University of Alberta Engineering Competition (UAEC)
The University of Alberta Engineering Competition (UAEC) is a two-day event where engineering undergraduate students can participate in one of eight different design and consulting engineering challenges. UAEC challenges engineering aptitude and individual communication skills as teams must present their projects to a judging panel. The top two winning teams of each category are invited to represent the University of Alberta at the January 2026 Western Engineering Competition (WEC) hosted here in Edmonton.
This year's UAEC will be held in the engineering buildings (ETLC/ECERF/DICE/ICE Incubator) on Saturday, November 1st, 2025 and Sunday, November 2nd, 2025. Please consider not all categories will be held on both days
Competition Categories
Senior Team Design - Teams of two (2) to four (4) competitors must design and construct a working prototype that can complete a given engineering objective, typically using a mechatronics approach. Although the general theme of the task is released one week prior, the teams must wait until the morning of the competition before the full objective is released.
Dates: Saturday, November 1st, 2025 and Sunday, November 2nd, 2025 (2 Day Challenge)
Junior Team Design - Only open to students in their first (1st) and second (2nd) year of their undergraduate engineering degree. Teams of two (2) to four (4) competitors must solve an engineering design problem and build a prototype of their design using hardware supplies (example: cardboard, popsicle sticks, etc.), according to the objectives and constraints announced the day of the event.
Dates: TBD (1 Day Challenge)
Consulting Engineering - Teams of one (1) to four (4) competitors develop a solution to a large-scale real-world engineering problem. During the given time, team must develop an economically feasible design with minimal negative social and environmental impacts. They must then present this design to their clients (i.e. judges).
Dates: Saturday, November 1st, 2025 and Sunday, November 2nd, 2025 (2 Day Challenge)
Re-Engineering - Teams of one (1) to two (2) competitors will have to apply the re-engineering process in order to reimagine the design of two existing products or processes in order to improve their functionality or to adapt them for a completely new purpose. The first challenge will be provided a week in advanced for competitors to complete before the competition days, and the second challenge will be provided on the day of the event.
Dates: TBD (1 Week Challenge)
Impromptu Debate - Teams of two (2) competitors must use analytical techniques to present convincing, well-constructed arguments in a parliamentary debate format on a given engineering topic with technical, political, and economical conscious questions given minimal preparation time.
Dates: TBD (1 Day Challenge)
Engineering Communications - Teams of one (1) to two (2) competitors are challenged to describe the principles governing a complicated technology or technical subject in terms the general public can easily understand.
Dates: TBD (1 Day Challenge)
Innovative Design - Teams of one (1) to four (4) competitors are challenged to those their own design topic in order to research and develop their own design. The designs must be new, innovative, and address a void in society or industry. Guiding themes will be provided a week in advanced which is also when teams are to start their research and development of their design to be presented to a panel of judges on event day.
Dates: Saturday, November 1st, 2025 (1 Week Challenge)
Programming - Teams of two (2) to four (4) competitors are challenged to create a program/code that solves a a presented engineering problem given on the day of the event.
Dates: Saturday, November 1st, 2025 and Sunday, November 2nd, 2025 (2 Day Challenge)
Note: All competitors must be current University of Alberta engineering undergraduate students.
Registration Deadline: TBD
If you have any questions regarding UAEC, please contact the Co-Directors of Competitions Aaron Song (agsong@ualberta.ca) and Kate Wat (sinsze@ualberta.ca)
