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Master's Degree Program

Admission

The minimum requirements for admittance to the M.Sc. program are an undergraduate degree with a concentration in Computing Science, and a high upper-second class standing. We normally expect that students have taken courses covering the following topics:

calculus
linear algebra
statistics
logic and discrete mathematics
advanced data structures
computer systems
automata theory
algorithm design and analysis
programming languages
software engineering

Applicants should also have taken at least two advanced courses in applications areas such as artificial intelligence, database theory, or computer graphics. Candidates with high academic standing in an undergraduate degree other than computer science, who have some computer science background either academic or professional, may be admitted as graduate preparatory students. Preparatory students will be asked to complete up to one year of undergraduate courses to enhance their background. Partial support will be made available to students with preparatory status. Students are normally only admitted starting in the Fall term, but occasional exceptions are made.

Regular M.Sc. Students

Applicants with a strong undergraduate background in computing science are accepted as full M.Sc. students. Three patterns of the Master's degree are offered, research, project and course work. The requirements for these are detailed below.

The requirements for the project pattern program can be fulfilled within three terms of full-time study.  The requirements for the course work pattern program can be fulfilled within two terms of intensive full-time study.

In addition to their normal course work, all regular Master's students are expected to attend the School Seminar Series, a forum for researchers from the School and from abroad.

Research M.Sc.

The research pattern normally requires the course CISC-897 and four one-term courses together with a thesis. Recently most students have tended to follow this pattern and it is a trend the School encourages. Students normally take three courses in the Fall term and one in the Winter term. Courses are chosen by students in consultation with their supervisor and/or the Coordinator of Graduate Studies. Please note that all courses prescribed for a student's approved program of study are designated as primary. Courses additional to the student's approved program are designated as secondary. Failure to attain a minimum of second class standing (65% - 79%) in any of the primary courses may result in the student being required to withdraw.

Theses are expected to be completed by the end of the third or fourth term. Theses are defended before an examining committee consisting of three members of the School, an external (to the School) examiner and an external Chair.

Project M.Sc.

PROJECT MSC The project pattern requires seven half-courses, one of which may be CISC-897*, and the completion of a major (theoretical or programming) project. In this case, the Fall and Winter terms (September to April) are largely devoted to fulfilling course requirements, while the following Summer term is spent on the project. Courses are chosen by the student on condition that at least one course from each of our course categories is chosen. The courses, partitioned into their respective categories, are listed in section 7.

A project is chosen after consulting with potential supervisors. The project should normally require between two to four months of full time work, and be comparable in work load to two CISC graduate level half courses. A written report of the project is submitted by the student and is then independently evaluated by each member of a committee of three. The committee consists of the supervisor, a School examiner, and the head of department (or delegate). The ultimate authority for appointing members of the committee lies with the head of School. The chair of the committee, who is allowed to vote, is the head of department (or delegate). All outcomes of the project examination require at least two votes. If the initial decisions are not all in agreement then the project should be discussed before an outcome is decided.

There are three possible outcomes of the project examination, PASSED, REFERRED, and FAILED. These are patterned on the decisions of an MSc thesis exam, and are detailed in the Calendar of the School of Graduate Studies and Research section 8.6 paragraph b. A project is PASSED if it is acceptable in its present form or requires minor revisions. In the case of minor revisions, the supervisor is responsible for informing the student of the required changes and for verifying that the changes have been made. A project is REFERRED if it is not acceptable in its present form, but could be acceptable pending major revisions. The chair, in consultation with the committee, communicates a list of revisions to the student in writing. A copy of this letter will be sent the Graduate Coordinator. The revised project is then re-examined by the entire committee and can either be PASSED or FAILED. The third outcome of a project examination is FAILED. In the case that a project is failed, the student must withdraw from the program. In all cases the outcome of the project should be decided and communicated to the student, as well as the graduate coordinator, at most two weeks (ten working days) after every member of the committee has received it.

Course work M.Sc.

 

The course work pattern requires eight half-courses which cannot include CISC897*.  At least one course must be from each of our three course categories:  Computer Systems, Theory of Computation, Applications.

The selection of courses is subject to School approval.  At the beginning of the program the student is required to submit a plan of study to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies.  By taking four courses per term, it is possible to complete the course requirements within two terms.  Admission to a course work M.Sc is only available for September.

M.Sc. Supervision Policy

 

Incoming students are accepted to a supervisor.  Once an application is submitted to the School students are encouraged to contact potential supervisors as soon as possible.

Thesis and project topics are chosen after discussion with supervisors. The amount offlexibility allowed in pursuing a particular topic will vary according to the supervisor's needs and interests. Projects are expected to be completed over one term. Where progress has not been satisfactory at the end of two terms, supervision may be withdrawn. Theses are encouraged to be completed at the end of twelve months of graduate study, but students often choose to do more than the minimal work required for a satisfactory thesis, and consequently may take longer to finish. 

Preparatory M.Sc. Students

Candidates with an exceptionally good academic record in a field outside of computer science, may be considered for admission into our graduate program as preparatory students. This program is highly competitive and limited to 1-2 students each year. Graduate preparatory students are normally required to complete all of the courses listed below.

CISC 203*: Discrete Mathematics and Logic I (Fall) (formerly CISC201)
CISC 221*: Computer Architecture (Fall)
CISC 223*: Software Specifications (Fall) (formerly CISC366)
CISC 322*: Software Engineering (Fall)
CISC 324*: Operating Systems (Fall/Winter)
CISC 204*: Discrete Mathematics and Logic II (Winter) (formerly CISC202)
CISC 235*: Information Structures (Winter)
CISC 260*: Programming Paradigms (Winter)
CISC 365*: Algorithms (Winter)

Course Regulations

Students are required to obtain a 65% (B- effective May 2011) in all of their primary courses, i.e., in courses which are required for their program. Failure to obtain a 65% (B- effective May 2011) in more than one course normally results in the student being required to withdraw. If a student fails in only one course, the course may be repeated or another course may be substituted if the student's progress is otherwise satisfactory. This will normally mean that the student should have obtained more than a minimal pass in the other primary courses.

Students are required to complete their course work before the end of the term in which the course was taken. Allowances are made for exceptional circumstances only.

Graduate students should familiarize themselves with the contents of the Calendar published by the School of Graduate Studies. Some of the information given in this handbook is adapted from the current Calendar but is not intended as a replacement for it. Calendars are only available to incoming students and are not normally distributed to applicants. Most university libraries should contain a current version.