To be considered for admission, applicants must have a four-year honours degree in computer science, or a four-year honours degree in another discipline with at least 10 courses related to computer science. Applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements of both the university and the School of Computer Science, including at least a 75% average during the previous two years of full-time university study for an undergraduate degree.
In addition to the university and School of Computer Science requirements, applicants must also submit:
- a current CV and
- a statement of research that would normally include the following sections:
- Specific research interest with justification.
- Academic and/or practical research experience.
Prospective students can review detailed admission requirements on the School of Computer Science (SoCS) website for further details, procedures and deadlines.
Once a student has been admitted to the MSc program, the following components are required for the successful completion of the MSc degree:
- Completion of CIS*6890 Technical Communication and Research Methodology and at least four other graduate courses.
- Completion of one public seminar.
- An accepted thesis.
The MSc degree is a two-year program during which students complete five courses, give a public seminar and complete and successfully defend a thesis. Heavy emphasis is placed on the thesis, which usually requires at least two semesters. Students should plan on spending at least four full-time semesters (16 months) in the program assuming adequate preparation for graduate work.
An MSc student is required to take CIS*6890 Technical Communication and Research Methodology and at least four other CIS graduate courses. Of these four courses, at least two should be outside of the student's thesis topic area. This area and the courses which fall outside of this area are identified by the student's advisor. With approval from the Graduate Program Committee, a CIS graduate course requirement may also be met by a non-CIS graduate course or by a 4000-level course. At most one reading course (CIS*6660 Topics in Computer Science II) and at most one 4000-level course can count towards the course requirement.
An MSc student must give one publicly announced research seminar on their MSc thesis research. The student will be allocated times and dates for the seminar. It must be attended by the student's advisor and at least one other member of the student's Advisory Committee. The quality of the presentation is graded on a pass/fail basis. The MSc seminar requirement is intended for students to practice presentation and communication skills and to participate in the process of knowledge dissemination as part of the academic life.
Arrangements for the MSc thesis defence should be made at least four weeks prior to the anticipated date of the defence, and the student must submit their MSc thesis to the Examination Committee at least two weeks prior to the defence. The examination consists of an oral presentation by the student followed by questions from the Examination Committee.
The minimum academic requirement for admission to the PhD program is completion of a recognized master's degree in Computer Science, or related discipline, that included a thesis or major independent project, with a minimum grade average of B. Normally, successful applicants have obtained high academic standing in their master’s degree program. In addition to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies admission requirements, applicants must submit: (i) a current CV including research publications; and (ii) a statement of research (maximum of 1500 words).
In exceptional circumstances, a student who has completed an honours undergraduate Computer Science degree (or an equivalent 4-year undergraduate degree) may apply for direct admission to the PhD program. The successful applicant must have an outstanding academic record, breadth of knowledge in Computer Science, demonstrated research accomplishments, and strong letters of recommendation.
Prospective students should check the School of Computer Science (SoCS) website for further details, procedures and deadlines.
The prescribed program of study consists of CIS*6890: Technical and Communication Research Methodology, plus two additional 0.50 courses at the graduate level. The additional courses should be prescribed in consultation with the advisory committee, which may specify more than two courses, including undergraduate make-up courses, depending on the student’s background, and will ensure appropriate breadth of knowledge in traditional core topics of Computer Science.
To further satisfy breadth, students must have completed a total of 8 graduate courses (including CIS*6890), where at least four (not including CIS*6890) have content related to computer science. This requirement includes courses from previous degrees, where a master’s thesis counts for one course. Each course must have a grade of at least 70% and at most, one reading course can be used to satisfy this requirement. A student must satisfy the breadth requirement no later than the 4th semester after entering the program. It is the responsibility of the student’s advisory committee to assess this breadth requirement.
Students are expected to present two public seminars, successfully complete the Qualifying Examination (QE), and present and defend a thesis.
The School of Computer Science participates in the collaborative specialization in Artificial Intelligence. MSc students wishing to undertake thesis research with an emphasis on artificial intelligence are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Computer Science and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the Artificial Intelligence listing for more information.
The School of Computer Science participates in the collaborative specialization in One Health. Master’s and Doctoral students wishing to undertake thesis research or their major research paper/project with an emphasis on one health are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Computer Science and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the One Health listing for more information.
