Graduate Admissions
Graduate studies at the School of Computer Science (SoCS) will enable you to develop and publish groundbreaking research while working alongside professors at the cutting edge of their field to prepare you for industry or further studies.
We strongly encourage all applicants to get in touch with prospective Graduate Faculty Supervisors. This will greatly enhance your visibility, and thus your chances of being accepted into our programs.
Please note, we will not be able to pre-evaluate any documents, and must receive all the required documentation before your application can be examined. If you need further assistance, please contact our Graduate Program Assistant.
How to Apply
Please apply online at Applying to Guelph. We will process applications after we receive proof of payment of the application fee and all required documentation.
Application Deadlines
Available spaces in the programs fill quickly, so it is in your best interest to submit your application and all required supporting documentation early.
Our application deadline dates for each semester of enrollment are as follows*:
- Fall: June 1st
- Winter: October 1st
- Summer: February 1st
*Application deadlines are for both Domestic and International applicants. However, we encourage International applicants to apply in advance of these deadlines in order to ensure study permits can be processed in time for admission. Please see the Office of Graduate Studies Recommendations for International Applicants for suggested application timeline.
Admission to the MSc program requires a four-year honours degree in computer science, or a four-year honours degree in another discipline with a minor in computer science. Entrants who have a four-year honours degree in another discipline and a minor (or equivalent) in computer science must have taken at least 12 courses as described in the MSc Graduate Calendar, or in the MSc Course Requirement Checklist.
Applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements of both the University and the School of Computer Science (SoCS), including at least a 75% average during the previous two years of full-time university study for an undergraduate degree.
We strongly encourage all applicants to get in touch with prospective Graduate Faculty Supervisors. This will greatly enhance your visibility, and thus your chances of being accepted into our programs.
In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Requirements, SoCS requires all of the documentation noted on the application page including:
- Academic Transcripts
- A current resume or CV
- Statement of Interest that lists specific computing science topics (3-5) that you wish to research and explains why these topics are of particular interest to you. This document will help us direct your application to the appropriate professor(s). Please refer to the MSc Graduate Calendar for specific topics.
- Two Academic References
- A test of English proficiency is required of all applicants whose first language is not English.
Please note that the test may not be more than two years old. The proof of English proficiency requirement may be waived in exceptional circumstances (e.g. applicants who have studied full-time for two years in a country where English is the native language AND in a university where English is the language of instruction). SoCS Graduate Committee approval is required. If you wish to apply for a waiver, please submit a written letter requesting this along with your application. We will not be able to review requests for waivers until all documentation has been received.
For more information regarding requirements and supporting documentation, please visit the MSc Graduate Calendar.
Please note, if you already have a thesis-based MSc, you normally cannot apply to our MSc. In this case, please contact the Graduate Coordinator.
Admission to the PhD program normally requires a recognized thesis-based master’s degree with a minimum 75% average or equivalent independent research experience demonstrated through publications in scholarly journals or conferences.
Each PhD candidate will conduct thesis research by working closely with two chosen thesis advisors, a School of Computer Science (SoCS) Advisor and an Application Discipline (AD) Advisor, who share equal responsibility in advising the student. At least one of the Co-Advisors must be Regular Graduate Faculty at the University of Guelph.
A chosen SoCS Advisor and AD Co-Advisor must be established prior to applying to the PhD.CSCI program.
In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Requirements, SOCS requires all of the documentation noted on the application page including:
- Academic Transcripts
- A current resume or CV (including publications)
- A Statement of Interest (maximum 1500 words)
- The applicant must identify their potential supervisors (School of Computer Science Advisor and Application Discipline Advisor) and explain their choice
- They should describe the general area of research in which they are interested
- The area must be at the crossroads between computer science and another discipline (the “application discipline”) in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, etc.
- They may also describe a specific research problem in the area and their initial ideas on how to approach it.
- They should clearly explain the importance and interdisciplinary nature of the area or problem.
- They should summarize the related research and refer to publications where appropriate.
- As an appendix (not included in the 1500-word limit):
- An applicant without a master’s or bachelor’s degree in computer science should highlight their computational knowledge and experience (e.g., computer science courses taken; use of Matlab, Mathematica, R, Maple, Weka).
- An applicant without a master’s or bachelor’s degree in the application discipline should highlight their knowledge and experience in that discipline.
- The applicant should list any other reasons why they consider themselves a strong applicant.
- Three Academic References
- A test of English proficiency is required of all applicants whose first language is not English. The English language requirements for the PhD program are higher than other programs in the university as described in the PhD Graduate Calendar.
Please note that the test may not be more than two years old. The proof of English proficiency requirement may be waived in exceptional circumstances (e.g. applicants who have studied full-time for two years in a country where English is the native language AND in a university where English is the language of instruction). SoCS Graduate Committee approval is required. If you wish to apply for a waiver, please submit a written letter requesting this along with your application. We will not be able to review requests for waivers until all documentation has been received.
For more information regarding requirements and supporting documentation, please visit the PhD Graduate Calendar.
- Information for International Applicants
- Applying for a Study Permit
- Scholarships and funding are generally not offered to International applicants. We will only accept students who are funded from an agency, or who have their own personal funding. There could be an opportunity to receive two teaching assistant positions per year of study.
- PhD applicants who have obtained a Masters degree from a university outside of Canada are encouraged to supply GRE scores.
- GRE scores are not a requirement for PhD admissions.
- This can be GRE General and/or GRE Subject in CS.
- The test may not be more than two years old.
- For GRE our institution code is 0892 and SoCS's code is 0402