Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Thesis-based program
Program Overview
Computer Science
The Computer Science program at the University of Calgary is a thesis-based Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree that aims to equip students with the skills necessary for careers in private industry, academic positions at advanced research centers, and universities. The program helps students build skills and novel ideas for designing and implementing software, finding new ways to use computers, developing effective algorithms to solve computing problems, and planning and managing organizational technology infrastructure.
Program Overview
The program typically takes four years to complete for an MSc graduate and requires coursework, a single-authored scientific paper, and an oral candidacy exam, as well as the submission and successful defense of a thesis.
Completing the Program
To complete the program, students must:
- Complete a core course: Research Methodology in Computer Science.
- Conduct a department seminar presentation based on their research.
- Submit and defend an original research thesis.
- Complete additional courses, which may include Artificial Intelligence, Databases, Computer Graphics, Scientific Computing, HCI, and Visualization.
- Complete a research proposal, scientific paper, and oral candidacy exams.
Specializations
The program offers a specialization in Wearable Technology, which is part of the Interdisciplinary Specializations.
Outcomes
Graduates of the program can pursue careers in the technology sector, business start-ups, computer science research, academia, IT, and software development.
Thesis-Based Program
The program is thesis-based, and students are required to prepare a thesis and successfully defend it in an open oral defense.
Courses
The program consists of nine courses. For more information on program requirements, please refer to the Academic Calendar.
Classroom Delivery
The program is delivered in a classroom setting.
Time Commitment
The program requires a full-time commitment of four years.
Supervisor
Applicants must secure a supervisor to be admitted to the program.
Fees and Funding
Information on fees and funding can be found in the Graduate Calendar.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- A minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 point system over the past two years of full-time study.
- Exceptions to the GPA requirement may be considered for those with demonstrated research excellence or GRE General scores of at least 600 verbal and 750 quantitative and either 720 analytical (old test format) or 5.5 (new test format).
- A thesis-based MSc or equivalent from a recognized institution.
- No work samples are required.
- Documents required include a Curriculum Vitae and a Statement of Purpose.
- Two reference letters from within the 12-month period prior to application.
- Test scores: Optional, but special consideration will be given to those with GRE scores of at least 600 verbal, 750 quantitative, and 720 analytical (5.5 in the new format).
- Additional requirements include completing 3rd or 4th year undergraduate courses in Theory of Computation, Software Engineering, Systems, and Application.
- English language proficiency requirements include a TOEFL ibt score of 97, IELTS score of 7.0, Pearson Test of English score of 68, or Canadian Academic English Language test score of 70.
Deadlines
The deadlines for application are:
- For admission on January 1: International applicants must submit their applications by July 1, and Canadian applicants by September 1.
- For admission on September 1: International applicants must submit their applications by March 1, and Canadian applicants by May 1.
Supervisors
The following faculty members are available to supervise this degree:
- Usman Alim - Accepting Inquiries - Visualization and Computer Graphics
- John Aycock - Accepting Inquiries - Systems
- Xavier Coiteux-Roy - Seeking Students - Theoretical foundations of quantum advantage, Bell nonlocality and applications, Quantum distributed computing, Information-theoretic cryptography
- Mario Costa Sousa - Accepting Inquiries - Interactive Computer Graphics and Visualization
- Philip Fong - Seeking Students
- Dr. Marina Gavrilova - Unavailable - Biometric Technologies Lab Director
- Majid Ghaderi - Accepting Inquiries - Computer Networks
- Helen Ai He - Unavailable - Social Computing, Inclusive Design
- Kaisong Huang - Seeking Students - Database Systems, Storage Management, Modern Hardware, Cloud Computing
- Peter Høyer - Accepting Inquiries - Quantum algorithmics
Related Programs
If you are interested in this program, you may also want to explore other UCalgary programs, such as:
- Computer Science - Thesis-based MSc
- Computational Media Design - Thesis-based MA, Thesis-based PhD
- Electrical and Software Engineering - Course-based MEng, Course-based MEng (Software), Thesis-based MEng, Thesis-based MSc, Thesis-based PhD
The University of Calgary is situated on land Northwest of where the Bow River meets the Elbow River, a site traditionally known as Moh’kins’tsis to the Blackfoot, Wîchîspa to the Stoney Nakoda, and Guts’ists’i to the Tsuut’ina. On this land and in this place, we strive to learn together, walk together, and grow together “in a good way.”