Admission Requirements

Applications will be considered from candidates who have met the following minimum admission requirements. There are three ways in which students may be admitted:

1. An M.Sc. in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a closely related discipline.
   • Minimum 80% overall average from an accredited institution.
2. Students currently in the M.Sc. program may apply to transfer into the Ph.D. program.
   • Support of MSc supervisor.
   • After one year of study, if they have completed the required number of courses in their program.
   • An average of at least 80%.
   • Shown significant research progress as determined by their supervisory committee and graduate program committee.
3. In very exceptional cases, students may be admitted into the Ph.D. program with a four-year Honours Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent.
   • An overall average of at least 85%.
   • These students must demonstrate high research potential adjudicated by the graduate program committee.

• Overseas applicants must take an English language competency examination (e.g. TOEFL and IELTS)

The Graduate Admissions Committee will review all applications and recommend admission for a limited number of suitable candidates.

Part-time study is available.

Application Procedure

Exceptionally, we are taking new students in January 2023, so candidates for the Ph.D. program must apply before August 1st, 2022.

New students begin their studies in the Fall (September) semester. We will start reviewing applications after January 15 for the Fall semester.

International applicants are recommended to start the application process at least six months in advance to obtain the necessary visa documents. Please see the Graduate Studies website for detailed information about the application process. All applications are submitted to and processed by the Graduate Studies office.

Identification of Potential Supervisors and Statement of Research Interests

Applicants are asked to submit this research interest form with the application. It identifies up to two faculty members who could be potential supervisors. Applicants should peruse faculty research web pages (Computer Science and Mathematics & Statistics) to become familiar with the research activities in the departments. Applicants should email faculty members to discuss shared research interests and whether the faculty member is interested in supervising new students. Please realize that a positive response from a faculty member does not imply a guarantee of admission since we receive many more applications than can be supported in our program. Graduate school admissions are highly competitive, and many qualified applicants cannot be admitted due to limited space and resources. Also, note that faculty members will not pre-assess your credentials, and therefore you should not send your CV or transcript via email as they will be ignored. An admissions committee will formally assess your completed online application.
Included with the research interest form is a written statement of research interests. This statement is a concise one-page summary of the research that the applicant wishes to undertake during their Ph.D. degree. It describes the applicant’s research interests in a reasonable level of technical detail. It may also include a brief discussion of previous experience in course work, research and industry related to the proposed research. Please keep your statement technical and to the point, and do not write a personal biography.