Communication Courses & Programming

For U of T Engineering undergraduate students

Engineering practice depends on effective communication within teams, across disciplines, and beyond the profession. Communicating technical information to diverse audiences requires an understanding of key principles across written, oral, and visual forms. Developing these capacities helps engineers tell compelling stories, negotiate competing priorities, build trust, and explain complex ideas in ways that support meaningful action. Through communication, technical expertise becomes shared understanding and collective progress. 

ISTEP works to embed communication development into foundational engineering education at UofT, helping students build these skills early and in discipline-relevant ways. ISTEP also offers opportunities for further growth through elective courses that allow students to deepen their abilities as communicators in a range of engineering and public-facing contexts. 

Communication Minors & Certificates

Communication Courses

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TEP321: Introduction to Science Communication

Students are introduced to the history, theory and practice of communicating science to the public. Learn from popular science communication failures and successes and apply these lessons to your own stories in an interactive, collaborative classroom environment.

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TEP445: The Power of Story — Discovering Your Leadership Narrative

For engineering students interested in speaking and writing their leadership narratives into existence.

Students will practice storytelling techniques by learning about the mechanics of stories, reflecting on their identities and developing critical thinking skills regarding the stories (meta-narratives) that surround us; particularly as they relate to engineering problems/ethics.

This is a highly experiential course with a focus on reading, discussion, practice and reflection.

Grad Courses (5)

TEP448: System Mapping

System mapping is a system thinking tool frequently used in fields such as public health and environmental policy to describe complex, multi-stakeholder problems.

Students explore fields outside of engineering critical to these challenges, including public policy, sociology and law. The course emphasizes problem definition, not problem solution, though it is expected maps will point to potential paths for solution.

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TEP449: Intercultural Communication and Leadership

Students will deepen their understanding of culture beyond national, linguistic and ethnic boundaries and learn how intercultural communication is applied to the practice of leadership in the many contexts they engage in as students and as junior engineers.

Concepts of cultural sensitivity, cultural competence and cultural humility will be related to models of leadership to enable students to increase their cultural sensitivity and humility in multi- and intercultural contexts.

Communication Co-Curricular Programs and Resources

Engineering Communication Program (ECP) Tutoring Centre

Get personalized feedback and guidance on an assignment in a one-on-one online or in-person appointment with an Engineering Communication Program Instructor.

Engineering Communication Program (ECP) Resource Hub

Access the Engineering Communication Program’s online communication handbook for resources on best practices, effective oral communication, writing process tips, and more.

Teamwork Support

Book an appointment with a teamwork advisor to improve teamwork, conflict‑resolution and collaboration skills in a course or club setting.

The Clarke Prize Environmental Design Challenge

Unlock your potential as an environmental change-maker and gain hands-on experience by applying your engineering skills to the Clarke Prize Environmental Design Challenge.