Program Overview

Master of Science in Computer Science

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Computer Science is a limited-enrolment, thesis-based program offered by the Faculty of Science.

About Master of Science in Computer Science

StFX offers a limited-enrolment, thesis-based MSc program in Computer Science.

Why complete an MSc at StFX?

While StFX is best known for its strong tradition as a primarily undergraduate university, graduate students are a vital part of the StFX academic community. MSc students at StFX benefit from highly personalized programs and a collegial environment where they are able to play a significant role in their supervisor's research program. Graduate students are also mentors to undergraduate students as TAs in undergraduate classes, and when they work with undergraduate research assistants in labs. StFX MSc graduates have a strong track record of publishing their research and giving conference presentations, and many have gone on to successful careers in research and in a variety of organizations.

Program details

Admission Requirements

• Normally undergraduate Honours degree or equivalent concentration in the subject area (typically about 20 undergraduate courses in the subject area)
• Minimum 70% average.
• Language requirement: IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6. Note that graduate programs demand very strong English language skills. While IELTS 6.5 (no bands less than 6.0) is the minimum requirement, a higher IELTS score may strengthen the application.
• Admission is competitive.

Recognized English Language Proficiency Tests

MSc programs are for exceptional students who have demonstrated scholarly potential. Meeting the minimum admission standards does not guarantee acceptance.

Available funding

Most students accepted into the MSc program will be offered a funding package that covers the cost of tuition and some portion of living expenses.

Students who apply prior to February 15 may be eligible for the following:

• StFX Graduate Scholarships. No separate application.
• StFX Teaching Assistantship. No separate application.
• Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarships
• Ally Heaps Graduate Scholarships for Thesis-based Computer Science
• Canada Graduate Scholarships (Masters). Deadline to apply December 1.
• MITACS Awards

For more information about Graduate Funding click here.

For more information about MA and MSc tuition and fees, see Student Accounts.

Before Applying

• Step 1: Review the website of the department to which you are applying to see faculty member research interests. Identify the faculty members who share your research interests and background.
• Step 2: Email prospective supervisors directly to ask whether they are willing and able to take on more graduate students with your background. You should explain your research interests and experience and highlight how their research aligns with your background. You could potentially include an unofficial transcript, a CV and other documents. Ensure your email is clear, concise, and easy to read. Note: Not every faculty member will be accepting students in any given year. Each of them receives many emails from potential students, and some will only respond to emails when they are interested in taking students. If you do not hear back, you should email another potential supervisor.

Contact the Department:

Department of Computer Science Computer Science Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Man Lin

Future opportunities

A Master of Computer Science can lead to a variety of career paths, including but not limited to:

• Data Analyst
• Data Scientist
• Game Developer
• Networking Administrator
• Software Developer

Featured Faculty

• Tasneem Darwish Assistant Professor Google Scholar Research interests: Intelligent and autonomous self-evolving network management, intelligent mobility management in future satellite networks, software defined networks (SDNs), network function virtualization (NFV), cloud/fog/edge computing, 5G and 6G networks, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), wireless sensors networks, Internet of things, blockchain technology, and network security.
• Jean-Alexis Delamer Assistant Professor people.stfx.ca/jdelamer Research interests: Artificial intelligence; machine learning applied to autonomous vehicles; especially Markov Decision Process and reinforcement learning
• Iker Gondra Professor people.stfx.ca/igondra Research interests: Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Evolutionary Algorithms
• James Hughes Associate Professor Convergence Lab Research interests: The development of machine learning algorithms for real world applications; in particular, Evolutionary Computation and Artificial Neural Networks. Application areas: neuroinformatics, bioinformatics, kinematics, geology, art, finance, and clinical applications.
• Milton King Assistant Professor people.stfx.ca/mking Research interests: Natural language processing with a focus on language modeling, word sense disambiguation, and authorship verification. The personalization of models, which involves tailoring models towards a specific individual.
• Jacob Levman Associate Professor Research interests: Using computational technology and imaging to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders and healthy brain development.
• Man Lin Professor people.stfx.ca/mlin Research interests: Low Power Computing, Cyber-Physical Systems, Machine Learning for System Optimizations
• Taylor Smith Assistant Professor people.stfx.ca/tjsmith Research interests: Formal languages and automata theory, combinatorics on words, computability and complexity theory, analysis of algorithms, and coding theory.