Engineering graduates are facing a rapidly changing and increasingly challenging world, undertaking roles that cross traditional disciplines. This evolution is redefining what it means to be an engineer in the 21st century. Thought leaders, accreditation agencies and employers are calling for engineers to have greater transdisciplinary skills in the realms of leadership, communication, business, entrepreneurship, socio-technical thinking, and learning for life. These areas of expertise are core to our mission.
The Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice (ISTEP) delivers transformative programming, research and education designed to develop the skills engineering students and professionals require to lead and thrive at every stage of their careers. By cultivating relational competencies that transcend disciplines and amplify the societal impact of technical expertise, ISTEP equips learners with the skills essential for meaningful, long-term career success.
ISTEP actively works with engineering undergraduate and graduate students, offering curricular and co-curricular programming throughout the entirety of their educational journeys. We also collaborate with fellow U of T Engineering faculty to integrate professional skills development and interdisciplinary teaching models into core curriculum. Outside of the classroom, ISTEP collaborates with peer institutions and groups worldwide on leading subject and education research to bridge theory and practice. In industry, we deliver a suite of custom leadership and communications training, ensuring engineers and technical professionals never stop learning and growing.
Our Mission & Vision
Mission
Broaden who, what and how U of T Engineering teaches to help prepare graduates who are distinguishable by their professional development and transdisciplinary breadth.
ISTEP aspires to be Canada's thought leader in transdisciplinary competencies and their application in practice.
Vision
A thought leader in teaching and research that transcends engineering disciplines through human relations, perspectives and values.
Four Pillars Drive ISTEP's Work:
Student Offerings
ISTEP supports engineering students by helping them develop professional skills at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to support lifelong learning through curricular and co-curricular programming.
Students learn leadership, communication, socio-technical thinking, business, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning skills alongside technical competencies as part of their degrees.
Undergraduate students can also partake in minors and certificate programs, allowing them to pursue specialized interests as part of their degree.
At the same time, graduate level initiatives focus on strengthening teaching, research communication, and career skills for academic and industry pathways.
Overall, ISTEP focuses on developing the transdisciplinary skills aligned with the last seven of the 12 Graduate Attributes identified by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.
No matter where students are in their education journey, ISTEP programming ensures they have opportunities to enrich their interdisciplinary thinking and develop professional competencies as they enter the workforce.
Research
ISTEP advances research focused on what engineers need to learn, work and lead to serve as changemakers within society.
Our core research activities fall into three major interrelated areas: engineering education, transdisciplinary competencies and engineering practice.
We collaborate widely — both within U of T and with partners beyond — to develop pedagogy and programming to better prepare engineering students to benefit society and enjoy career success in a rapidly changing global marketplace.
ISTEP research also explores the nature of transdisciplinary competencies within engineering contexts, enabling us to understand contemporary engineering practice.
ISTEP is reimagining the domain of 21st century engineering and the identity of engineers.
Industry Partnerships & Training
ISTEP is dedicated to professional capacity-building for engineers.
Successful engineering-intensive teams need much more than technical know-how; they need a wide range of professional skills — leadership ability, communication skills and entrepreneurial thinking — to unlock a new level of productivity.
Our experts work with companies to offer custom professional skills training to technical teams.
Whether it’s a single workshop or a multi-day program, teams leave empowered to lead.
Furthermore, our Engineering Leadership Community of Practice offers members a forum to exchange ideas, learn from one another’s experiences and to build networks with a common purpose.
We hold multiple events to facilitate these goals for the benefit of both partners and engineering students at the University of Toronto.
Collaborative Teaching
Beyond offering stand‑alone courses and student programming, ISTEP collaborates closely with engineering instructors to integrate essential professional competencies — communication, leadership, socio‑technical thinking, entrepreneurship and business — into technical curricula across U of T Engineering's academic units.
By integrating these skills directly into disciplinary learning, ISTEP helps all students develop a more holistic foundation for their future careers.
Through co‑instruction, infusion and expert consultation, ISTEP is proud to enable students to graduate with the tools they need to excel.
Our Origins
The first institute of its kind in Canada, ISTEP draws on a long history of innovation in engineering education at U of T Engineering.
Today, ISTEP is home to faculty with a range of transdisciplinary expertise and includes established hubs that deliver a range of communications and leadership learning opportunities within U of T Engineering and the broader community.