The University of Lethbridge offers a high-quality Master of Science (MSc) in Computer Science program that provides students a chance to build on their computer science knowledge and delve further into areas that interest them. This thesis-based program trains and supports students as they carry out novel research and refine their writing and critical thinking skills. Students are supervised and mentored by faculty members with world-class expertise in a variety of areas in computer science, including algorithms, systems, and computational intelligence.

Competitive funding packages are available, including teaching assistantship opportunities. Students can also take advantage of our Co-operative Education program while completing their MSc in Computer Science, giving them exposure to the many companies who hire computer science students.

Educational background

Educational background/courses pertinent for admission consideration:
A four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science (or equivalent), with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 20 courses. Ideally, the student's degree program should have at least nine 3000-level Computer Science courses (including Data Structures and Programming Languages), and at least 2 4000-level Computer Science courses. Strong programming skills are also an asset!

Faculty research expertise

• Approximation Algorithms
• Artificial Intelligence
• Bioinformatics
• Computer Algebra
• Computer Systems
• Databases
• Data Mining
• Digital Libraries
• Discrete Optimization
• Hardware Design
• Image Processing
• Logic Circuits
• Media Data
• Natural Language Processing
• Numerical Optimization
• Software Engineering
• VLSI Design
• Wireless Networks
• Women in Engineering and Science

Facilities and research centres/institutions

• Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), University of Lethbridge
• Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre (ATIC), University of Lethbridge
• The Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of Lethbridge

Program of Study

Students are required to complete courses (below), a Thesis, and a Thesis Oral Defence. Students develop their programs in consultation with their supervisors.

• Two of:
  • Computer Science 5110 - Studies in Algorithms (Series) (3.0 credit hours)
  • Computer Science 5210 - Studies in Systems (Series) (3.0 credit hours)
  • Computer Science 5310 - Studies in Computational Intelligence (Series) (3.0 credit hours)
• Two additional courses (6.0 credit hours) at the 5000 level

Note: Students must complete at least two separate Computer Science Series courses for the major, as identified by the course number (e.g. two offerings of Computer Science 5110 do not satisfy the “Two of:” requirement)