Admission Requirements
The regular Master of Applied Science (MASc) program, may be pursued through a thesis option. The MASc - Software Engineering Program (ConGESE) may be completed with either a thesis or research/design paper. Admission requirements for students admitted to the MASc program are as follows:
- An Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with at least a B+ standing (78%).
- Two letters of reference, at least one of which must be from academic sources.
- Proof of competency in English (if applicable). See the English Language Proficiency page for acceptable tests of English.
- A Supplementary Information form (available through the on-line application process).
Note: This is not a requirement for the MASc - Software Engineering (ConGESE) program.
Students who do not meet the requirements outlined above may be considered for admission to a transitional, probationary or qualifying program depending on their academic backgrounds. Refer to the Categories of Admission page for additional information.
Degree Requirements
Regular MASc Program
The objective of the regular MASc degree program in Electrical and Computer Engineering is to demonstrate individual accomplishment of high professional and academic standard. The candidate, with the approval of the supervisor, must submit a research thesis as a portion of the requirements.
The requirements for the MASc degree consist of at least five courses (0.50 unit weight per course) of graduate credit plus a thesis (Thesis Milestone), and a Graduate Seminar (Seminar Milestone). The thesis counts as four (0.50 unit weight) courses. At least 2 of the courses must be from the list of approved core courses (updated by the Department annually) in one of the 13 approved areas of specialization as specified in the student's letter of admission. The choice of courses must meet with the approval of the supervisor.
MASc - Software Engineering (ConGESE)
Note: The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is no longer accepting applications for the ConGEGE program.
In addition to satisfying all other requirements for the regular MASc degree, a student pursuing a specialization in software engineering must take courses to satisfy the Software Engineering (ConGESE) requirements which place emphasis on core software engineering material, project management material, software technology material, application engineering material, and related electives.
This program offers a thesis or research paper option. Thesis requirements are the same as those of the regular MASc program. The research paper option requires completion of at least 8 courses (0.50 unit weight per course) of graduate credit plus a research paper (Master's Research Paper Milestone). The research paper counts as two (0.50 unit weight) courses.
Master's Research Paper
The topic of the research paper is arranged by the student and the faculty supervisor for approval by the Graduatae Studies Committee. The work leading to the project report must be performed under the direction of the supervisor. The report must then be approved and accepted by the supervisor and one reader.
Thesis
The topic of the thesis and the choice of the required five courses of graduate coursework are arranged by students and their faculty supervisor. Each student's program is subject to approval by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department. Students must maintain continuous active registration until the thesis requirements are completed. The research work leading to the thesis must be performed under the direction of the faculty supervisor(s) and is finally approved and accepted by at least three readers. The readers will consist of the supervisor(s) plus a minimum of two other faculty members.
The minimum period of registration for the Master's degree is two terms after an Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent. The maximum time limit is six terms for the regular program and fifteen terms for the part-time program.
Students are normally expected to take graduate courses at 600 or 700 level as noted in this calendar. One advanced undergraduate (400 level) Electrical or Computer Engineering course may be allowed for Graduate credit. It is expected that both the student and supervisor should provide adequate justification before any undergraduate course is approved for credit.
The advanced undergraduate courses must be at the 400 or 500 level as given in the Undergraduate Calendar and must be approved for graduate credit and confirmed in writing by the Department Associate Chair for Graduate Studies at the time of registration.
Students may be required at any time to withdraw from the program if they fail to maintain a cumulative average grade of at least 70% (B-) in the coursework portion of their approved study program or if they fail to receive satisfactory progress reports regarding their research activities.
The Department may recommend that credit be allowed for courses taken at other institutions. In special cases, one course (0.50 unit weight) may be approved.
Research Seminar Milestone
Students are required to present a seminar on their thesis topic as part of the regular MASc degree program requirements. The purpose of this seminar is to develop the student's ability to communicate the results of a research work in an organized and informative manner. The seminar is not an oral examination of the thesis. The seminar should be held during the term the thesis is submitted to the readers. The supervisor(s), plus one other Faculty member must be in attendance at the seminar in order for the student to receive credit.