Program Requirements

Masters Degree

Course Requirements

M.A.Sc. or M.Sc. degrees with thesis: A candidate for the M.A.Sc.or M.Sc degree with thesis is required to complete a minimum of four half courses and to successfully defend a thesis (thesis topic is chosen in consultation with the supervisor). Two of the four half courses must be the core courses (CSE 700, CSE 701) offered by the School.  The remaining two half courses are normally chosen from the list of the courses approved by the School. Students may be required to take more courses as judged by the supervisor and the graduate committee. It is expected that many students will choose this route towards a Ph.D. degree; however the master’s program also prepares students for high-level industry jobs that involve independent critical thinking and state-of-the-art knowledge of modern computational methodology.

M.Eng. or M.Sc. degrees with coursework and project: A candidate for the M.Eng. or M.Sc. degrees with the coursework and project option is required to complete a minimum of six half courses and successfully complete a research project written under the supervision of a faculty member. The project topic is chosen in consultation with the supervisor.  Of the six half courses, two must be the core courses (CSE 700, CSE 701), one must be chosen as either CSE 745 (Parallel and High-Performance Computing) or CSE 780 (Data Science), whereas the remaining three course may be chosen from those listed by the School, in consultation with the project supervisor. Up to two of the half courses may be at the 600-level. The goal of the M.Eng or M.Sc. degree programs with the coursework and project option is to prepare students for a career in industry or in the public sector; the M.Eng. or M.Sc. degrees with the coursework and project option are not a preferred route to a Ph.D. program.

Students who can demonstrate adequate training may request to replace a core course with a different (more advanced) course. This can be done in exceptional cases only and the decision will be made by the Program Director after consulting with the student’s Supervisor.

Seminar Requirement

The School of Computational Science and Engineering arranges a series of seminars; graduate students are required to attend and may be required to present part of their research results as part of this series.

---

Ph.D. Degree

Course Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of two half courses at the 700 level.

*Please refer to the graduate calendar for more details

Supervisory Committee Meeting: Students are required to meet on an annual basis with their Supervisory Committee in order to assess their research progress.

Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam Requirements

During their course of study, doctoral candidates will have to pass a Comprehensive Examination of the School of Computational Engineering and Science. The purpose of this examination is to ensure that the candidate possesses sufficient knowledge and maturity in computational engineering and science. This examination normally takes place between 12 and 20 months, but no later than 24 months, after the start of the program, and is scheduled by the supervisory committee at a mutually convenient time. The Comprehensive Examination will be in two parts.

Part I will be an oral examination which is designed to test the student’s breadth of knowledge, her/his understanding of computational sciences and computational engineering, and to test the student’s ability in critical thinking, and her/his ability to synthesize and integrate ideas from within and peripheral to the candidate’s research area.

The examination committee will meet to determine the topic related to, but peripheral to the candidate’s intended research topic. The choice of topic may be made in consultation with the Director.

Once the candidate receives the topic, he/she will have four weeks to review the state of art on the specified areas, write a maximum 20 page report surveying these areas and identify between 1 and 3 interesting open problems without the aid of any other individual. An official letter is sent to the candidate outlining the proposal topic, examination procedures and guidelines. The oral examination will take place two weeks after submission of the report. The examination will include an oral presentation, not more than 20 minutes in length. This is followed by a question period from the examination committee. The total examination will normally be 2 hours in length, but no more than 3 hours. At the end of Part I an interim form should be returned to the School. This form can be obtained from the Administrator.

Part II will take the form of a written research proposal and an oral examination designed to examine the student’s understanding of, and approach to, her/his proposed dissertation research topic. Formulation of the dissertation topic shall be done in consultation with the Supervisor. Both parts of the examination may be repeated once.

The examination committee consists of the student’s supervisory committee plus one additional member whose area is relevant to the examination topic. Suggestions for the additional member will be provided by the supervisory committee and approved by the Director. During its initial meeting the examination committee will also determine its Chair.

