
Computational Sciences (M.Sc.)
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture
Advance your computer science career and deepen your expertise with a Master of Computational Sciences degree from Laurentian University.

Program Overview
From AI to software engineering, study how advanced applications of computer science can help people in everyday life.
Apply your knowledge to improve many daily functions, from complex operations to everyday solutions with the Master of Computational Sciences program at Laurentian University.
Study a wide range of subjects including data mining, robotics, machine learning, AI, image processing, human-computer interaction, intelligent systems, bioinformatics, and other exciting areas. Prepare for the design and use of sophisticated computational methods in research and industry.
Other areas of study include software engineering, scientific computation, high-performance computing, computational statistics and optimization methods and techniques to solve business, industrial, medical, and scientific problems.
The program offers a thesis-based option and a course-based option. The thesis-based option requires a supervisor to guide the research leading to a thesis.
Solve complex problems, design experiments with both the computer and algorithms.
Apply your creativity, curiosity, design, and communication skills with those from other fields.
Students can choose to complete the thesis or the course-based option.
Career Outlook
Graduates from the Master of Computational Sciences program can find employment in the following fields:
- Consulting
- Database design and implementation
- Education
- Graduate studies
- Networking and security
- Software development
- Systems analysis
- Web development
Program Details
Program language:
English
Delivery method:
On Campus
Contact info
Prof. Kalpdrum Passi705-675-1151 ext. 2345
FA-380, Fraser Auditorium
kpassi@laurentian.ca
Please contact the email above, and our recruitment team will get back to you!
More About The Program
Thesis List
A list of all the Thesis' written by students in the Computational Sciences program.
FAQ
Admission Requirements
Admission for the M.Sc.Computational Sciences program (Thesis and Course-Based options) requires a bachelor's degree in a suitable field at the Honors level (or equivalent), with a minimum average grade of 70 % (B average).
Application Process
If you are applying to the Course-Based program option, please proceed to Step 2.
Step 1. Contact the Graduate Coordinator and/or individual faculty member about the possibility of becoming a student. Students are encouraged to consult the faculty list on the Faculty Members tab in order to identify a potential supervisor (i.e. a faculty member they would like to work with).
Step 2. Click here to submit the online application. Once students have applied, they will receive instructions (typically within 48 hours) from the Office of Admissions leading them to the MyLaurentian portal. Students can access the portal at my.laurentian.ca; sign in credentials will be provided in the correspondence received from the Office of Admissions upon successful completion of an application. The following documents will be required in order to complete an application.
Documents:
- Three Reference Forms (for the Thesis program only) ((to begin the process at my.laurentian.ca click on "Reference Submission" on the left-hand navigation menu))
- Statement of Interest (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
- Official Academic Transcript(s) from all post secondary studies* (Please note that current or prior Laurentian University students do not need to request transcripts)
*Please note that official transcripts or WES course-by-course (for institutions attended outside of North America) must come directly to the Office of Admissions from the previous post secondary institution by requesting at the time of your application or by contacting the institution's Registrar's Office.
Step 3. Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application will be forwarded to the department. An Admissions Committee meets to review the applications.
Step 4. The Admissions Committee will review all applications on file and make a decision regarding the suitability of each applicant. The Admissions Committee will then make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the dossier and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions at Laurentian University for admission.
Step 5: If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian. Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.
How To Apply
To apply for graduate studies, you must complete your application through the Ontario Universities Application Center (OUAC).
For detailed instructions on the application process, see the following pages:
Degree Options
Students must follow these regulations while in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Approved Fields of Study
- Computational Sciences
MSc Computational Sciences (thesis-based)
CPSC 5000E Thesis
CPSC 5506E Introduction to computational sciences
CPSC 5016E Seminar in Computational Sciences
Three (3) elective courses from the list below. A student may take at most one cross-listed course:
CPSC 5006E Matrix Computation
CPSC 5156E Research Methods
CPSC 5206E Topics in Mathematics
CPSC 5207E Topics in Computer Science
CPSC 5216E High-Performance Scientific Computing
CPSC 5217E Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations
CPSC 5306E Research Topics in Data Management
CPSC 5307E Search and Discrete Optimization
CPSC 5406E Knowledge Discovery in Databases
CPSC 5416E Image Processing & Computer Vision
CPSC 5627E Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
Up to two 3 credit courses offered as part of other Laurentian University graduate programs subject to the approval of the student's Advisory Committee
Cross-listed courses:
CPSC 5516E Symbolic Computation
CPSC 5926E Human-Computer Interaction
The Graduate Advisory Committee may require the student to take additional courses.
