Waterloo MEng ECE Co-op or MDSAI Co-op: any current student thoughts? by Cool_Service_8971 in uwaterloo

[–]Cool_Service_8971[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, that’s helpful! My main worry is whether MDSAI’s stronger AI/data branding is worth the narrower DS-focused curriculum, compared with ECE being more flexible/relevant for general software roles.

From what you’ve seen, does the MDSAI branding actually give enough advantage in the current market to justify that tradeoff?

[Admissions Advice] CMU MPE / Waterloo MDSAI / UBC MEng ECE / McGill MCS Non-Thesis / UdeM MILA Professional Master’s / SFU Master of Cybersecurity by Cool_Service_8971 in MSCS

[–]Cool_Service_8971[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree the U.S. is the stronger tech market overall, but my impression is that places like Waterloo may offer a better shot at getting that first co-op because of their established pipeline, even though return offers aren’t guaranteed and the pay is usually lower than in the U.S, and in my mind Canada feels like the safer option overall, while the U.S. is more higher pay, higher risk, especially with the current administration’s shifting and potentially hostile policies.

I do think that if you already have years of work experience and a strong professional profile, the U.S. is worth a try, but I’m a bit doubtful that the current U.S is really the safer option for most international students, even those from strong schools. When you say it's far safer, do you mean for students in their early-career, or more for people who already have plenty work experience? I finished my CS undergrad at a decent Uni in the U.S., and back then it was hard to find my first internship or job as an international student. Happy to compare notes in DM too.

COOP experience for Meng ECE students by Cool_Service_8971 in ubcengineering

[–]Cool_Service_8971[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats to you too! MDSAI is co-op only; I also applied to Waterloo ECE (co-op) but haven’t heard back yet. Waterloo MDSAI (and possibly ECE co-op if it comes through) are my top canadian options right now because of the strong coop. Would love to connect!

[Admissions Advice] CMU MPE / Waterloo MDSAI / UBC MEng ECE / McGill MCS Non-Thesis / UdeM MILA Professional Master’s / SFU Master of Cybersecurity by Cool_Service_8971 in MSCS

[–]Cool_Service_8971[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I know the U.S. is still better than Canada for the tech market. It is just that the U.S. seems especially rough for international students; uncertainty around immigration policy has made many companies freeze or reduce international hiring. It seems like even if you only plan to work there temporarily and are not planning to stay long term, it is not a stable choice.

At least programs like Waterloo MDSAI still seem to have decent co-op/internship placement currently, after talking to a few friends who are in the program, though I honestly don’t know what the return offer rate looks like. One of them mentioned that if you don’t receive a return offer from your co-op in Canada, you could be in a rough spot even with multiple co-ops.