Do students with a lower CGPA and no research experience who choose an MEng instead of an MASc in Canada regret it?
If you have a lower CGPA and no research experience, choosing an MEng over a MASc in Canada rarely leads to regret, since admission is easier and the coursework suits you better, and both degrees grant the same post graduation work permit. Regret comes from funding costs, not the degree.
Choosing an MEng over a MASc with your profile is a sound, practical decision, not a compromise you should feel bad about. MASc programs need a professor to sponsor your research and strongly favour high CGPA candidates with prior research work, while MEng admissions are handled by a broader committee that looks past a single weak metric. Both degrees also lead to the exact same post graduation work permit.
MEng Versus MASc For Your Profile
| Factor | MEng | MASc |
|---|---|---|
| Admission focus | Coursework fit, broader committee review | High CGPA, needs a sponsoring professor |
| Funding | Mostly self funded | Often funded through stipends |
| Work permit | Same 3 year post graduation permit | Same 3 year post graduation permit |
| Best for | Corporate and field engineering roles | Research labs or a future PhD |
Where Regret Can Still Creep In
- Budget carefully, since MEng students pay their own way without research stipends.
- Larger international cohorts can mean less one on one mentorship than a MASc lab offers.
- Do not treat the degree as an automatic residency ticket; the job market still requires effort.
My Advice
Go with the MEng and stop second guessing the choice, since it matches your profile and gives you the same work rights as a MASc. Put your energy instead into building a clear budget for your self funded tuition and lining up internships during the program, since that will matter far more to employers than which engineering master's you hold.
Low percentage, study gap or no work experience?
Find out which Canadian universities you still qualify for.
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