Computational Sciences (M.Sc.)

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.

1. Check your program requirements

You can find your program requirements on this page, under admission requirements. For some Graduate programs you will need to secure a supervisor as part of your application process. You can find if you need to contact a supervisor on the how to apply to graduate programs page.

2. Complete your Application

Once you have reviewed your program requirements you can apply through the graduate application portal. This will take you to an external site, hosted by OUAC. Within 48 business hours of submitting your application you will receive an email with further instructions.

3. Setup your myLaurentian account and upload your documentation

Once your application has been received by Laurentian University, you will receive an email that contains information on accessing your myLaurentian Portal where you will continue the application process. To activate your account, visit the myLaurentian Portal and click the yellow bar "New to Laurentian".

Please note that the submission of items on the “My Checklist” is solely the obligation of the applicant. Please review this list carefully in order to complete your application.

Learn more on our how to apply to graduate programs page.

For Current Students

The degree options listed below are for the upcoming academic year, not the current academic year. If you are a current student looking for which courses to take in order to complete your degree options from a previous academic year's curriculum, please consult with an academic advisor.

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.