MSc Computational Sciences (course-based)
Students need to take 30 credits. The courses have to be selected as follows:
Core course - 3 credits
Group A electives – 21 to 27 credits
Group B electives – 0 to 6 credits
Core course:
CPSC 5506E Introduction to Computational Sciences
Group A electives
CSPC 5306E Data Mining
CPSC 5627E Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
CPSC 5216E High-Performance Computing
CPSC 5006E Matrix Computations
CPSC 5207E Topics in Computer Science
CPSC 5406E Knowledge Discovery in Databases
CPSC 5416E Image Processing and Computer Vision
CPSC 5926E Human Computer Interaction
CPSC 5307E Search and Discrete Optimization
CPSC 5616E Machine Learning and Deep Learning
CPSC 5617E Computer Ethics
CPSC 5001E Project in Computational Science
CPSC 5156E Research Methods
COSC 4117E Artificial Intelligence
Group B electives (non-computational science)
ENGR 5556E Robotics
OPER 5001E Business statistics
OPER 5002E Management Science
OPER 5101E Management Information Systems
OPER 5102E Project Management
OPER 5011E Operations Management
PSYC 5106E Applied Multivariate Statistics
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Program regulations
- A student may take elective courses from a list of approved graduate courses in other departments with the approval of the supervisor and the graduate advisory committee.
- Students must obtain a minimum grade of 60% in each graduate course in order to pass the course.
- Students must obtain an overall average of 70% in their coursework in order to complete the degree requirements.
- Thesis Stream: The student must prepare and submit a Research Proposal that is approved by the student’s Advisory Committee. This proposal must be submitted and approved by the end of the second academic term of study in order for the student to continue in the program. Changes to the Proposal must be approved by the Advisory Committee.
- Thesis Stream: The student must complete and defend the Masters thesis (CPSC 5000, 6 credits).
- The Graduate Advisory Committee may require the student to take additional courses.
- A student may be allowed to transfer at most 3 credits of a graduate course from another university that was not counted towards a graduate program requirement; these transfer credits may only serve as an elective and must be approved by the supervisor and the graduate advisory committee.
- Thesis Stream: Preparation and submission of a Research Proposal that is approved by the student’s Advisory Committee and by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. This proposal must be submitted and approved by the end of the second academic term of study in order for the student to continue in the program. Changes to the Proposal must be approved by the Advisory Committee.
- Thesis Stream: General regulations regarding thesis defense procedures are outlined in the School of Graduate Studies calendar.
Sample Courses
The thesis consists of a report on the research work undertaken as part of the master's program. cr 6. Lecture (3.00).
Students will learn techniques for the solution of dense and sparce systems of linear equations, least squares problems, eigenvalue problems, and singular value problems. They will also learn to apply principles generally applicable to the engineering of numerical software: matrix factorizations, iterative methods, perturbation theory and condition numbers, effects of roundoff error on algorithms, performance analysis, choice of the best (fastest and/or most accurate) algorithn based on mathematical structure of the problem. PREREQ: course on Linear Algebra at the undergraduate level. (lec 3) cr 3. Lecture (3.00)
Members of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture, invited speakers and visiting professors will cover timely topics related to computational sciences. Each Masters student will make one introductory and one major seminar presentation. The Masters student will attend at least two thesis defences of students in the M.Sc. in Computational Sciences and a minimum of ten seminars of which eight are seminars given by faculty members, by invited speakers or by visiting professors. (sem 3) cr 3. Lecture (3.00).
This course covers recent developments in pure and applied mathematics that are of interest to both the student and the faculty. (lec 3) cr 3.
This course covers recent developments in computer science that are of interest to both the student and the faculty. (lec 3) cr 3.
The subject of this course is the implementation of numerical algorithms on state-of-the-art high-performance computers. The following topics will be covered: high-performance computing architectures (modern CPUs, memory hierarchies, shared-memory vs distributed memory systems), performance optimization techniques(inlining, loop unrolling, profiling tools, assembly code inspection, optimized libraries), and methods of parallel programming (MPI, OpenMP). Modern accelerator systems (Cell, GPU) are also discussed. The course as a lab component which allows students to put into practice the knowledge acquired in the course. (lec 3) cr 3.
Students program numerical solvers for elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic partial differential equations and learn to estimate their errors and stability and evaluate their robustness, performance and portability. Students learn to use tools for the visualization of scientific data. Finally, students use an integrated software package (for example, COMSOL, Multiphysics) to implement a numerical solver for a more complex system. (lec 3) cr 3.
