MTE 360Automatic Control Systems
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
- Subject
- Mechatronics Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Feedback control design and analysis for linear dynamic systems with emphasis on mechanical engineering applications; transient and frequency response; stability; system performance; control modes; state space techniques; introduction to digital control systems.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- Students must be in level 3B or higher
- Enrolled in H-Mechatronics Engineering
Antirequisites
Leads to
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 4895 | 101 / 117 | MW 13:30–14:50 |
| LAB 101 | 4922 | 27 / 29 | M 09:30–12:20 |
| LAB 102 | 4923 | 27 / 29 | T 09:30–12:20 |
| LAB 103 | 4924 | 22 / 29 | Th 09:30–12:20 |
| LAB 104 | 4925 | 25 / 30 | F 09:30–12:20 |
| TUT 201 | 4926 | 101 / 117 | F 15:30–16:20 |
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 4502 | 0 / 110 | TTh 13:30–14:50 |
| LEC 701 | 1817 | 91 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
| LAB 101 | 4503 | 0 / 27 | M 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 102 | 4614 | 0 / 27 | T 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 103 | 4615 | 0 / 28 | Th 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 104 | 4616 | 0 / 28 | F 08:30–11:20 |
| TUT 201 | 4504 | 0 / 110 | T 15:00–15:50 |
Resources
Around the web
Found by uwloo’s link finder, which checks that each page names MTE 360.
- ~mte360 Course website · me.uwaterloo.ca · posted on r/uwaterloo May 2019 · gone now; archived copy from Jun 2019 Remove
Reviewed on UW Flow
74% liked it15% easy99% useful
From 65 ratings and 13 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Pretty easy course since we've taken so many courses related to controls already. Labs are simple and weighted very heavily so it's quite easy to pass this course. Fair exams with custom crib sheet allowed. Taught by Arash Arami who was very clear in his lectures and lenient with his marking.
Dec 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Definitely should have been taught in 3A. Would have been useful for MTE380. And it is a super hard course to keep up with while working on 380.
Jan 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
I love control systems so much holy crap this stuff is cool it's such a shame that Matlab is the best tool for this stuff but that is a price that I am willing to pay.
May 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
The lectures are usually pretty straightforward, but the labs are way ahead of the lectures. The last lab is very intensive. Lab marking is hit and miss.
Nov 2018 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Course was overall useful, however, large amounts of the course focused on old methods to solve problems which are completely irrelevant today.
May 2018 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
9 posts and comments in 7 threads mention MTE 360, September 2015 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Winter 2020
[Serious] What should I expect from TRON? 36 points, 34 comments
“Hi all, I recently accepted my offer for Mechatronics Engineering at Waterloo (yay). However, as I keep reading about people's experiences with the program on this subreddit, I'm not really sure what …”
u/ApatheticPost: “… - MTE 360 - Controls: Cool course on designing control systems. Think, "I want the robot to drive straight but the wheels drift a bit and the terrain is uneven and there are other unknown disturbances. …”
Fall 2019
How is 3B Tron going? 11 points, 9 comments
u/3btron: “Is it fun? Is Mechatronics a mistake? How is it? ME 351 Fluid Mechanics MTE 322 Electromechanical Machine Design MTE 360 Automatic Control Systems MTE 380 Mechatronics Engineering Design Workshop MSCI 261 Engineering Economics: Financial Management for Engineers”
Spring 2019
How is MTE 360 (Automatic Control Systems)? 2 points, 5 comments
u/dromger: “I'm a CS student but I'm thinking about taking the course. I've already taken some other MTE courses like MTE 544 and MTE 546 so I might as well take another one to make it count for the depth requirement. How is the workload? Are the exams difficult? …”
u/FiveFlavourFire: “Course syllabus at: http://www.me.uwaterloo.ca/\mte360/. It's a classical controls course. Only comment is that root locus was not very present in the material for my cohort's offering.”
[deleted]: “Last term when I took it, the professor who normally teaches the course bailed last minute so we had a lecturer come in. …”
[deleted]: “http://www.me.uwaterloo.ca/mte360/ All the labs are actually here! Uhh I felt like I was putting in too much effort and not getting it all back. …”
Fall 2017
Any way to disable UWCourseLinker from posting? 16 points, 26 comments
“posting a reply to my comment I find the bot annoying.”
u/Jackhofmann: “PSYCH 483 PSYCH 484 PSYCH 485 PSYCH 486 PSYCH 490R PSYCH 499A PSYCH 499B PSYCH 499C PSYCH 621 PSYCH 630 PSYCH 677A PSYCH 704A PSYCH 704B PSYCH 707 PSYCH 710 PSYCH 714 PSYCH 717 PSYCH 720A PSYCH 721A …”
u/Jackhofmann: “… MTE 200B MTE 201 MTE 202 MTE 203 MTE 204 MTE 219 MTE 220 MTE 241 MTE 262 MTE 300B MTE 322 MTE 360 MTE 380 MTE 400A MTE 420 MTE 481 MTE 544 MTE 545 MTHEL 131 MTHEL 300 MUSIC 100 MUSIC 110 MUSIC 111 MUSIC 116 MUSIC 117 MUSIC 121W MUSIC 140 MUSIC 181AW MUSIC 216 MUSIC 217 MUSIC 222 …”
Spring 2017
What courses are you taking this fall? 28 points, 129 comments
“With course selection and add/drop happening this week I figured this would be a cool discussion post. …”
u/SometimesICryAtNight: “3B Tron MTE322 - Electromechanical machine design MTE360 - Control Systems MTE380 - Project Course ME351 - Fluid Dynamics MSCI261 - Engineering Economics MUSIC140 - pop music it's gonna be a fun term! …”
SE Option (for Mechatronics Engineering) 1 point, 5 comments
“Hey all, Just finished 1B tron, going into 2A and need to choose a complementary technical elective (CTE). I am considering an Option in Software Engineering within mechatronics. …”
u/matty961: “… can probably get ECE 222, ECE 250, ECE 254 and ECE 380 from MTE 262, MTE 140, MTE 241 and MTE 360 which are all core courses for tron. …”
Fall 2015
Transferring from Mechatronics to Systems (1A) 6 points, 10 comments
“Contemplating transferring from mechatronics to systems design. Love the electrical and programming components of mechatronics, but the mechanical design portion (especially mte100) is something I …”
u/annihilatron: “they're not that mechanically based. About 1/4 of your courses will be grounded in mechanics/kinematics only, 1/4 will be pure electrical/controlsystems, 1/4 will be motors and the mix of …”
u/annihilatron: “everyone has to take a thermodynamics course. Trons get this condensed version which is two courses in one. actually a programming course for hardware. …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them