• About the Program
• Academic Regulations
• Admission Requirements
• Program Requirements
• Course Selection

About the Program

The M.C.S. program leads to a graduate degree in Computer science. The program combines breadth knowledge in computer science through course work and depth knowledge in the area of specialization through research (M.C.S Thesis option) or through course work and a project (MCS Non-Thesis option).

The M.C.S. areas of specialization are:

• Software Engineering
• Theory of Computing
• Computer Applications
• Computer Systems

Within these areas of specialization the program emphasizes problems of current practical significance and advances in computer science knowledge. The program fosters collaborative and interdisciplinary work with the scientific and industrial (private and public) communities.

Academic Regulations

• See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

Admission Requirements

• Applicants should have an Honours bachelor's degree in computer science or the equivalent, with at least high honours standing. By equivalent is meant an Honours degree in a program that includes at least twelve computer science half-credits, two of which must be at the 4000-level, and eight half- credits in mathematics, one of which must be at the 3000- or 4000-level. These courses must include the topics indicated below:
  • Computer Science
    Data structures/file management, operating systems, computer architecture, algorithm design and analysis, assembly language and two high-level languages
  • Mathematics
    Calculus, linear algebra, algebraic structures or discrete mathematics, probability and statistics, numerical analysis.
• Applicants who have a general (3-year) bachelor's degree, or who otherwise lack the required undergraduate preparation, may be admitted to a qualifying-year program. Refer to the General Regulations section of this Calendar for regulations governing the qualifying year.

Program Requirements

• Normally, students in the program will be expected to complete a thesis; however, students who have substantial relevant work experience may be permitted to take the non-thesis option, which must include a graduate research project course.
• Each candidate submitting a thesis will be required to undertake an oral defence of the thesis.

Thesis Option Requirements:

• 2.5 credits in course work (See Notes, below)
• Fulfilment of the graduate seminar requirement
• 2.5 credits in Thesis.

Non-Thesis Option Requirements

• 4.0 credits in course work (see Notes, below)
• Fulfilment of the graduate seminar requirement.
• 1.0 credit in graduate project (may be completed in one or two terms),

Notes:

• Course selections must be approved by the student's academic adviser, and must include at least:
  • 0.5 credit in software engineering
  • 0.5 credit in the theory of computing
  • 0.5 credit in either computer applications or computer systems
• The graduate seminar requirement includes a seminar presentation and participation in at least ten sessions in the joint graduate student seminar series.
• Both course and thesis work may be completed either by full-time or part-time study.
• A candidate may be permitted to carry out thesis work off campus provided suitable arrangements are made for supervision and experimental work, and prior approval is given by the Institute.

Co-operative Option

• A co-operative option is also available to full-time students in the Masters of Computer Science. Co-operative education is based on the principle that academic studies combined with work experience are desirable for effective professional preparation.
• In addition to all other requirements for the degree, students admitted to the co-operative option must satisfactorily complete two work terms placements with a suitable employer in order to graduate with a co-op designation on their transcripts and diplomas. It is desirable that the work placements be related to the student's research. Placements are subject to the approval of the Supervisor of Graduate Studies and of the student's research supervisor. These work terms are four months in duration and students will conduct job searches through the university's co-op office. During a work term, students will register in one of the co-op work term courses: COMP 5906 (CSI 6901) or COMP 5907 (CSI 6902). While on a work term, students in this option are limited to taking one additional 0.5-credit course, or registering in their thesis.
• Students in the co-op option normally apply for admission to the co-operative option during their first academic term. This option requires an initial study period of two academic terms, typically followed by two work terms and a final academic period to complete the remaining requirements of the degree. The student must submit a work term report or make a formal oral presentation upon the completion of each work placement, and receive a grade of Satisfactory in order to meet the requirements for the successful completion of that work term's requirement.

Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree

• The following completion times are estimates only, based on full-time study, and are intended to provide guidance only.
• Students are urged to check with the supervisor of graduate studies to determine the exact requirements of the degree program and other related information. Part-time students should calculate the completion times requirement by doubling the time estimates given below.
• Students should complete the course work within the first two terms.
• Selection of courses should be done in consultation with the student's faculty advisor. Approval from the Graduate Supervisor of the Institute is only required for courses not listed as valid OCICS courses. Subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor, M.C.S. students may take courses in other relevant disciplines. At least half of the course credits of an M.C.S. student must be valid OCICS courses. At most, two Fourth Year undergraduate courses may be taken with the permission of the Graduate Supervisor. A thesis supervisor and thesis topic must be selected by the end of the second term. The supervisor of graduate studies should be formally notified of this selection. The expected completion time for the M.C.S. degree is four to six terms of full-time study depending on the type of thesis and the area of research.
• Students wishing to pursue the co-op option normally apply for admission to the co-operative option during their first academic term. This option requires an initial study period of two academic terms, typically followed by two work terms and a final academic period to complete the remaining requirements of the degree. The student must submit a work term report or make a formal oral presentation upon the completion of each work placement, and receive a grade of Satisfactory in order to meet the requirements for the successful completion of that work term's requirement.

Graduate Course Selection

Please visit the courses section for full course descriptions.

Subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor, M.C.S. and Ph.D. students may take courses in other relevant disciplines. The courses in the following list are offered by the two departments forming OCICS.

Guide to Course Codes

COMP - Carleton University School of Computer Science
CSI - University of Ottawa School of Information Technology and Engineering