This course covers topics in data management, including peer-to-peer data sharing, data integration, data exchange, data cleansing, data provenance, data quality, data mining, and uncertain data. (lec 3) cr 3. Lecture (3.00).
A comprehensive investigation of the foundations and applications of search-based methods of optimizing fitness functions in parameter spaces. As well as understanding and analyzing the classes of search algorithms, the course will consider the problem of selecting search methods appropriate to particular problem spaces based on formal analysis of the properties of the space and on the use of multi-dimensional visualization tools for intuitive insight. PREREQ: consent of the instructor. (lec 3) cr 3.
The rate at which data are stored is growing at a phenomenal rate. Much of the data are imprecise. Knowledge discovery seeks to discover noteworthy, unrecognized associations between data items in the existing database. Topics in this course include: (i) non-trivial extraction of implicit, previously unknown, and potentially useful information from extensional data; (ii) combining extensional data and intentional information for increasing the quality of the knowledge extracted; (iii) systems of reasoning under uncertainty using rough sets (eg Rosetta, RSES, RSGUI); (iv) rough/fuzzy hybrid systems; (v) query processing and data manipulation using rough set based Infobright knowledge grid to achieve data compression. PREREQ: consent of the instructor. (lec 3) cr 3.
This course introduces fundamental concepts and techniques for image processing and computer vision. Topics to be covered include an introduction to digital image processing, human visual perception, light and electromagnetic spectrum, image sampling and quantization, image enhancement in the spatial domain, histogram processing, basics of spatial filtering, image enhancement in the frequency domain, introduction to the Fournier Transform, image restoration, morphological image processing, edge linking and boundary detection, thresholding, region-based segmentation, object recognition and image understanding. (lec 3) cr 3. Lecture (3.00).
This course provides an introduction to the use of computers for symbolic (i.e. exact) mathematical computation. This involves traditional calculations such as analytic differentiation and integration of functions, and solving systems of equations. Topics include algorithms for fast integer and polynomial arithmetic, homomorphism methods, computation of polynomial greatest common divisors, factorization and symbolic integration. (lec 3) cr 3. Students may not retain credit for CPSC 5516 and either COSC 4516 or MATH 4516.
This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of how to represent knowledge symbolically in a form suitable for automated reasoning. Topics covered include an introduction to symbolic programming languages, reasoning methods, such as, first-order logic, the resolution method, Horn clauses, description logics, inheritance networks, uncertain reasoning, computational tractability of reasoning methods, and the representation of actions and plans. Programming assignments will be done using Lisp and Prolog. (lec 3) cr 3.
Human-computer interaction is a multi-disciplinary field concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use. The inter-relationships among the various disciplines that participate in HCI are studied, with particular emphasis on computer science issues. Coverage includes techniques for user interface desigh, interaction paradigms, and current trends in HCI research and development. (lec 3) cr 3. Students may nt retain credit for both CPSC 5926 and COSC 4926.
This course introduces Computational Science from the point of view of applied mathematics, computer science, and science and engineering. Topics may include finite-difference methods, fast-Fourier transform, compression methods and Monte-Carlo simulations. Prereq.: Admission to the M.Sc. in Computational Sciences or permission of the instructor. (lec 3) 3 cr.
Faculty Members
Core Faculty Members
- Abdel-Dayem, Amr: Medical Imaging; Image Segmentation; Image Processing and Compression
- Colin, Fabrice: Variational Methods in Partial Differential Equations; Numerical Simulations of Partial Differential Equations
- Grewal, Ratvinder: Human-Computer Interaction; Human Aspects of IT; Data Visualization; Game Design
- Koczkodal, Waldemar: Decision and Expert Systems; Knowledge-Based Systems; System Analysis
- Meyer, Ralf: High-Performance Computing; Nanostructured Materials; Phonic Crystals
- Passi, Kalpdrum: Bioinformatics; Data Mining; Cloud Computing; Web Data Management
- Serghini, Abdellatif: Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, Finite Element & Volume Methods
Associated Faculty
- Arteca, Gustavo: Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
- Appanna, Vasu: Metabolism
- Chitov, Gennady: Strongly Correlated Fermions; Low-Dimensional Magnetism; Cosmology
- Kumar, Aseem: Cytokine and Transcription Factor Regulation; Apoptosis: Bacterial DNA and RNA
- Merritt, Thomas: Genomics and Bioinformatics
Adjunct Members in Other Programs
- Fava, Lorrie (MIRARCO): Ventilation and Production Optimization
- Haibin Zhu (Nipissing University) Role-Based Collaboration, Adaptive Collaboration, Group Performance Optimization, Software Engineering, Service Computing and Cloud Computing, Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Human Computer Interaction
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