Seminar Requirement

The School of Computational Science and Engineering arranges a series of seminars; graduate students are required to attend.  PhD students are required to participate and present their research results in these seminars at least twice before they graduate.

Thesis Requirement

PhD candidates must present a thesis that embodies the results of original research and mature scholarship. Before preparing the final version of the thesis the student must be authorized to do so by the supervisory committee. When a majority of the supervisory committee has approved the final version of the thesis, it may be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for examination. Once a positive outcome from the supervisory committee has been received, the date of the oral defense will be determined.

The examining body will consist of the following members: the student’s supervisory committee, an external examiner, and two representatives of the faculty at large. The examiners will report to the Dean of Graduate Studies as to whether the thesis is satisfactory or not.

If major revision is not required by the external examiner, an oral defense will be convened by the Dean of Graduate Studies. In this case, the defence will be chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies or a designate and conducted by all members of the examining committee.

Masters Degree Admission Requirements

M.A.Sc. or M.Sc. degrees with thesis: Applicants to a thesis-based program require a minimum average of B+ (77%) in the last two years of study.

M.Eng. or M.Sc. degrees with coursework and project: Applicants to a coursework and project-based program require a minimum average of B (73%) in the last two years of study.

 

Ph.D. Degree Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a relevant Masters degree with an academic background in Engineering, Mathematics, the Natural Sciences, or a related discipline.

Applicants require a minimum B+ (77%) during the course of previous graduate study.

Graduate student stipends will be provided following the current practices in the existing graduate programs of the faculties of Science and Engineering.

Stipends will consist of some combination of research supervisor grant funds, allocations of scholarship funds from the School of Graduate Studies based on enrollment in the programs and TA placements based on availability of resources and need (TA work will be performed in the supervisor’s department assisting courses in which the student’s undergraduate and graduate background can be utilized).

Students will be encouraged to apply for relevant external scholarships including NSERC, CIHR, OGS, and OGSST. For students without external scholarship, typical stipends in Computational Science and Engineering at McMaster are as follows:

1. Masters thesis based students are offered support packages of $18,000 to $19,000 per year for two years
2. Canadian citizens or landed immigrants in the masters course or course and project programs are offered support packages to cover the cost of tuition and are guaranteed for one year
3. Ph.D. students are guaranteed a total support package of at least $19,000 per year for four years

Visa students normally receive a tuition bursary which partially covers the visa student/Canadian student fee differential.

McMaster University puts time limits on funding that are normally 24 months for Masters’ thesis students and 4 years for Ph.D. students. Funding beyond these limits is normally from research grants at the discretion of the supervisor.

More Scholarships – School of Graduate Studies

• For incoming students
  • When will I find out about my TA assignments?
  • Why are the times of some courses still listed as “to be determined”?
• Regarding application and admission
  • Is this a computer science program? Is it a software engineering program?
  • What kind of academic preparation is required?
  • What should I say about my interests in scientific computing?
  • Do I need to have been accepted by a supervisor before I apply?
  • Are GRE scores required?
  • Why wasn’t I accepted in the program?
  • Which master’s degree should I choose/will I receive?
  • What kind of financial support will I receive?
  • Can I be granted an application fee waiver?

 

For Incoming Students

When Will I Find Out About My TA Assignments?

TA assignments are not generally made until the first week of the semester; they depend on having full information about undergraduate enrollment, which is not typically available until that time.

Why Are The Times Of Some Courses Still Listed As “To Be Determined”?

Some instructors of graduate courses prefer to wait until after TA assignments are made (see previous question) to schedule their courses, to minimize time conflicts. In this case they will typically hold an organizational meeting during the first week of the term; if you are registered for the course, you’ll receive an e-mail with more information. If you think you might be interested in the course but haven’t registered, e-mail the instructors to let them know so that you are included in the organizational meeting.

Regarding Application And Admission

Is This A Computer Science Program? Is It A Software Engineering Program?

