Testimonials

Why did you choose IGEN?

“PROJECTS for sure. Plus it has a strong entrepreneurial culture, and I can take courses in all of my various interests, from automotive to clean energy.“
“I like the aspect of being able to speak all engineering languages.”
“Broadness of the knowledge, flexibility to work in many different fields. Smaller program size to create a tighter knit community with more involvement.”
“The freedom to choose your own courses and tailor your degree based on what you want to do.”

“IGEN has a very personal atmosphere. Relative to the other engineering programs at UBC, it’s pretty small, and we’re a close-knit group. If you have a question on an assignment, chances are you’ll pass a classmate in the clubroom and you can ask for help. 4th, 3rd and 2nd year students all interact and help each other out whenever possible.“
“Project courses every year actually allows you to put your education into practice – THIS IS HUGE since most other programs barely get to do this and I know from talking to students they really wish they could. This allows you to actually output something every year potentially which some engineering students never get to do.”
“The IGEN community is very tight, making it easy to get to know everyone in the program, across years and specializations.”
“- The project experience – The power to choose – ”

“It’s given me the chance to find what I actually love to do and given me the opportunities and tools to make me successful in it.“
“IGEN has allowed me to work in three different industries in three different engineering roles before even hitting fourth year. I have been able to design circuit boards, model chemical processes in Python, propose my own projects, and create a timetable and portfolio that works for me. I also find myself enjoying coming to school when I get to spend time with IGEN students from so many different year levels, specializations, and interests because our schedules are more diverse — it makes the community feel more tight knit while at the same time highlighting our diversity.“
“Connecting with talented people that have motivated and inspired me to take on new projects and pursue dreams I never thought I could have.”

“No, I find it’s a really good ice-breaker to tell prospective employers about the program. IGEN is unique in that we gain a very broad skill set, approaching a problem with an understanding of the various disciplines—civil, mechanical, materials, chemical, electrical—but we also have the opportunity to specialize in topics that truly interests us.“
“Not at all. Once I explain what it is, most employers are jealous they didn’t have a program like it or are just impressed by the shear volume of design experience.”

“No, we really have a unique opportunity to absorb as much as we can about our niche interest. We take 18 technical electives and those can be from any discipline; we get to choose from over 200 courses from all the engineering departments. So if there’s a specific topic you want to pursue such as green energy—you can take electives in chemical, mechanical or materials. And we’re not limited to 18 electives—in this respect, we can be even more specialized than a specific discipline. It’s a degree that can be customized to suit your professional goals.“
”This absolutely depends on what you want to do. For example, if you would like to become a power systems engineer, you should take the applicable courses as technical electives throughout your IGEN degree and involve yourself in design teams and internships that introduce you to the necessary skills required for the job. This advice would hold true for an electrical student or any department specific student as well. Much of what you learn in class isn’t enough to prepare you for a job until you go out and apply it.“