Academic Calendar 2023-2024

Computing - Master of Science

Applicants with a variety of backgrounds in computing science will be considered. A fully qualified student should have knowledge at the undergraduate level equivalent to having completed the required courses in the B.Sc. program with a major in Computing by Queen's.

The School encourages the enrolment of students from other disciplines in the M.Sc. program. They must have an honours bachelor or equivalent degree with high standing and some computing science or equivalent experience. Such a student is accepted as a preparatory student and undertakes a preliminary year of study that fulfills the background requirements. This is an intensive year of study designed for first- class students who are highly motivated to learn a second discipline. On successful completion of the preliminary year a student may undertake either the research or non-research pattern degree program described below. Applicants whose background is lacking only some of the above-mentioned material will be assigned a program of study on an individual basis.

The degree program is based either on a research or a non-research pattern. The requirements for the research pattern degree are: CISC 897 Research Methods in Computer Science and four half-courses at the 800 level (excluding CISC 810 and CISC 885 ), together with a thesis which is considered to constitute one half of the work for the degree. 

The non-research M.Sc. program is based either on a project pattern or a course work pattern. Under the project pattern program, a student is required to complete six half course credits at the 800 level (excluding CISC 810 ), one of which may be CISC 897 Research Methods in Computer Science, and a project (CISC 898 Master's Project). At least one course must be chosen from each of the following areas: Computer Systems, Theory of Computation, and Applications. The courses currently offered in these areas are listed below. The project culminates in a written report which will be examined by a board consisting of the supervisor, one other member of the department and the head of the department (or delegate).

The requirements for the course work pattern program are eight half course credits at the 800 level (excluding CISC 810 and CISC 897 Research Methods in Computer Science). At least one course must be chosen from each of the following areas: Computer Systems, Theory of Computation, and Applications.

The selection of courses is subject to School approval and at the beginning of the program the student is required to submit a plan of study to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies.

Programs will be selected in consultation with the Coordinator of Graduate Studies.

Double Numbered Courses

The following courses are offered jointly with senior undergraduate courses: 

CISC 832Database Management Systems3.00
CISC 8413.00
CISC 854Graphics (A)3.00
CISC 858Programming Lang Processors (S)3.00

Computer Systems Courses

CISC 825Paradigms of Wireless and Mobile Networking3.00
CISC 8333.00
CISC 834Topics in Computer Science3.00
CISC 835Topics in Computer Systems3.00
CISC 836Topics in Software Systems3.00
CISC 8373.00
CISC 8383.00
CISC 8413.00
CISC 8423.00
CISC 8453.00
CISC 846Software Design Methodologies3.00
CISC 8473.00
CISC 848Software Reliability & Secur3.00
CISC 8533.00
CISC 858Programming Lang Processors (S)3.00
CISC 860Topics: Structure & Design of Programming Languages3.00
CISC 880Topics in Software Systems ll3.00
CISC 8833.00
CISC 8843.00

Theory of Computation Courses

CISC 865Semantics of Programming Languages3.00
CISC 8683.00
CISC 8693.00
CISC 870Topics in Theoretical Aspects of Computing I3.00
CISC 8713.00
CISC 872Parallel Algorithms3.00
CISC 876Computational Complexity (T)3.00
CISC 879Topics in Theoretical Aspects of Computing3.00

Applications Courses

CISC 832Database Management Systems3.00
CISC 839Topics in Information Systems3.00
CISC 850Topics in Computer Applications and Algorithms I3.00
CISC 854Graphics (A)3.00
CISC 856Reinforcement Learning3.00
CISC 857Image Processing3.00
CISC 859Pattern Recognition (A)3.00
CISC 8613.00
CISC 866Introduction to Cybersecurity3.00
CISC 873Data Mining (A)3.00
CISC 874Neural and Cognitive Computing3.00
CISC 875Bioinformatics3.00
CISC 877Topics in Information Systems3.00
CISC 878Topics in Computer Applications and Algorithms ll3.00
CISC 881Topics in Biomedical Computing I3.00
CISC 882Topics in Biomed Computing II3.00
CISC 888Advanced Research in Human-Computer Interaction3.00