Neither. Our focus is on the application of computational techniques to scientific, engineering, and business problems. Previous education and experience in software engineering, systems administration, and IT is unimportant for admission to the program, and the program will not train you in these areas.

What Kind Of Academic Preparation Is Required?

We accept students from a broad range of academic backgrounds, and as such we expect to receive applications from students with a broad range of academic preparation. However, you are unlikely to be accepted in the program, or to succeed, without at least

•  intermediate to advanced level of skill in at least one programming language; ideally this would be from a university-level course that appears on your transcript. Ideally your knowledge would cover both one higher-level/domain-specific language (e.g. Python, R, MATLAB) and one lower-level language (e.g. C, C++, Fortran). Some otherwise promising students are experts in computational frameworks for designing systems or analyzing data, but have no real programming experience; these students often struggle in the program.
• mathematical coursework including at least calculus and two courses in linear algebra, ideally with some coursework in numerical analysis. Other useful mathematical coursework includes real analysis, mathematical optimization, and applied mathematics in general. Some otherwise promising students from a computer science background are deficient in math, having taken few courses beyond discrete mathematics.

What Should I Say About My Interests In Scientific Computing?

In the “describe your interest in scientific computing” of the application, we want to know about your academic and career trajectory and future goals, not about your background (which we should be able to determine from your CV and transcript): what areas of scientific (not general) computing are you most interested in, and how do you see the CSE program improving your ability to work in these areas? Please do not tell us how important computation is in modern society, or how you first became interested in computing.

Do I Need To Have Been Accepted By A Supervisor Before I Apply?

No. However, it is strongly recommended that you decide on and contact potential supervisors before applying (see the list here). The program only accepts students that an appropriate supervisor has agreed to sponsor. As supervisors make a significant intellectual and financial investment in their students, it is important when contacting supervisors to make clear how your background and interests align with their research program.

Are GRE Scores Required?

We do not generally require GRE scores for admission. However, some supervisors do prefer to have GRE scores available (general only, i.e. quantitative and verbal scores; not the math subject test). You are advised to contact prospective supervisors to find out if you should provide GRE scores with your application.

Why Wasn’t I Accepted In The Program?

The CSE program is very competitive; we accept a small percentage of applicants. Every student must be accepted by a supervisor in the program; many students with excellent academic records are passed over because their skills and research interests don’t align well with a supervisor who has resources available. Students who do not attempt to contact potential supervisors, or who apply late in the application period (after supervisors have accepted other students), are less likely to succeed.

Which Master’s Degree Should I Choose/Will I Receive?

Which degree you will receive depends on whether you choose a project-based or a thesis-based program and whether your supervisor’s home department is in the Faculty of Engineering.

• If your supervisor is from Engineering and you do a project-based master’s, you will receive an M.Eng. degree;
• if your supervisor is from Engineering and you do a thesis-based master’s, you will receive an M.A.Sc. degree;
• otherwise you will receive an M.Sc. degree.

In general you should choose a supervisor whose research area aligns with your interests; that, and the time commitment you want to make (i.e., project- vs. thesis-based program), will determine which degree you should choose/will receive.

What Kind Of Financial Support Will I Receive?

If you are accepted, the program will commit to providing you with sufficient financial support to maintain yourself as a full-time student during the planned course of your studies. In exchange for working part-time — usually, but not always, as a teaching assistant for McMaster undergraduate courses in science, engineering, or business — you will receive enough additional funding to cover tuition and fees, with the remainder providing an adequate (although not generous) stipend; the exact details will be laid out in an offer letter you will receive after acceptance in the program. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for additional competitive scholarships which may be granted on the basis of academic excellence, research area, financial need, or other characteristics. Many scholarships are restricted to domestic students (Canadian citizens and permanent residents), but a few are available for international students.

Can I Be Granted An Application Fee Waiver?

While we recognize that paying the application fee may be a severe hardship for some students (especially those from countries with significant economic disadvantage relative to Canada), we are unable to grant application fee waivers.

---

Last updated: 7 November 2023