Computer Science

About

The Master of Computer Science (MCS) degree is a joint program offered by the School of Computer Science (SCS) at Carleton University and the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Ottawa under the auspices of the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Computer Science (OCICS). We offer graduate students an opportunity to augment their knowledge and expertise by combining course work and through research in a wide range of areas, e.g., algorithms, computer security, distributed and parallel computing, computer gaming, computer graphics, robotics and GIS. Learn more about Ottawa-Carleton Joint Institutes.

Graduate students in the MCS program can select from over 50 courses that are offered by the OCICS either at the School of Computer Science or at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Typically graduate students will engage in a one year in-depth research, in which the student specializes in their area of interest. Students enrolled in our co-op program can apply to work at a local high tech company for work up to eight months

The School of Computer Science also offers a MCS in Human-Computer Interaction and a MASC in Biomedical Engineering.

A Collaborative Specialization in Data Science is also available.

Capital Advantage

A large number of high technology companies, e.g., Alactel, IBM, Mitel, Thales, Cognos (IBM), Research Labs, e.g., National Research Council, Communication Research Centre, and a large number of Government of Canada departments are located in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. The technology cluster provides students with an opportunity to conduct joint research with the private and public sector. Graduating students have a large range of employment opportunities from research to development in areas such as designing new software security products, creation of computer games, designing animation software, building robot, medical imaging and devices and data mining and business intelligence.

Fields of Specialization

Algorithms and Complexity
Knowledge Based and Intelligent Systems
Software Engineering
Parallel and Distributed Systems
Computer and Internet Security

Building recommender systems in social networks
Secure and usable software installation on smartphones
Mapping the human protein interaction network
Games of hide & seek and black holes

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Master’s Minimum Admission Requirements

Four-year bachelor‘s degree equivalent: Bachelor’s; requiring four years of study
Minimum requirement overall: Very Good

Doctoral Minimum Admission Requirements

Master’s / graduate degree equivalent: Master’s
Minimum requirement overall (B+): Very Good

English Requirements

PTEMin 60
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 86

Fee Information

Application Fee 110

How to Apply

Explore

Carleton offers more than 100 graduate programs to choose from. You can find more information about the program, research areas and specific admission requirements by visiting the Admission website.

It’s important that you find a program that fits your own research and study interests by looking at the fields of specialization and/or concentrations of the program in which you are interested.

Prepare

Throughout the online application, you will need to upload required documents for your program of choice. Visit our website for a complete list of documents. The most commonly required documents include:

Transcripts
Referee Contact Information
Statement of Intent
CV/Resume
Writing Sample
Language Proficiency

A specific list of required documents will be available once an application has been started. Take time to prepare your documents prior to starting an application.

Apply

After you have decided on the program(s) to which you would like to apply, you will need to create a Carleton360 account. This will be your specific Carleton account to which only you have access.

In Carleton360, click on Apply Now on the right side of the screen or click the Applications tab on the top menu.

Program Selection: Search for the program to which you are applying. Search by Department, Degree or Keyword. From the search results, select the program to which you are applying. Ensure you select the correct program, as some programs have similar names.

Term of Application: Review entry dates. All terms in which applications are open will be displayed. Choose the term to which you are applying.

Getting Started: Review instructions and details of what to expect as you move through the application. Note that program and deadline information is displayed at the top of each screen. You must click the acknowlegement at the bottom of the screen in order to complete this page.

As you move through the online application, you will need to enter details about your academic history, referee information, English language test score (if applicable), etc. It is not necessary to complete the online application in a single session. You may return to your partially completed application as many times as needed to complete and submit it.

Documents that you do not submit within the online application must be uploaded prior to the specific program application deadline. When you access your application details in Carleton Central, you will be advised of all of the documents that are required for your particular program. Failure to upload the required documents as described may delay the processing of your application.

After you submit your online application you will be required to pay the non-refundable application fee of $110.00 ($160.00 for the MBA program). This fee is payable to Carleton University and can be paid by INTERAC Online or Credit Card. Once your fee payment has been processed, you will be redirected to a Confirmation page with further information and instructions. WIthin 1-3 business days, you will receive an email with further instructions and information on how to log in to Carleton Central.

Once the application has been submitted and your application fee has been processed, it cannot be modified.

Note: Application fees for graduate programs will not be waived.

Check your application status online

The academic unit will review your application, which may not occur until after the application deadline has passed. To find out the status of your application, you can log into Carleton Central and follow the “Graduate Admissions” link.

Once the academic unit has selected candidates for admission, recommendations are made to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs for final approval. If approved, an email is sent to applicants informing them to log into Carleton Central to view their Offer of Admission and Funding as well as their Statement of Standing on Admission.

If you receive an offer of admission and funding, you can accept the offer by logging into Carleton Central and accepting it online.