The minimum academic requirement for admission to the PhD program is normally a recognized Master's degree in engineering. Applicants are usually required to have completed a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from a recognized post-secondary institution and must have achieved a minimum B average in their Master’s program. Applicants must also have demonstrated strong potential for research. A strong recommendation from the MASc advisor is necessary. Direct admission to the PhD program from a Bachelor's program is rarely granted. Applicants requesting direct admission must hold a bachelor's degree with exceptionally high academic standing and have related research experience. Such applicants should discuss this option with the Associate Director, Graduate Studies at the earliest opportunity.

The prescribed program of study must consist of no fewer than 2.0 credits in addition to those taken as part of the MASc degree. At least 1.5 of the credits must be at the graduate level, and at least 1.0 must be engineering graduate courses. Under special circumstances and with the approval of the Director, the school may reduce the requirement for 1.5 credit course requirement; however the 1.0 graduate-engineering-course credit requirement will not be changed. In all cases the remaining courses must be acceptable for graduate credit; that is, they must be either graduate courses or senior undergraduate courses. Depending on the student's background, the advisory committee may specify more than four courses, including undergraduate make-up courses. If make-up courses are deemed necessary, they will be considered additional courses.

The qualifying examination as outlined in the Graduate Calendar is held by the end of the fourth semester but no later than the fifth semester after the student has completed the required courses.