable courses; Ontario and other applicants submit a self-reported grades form, and repeated courses use the highest mark. IB students are assessed on predicted or final IB results, then provincial grades. Whether AP or IB results earn credit for engineering core courses is not stated on these pages; ask the faculty.
• Casper: for 2026-27, every OUAC applicant must complete Casper, a 90–110 minute online situational judgment test that can be taken once per cycle. Offers cannot be made without results, which arrive about three weeks after the test, and offers can begin as early as November. The last Casper date listed for Engineering is 2 March.
• Route and deadlines: apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). 15 January is the deadline for equal consideration; later applications may be accepted without guaranteed space. The National Scholarship is due 14 February, special consideration materials 1 March, and 1 June is the earliest response date for Ontario high school students. The application fee is not stated on the pages I read; check OUAC.

4. Canadian domestic applicants (by province)

• Ontario: estimated first-year tuition and fees are CAD 8,000–14,200 (2025-26, university-wide rather than engineering-specific). OSAP loans are available.
• Canadian students from outside Ontario: estimated first-year tuition and fees are CAD 9,300–16,900. An Out-of-Province Admission Bursary gives CAD 3,000, and at least CAD 4,000 for Québec (application required; the page lists 9 July).
• Entrance scholarships: students applying straight from high school are considered automatically. 250 Scholarships of Excellence are worth CAD 8,000 (6,000 in first year plus 2,000 for optional study abroad); averages of 92–100% receive CAD 3,500 and 90–91.9% CAD 2,500. Excellence recipients from out of province or abroad may also receive a CAD 2,000 travel grant. National Scholarship and other application-based awards exist, and Schulich Leader Scholarships are listed at up to CAD 120,000 for engineering, with school nominations due in late January.

5. International applicants

• Tuition: first-year international tuition and fees are estimated at about CAD 48,000–64,400 (2025-26). Rates rise no more than 4% a year after Year 1. The page directs you to a tuition lookup tool rather than listing an engineering figure.
• English: if English is not your first language, take a test before March 2027 (tests before 1 January 2025 are not accepted): IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each section; TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall (4.0 in reading, speaking and writing, 4.5 in listening) for tests from 21 January 2026, or 83 (20 in each section) before; PTE Academic 58 (56 in each); Duolingo 115 (100 in each subscore); Cambridge C1/C2 176; CAEL 60. Applicants close to the requirements may be offered the nine-week English Boost program, and English results must arrive by mid-April.
• Exemptions: you may request one if you attended four years of full-time English-language secondary school, two years of an Ontario college, or one year of an English-language university, with courses taught in English, academic courses and no ESL. This is not guaranteed, and Western lists no country list; email Admissions with a school letter.
• Documents: everything must be in English or come with an official notarised literal translation. After accepting, your school sends final transcripts directly to WES Canada (a “WES-Basic Document-by-Document ICAP” report); discrepancies can lead to a cancelled offer.
• Proof of funds: not stated on these pages; see Western’s international student pages.
• Scholarships: the Welcome to Canada Admission Scholarship (for international students new to Canada) is CAD 10,000 in first year with residence guaranteed for two years; the Continue in Canada Admission Scholarship (for those already in Canada) is CAD 40,000 over four years with four years of residence; the National Scholarship Program includes three International President’s Entrance Scholarships of CAD 100,000. International students are also considered for the automatic entrance scholarships above, except those who receive the awards just listed.

6. Applicants from China

• Documents: senior secondary transcript (completed and in-progress subjects), graduation diploma, Academic Proficiency Test (Hui Kao) results, or a school letter if your province has none, plus proof of English proficiency. The China page does not list Gaokao results; whether and how the Gaokao is used is not stated, so ask Admissions (welcome@uwo.ca).
• Engineering prerequisites: senior-level chemistry, physics and math; Western may ask for course descriptions to confirm the courses match.
• Grades: admitted students typically have at least the equivalent of a B (3.0) on the Canadian scale, and some programs are more competitive. Western converts non-Canadian averages by curriculum and grading practices. You can apply with mid-year results for a conditional offer.
• Casper: required for every OUAC applicant, including those from China.
• Other curricula: A-level, IB and AP details for engineering were not found on the pages I read; ask the faculty.

7. Co-op and work permits

• Formats: summer co-op (May–August, four months) and long-term co-op (8–16 months). Summer co-op is open to full-time engineering undergraduates who return to Western Engineering afterwards and are in good standing; long-term co-op requires being in at least third year, must finish before the final year, and is limited to one per student (five-year combined degrees can do it after year 3 or 4).
• Costs: a CAD 125 application fee each year and CAD 550 tuition for each work term secured. All placements must be paid above minimum wage.
• No guarantee: Western states plainly that co-op is competitive and not guaranteed.
• International students: they can take part with a study permit that carries the on-campus work authorization; otherwise they are referred to Western International first.

8. Transfer students

• Current Western students moving into Engineering: book a meeting with the Recruitment Coordinator during ITR (February–March). The transfer page gives a firm deadline of 31 March, while the first-year FAQ gives 30 March for submitting ITR. Acceptance depends on academic standing and program availability, and you must complete any missing first-year engineering courses. A credit table lists equivalents, for example Calculus 1000A/B at 70% for NMM 1412 and Chemistry 1302 at 60%.
• From another university: apply on OUAC with an overall average of at least 70% in all university studies and no extensive academic difficulty; Engineering requires Grade 12 math, chemistry and physics and Casper. Western cannot pre-assess; credit is assessed after an offer.
• From a college: a two- or three-year diploma average of at least 78%, or at least 80% in the first year of General Arts and Science or Pre-Health; Engineering requires calculus, pre-calculus, chemistry and physics, and Casper.
• Transfer credit: courses must come from an accredited Canadian university with a final mark of at least 60% (C-). At least 10.0 credits must be taken on the main campus, with 5.0 at second-year level or above. Western belongs to a seven-university transfer credit consortium covering more than 20 first-year foundational courses. Ten Transfer Student Admission Scholarships are awarded automatically by final admission average; entrance scholarships otherwise go to students applying directly from high school.

Checklist

Canadian domestic applicants:

• Ontario: ENG4U, MHF4U, MCV4U, SCH4U, SPH4U; BC: English 12, Calculus 12, Pre-Calculus 12, Chemistry 12, Physics 12 at 70%+; Alberta: ELA 30-1, Math 31, Math 30-1, Chemistry 30, Physics 30
• Book and complete Casper (last date 2 March) and apply to Engineering (EE) on OUAC by 15 January
• First-year average and set course marks decide your program, so plan your March ITR ranking

International applicants (including China):

• Senior-level math, chemistry and physics; transcript, diploma and Hui Kao results in English or notarised translation
• IELTS 6.5 (6.0 each) or TOEFL by March 2027, plus Casper
• Have final documents sent through WES after accepting; ask Admissions how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• University average 70%+ or college average 78%/80%+, the required high school math, chemistry and physics (or calculus, pre-calculus), and Casper

Sources: Western University, Engineering program page; Undergraduate programs, Faculty of Engineering; Common first year; Admission to programs and past outcomes; First-year progression requirements; First-year FAQs; How to apply; Casper assessment; Engineering transfer students; Engineering co-op FAQs; BC requirements; Alberta requirements; China requirements; English language proficiency; Admission deadlines; Costs and financial support; Admission scholarships; Transfer from a Canadian university; Transfer from a Canadian college. Information is for September 2027 entry; costs are Western’s 2025-26 estimates. Check Western for the latest details.