After completing a 4-Year Degree in Computer Science or Applied Computing at the University of Saskatchewan, many students choose to complete a Master’s degree in Computer Science. The MSc in Computer Science program at the University of Saskatchewan involves 12 credit units of coursework, but also the development of new research that contributes towards computer science and that is written in the form of a thesis. This work is done with the help of a supervisor who is typically a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science. The MSc program is ideally suited to students wishing to become senior professionals in the technology industry or seeking to prepare for a career in research. Graduates of this program often become senior programmers, or project leaders at companies that develop commercial software or at game design studios. It is also an important step towards taking the PhD program.

The expected time to complete a MSc in Computer Science degree is 20 months. However, the Department of Computer Science offers an option only for students who are in the process of completing a 4-Year Honours BSc in Computer Science (or the Software Engineering Option, or Applied Computing) at the University of Saskatchewan that is called the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway. This option will allow for the completion of two separate degrees: the 4-Year Honours BSc plus a MSc in Computer Science, using a shorter timeline than taking both degrees separately. The 4-Year Honours degree is still awarded with the standard timeline (typically 4 years), but the MSc in Computer Science degree can be completed in as little as 12 months after the undergraduate degree has been completed. To help accomplish this accelerated timeline, while the student is still in their undergraduate program, they will do one or two summers of research within an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) position. Each USRA position will reduce the number of graduate courses that will eventually need to be taken once their Master’s program starts, and it will also give them a significant head start in research. If the student does one USRA position during their undergraduate program, the expected time to complete the Master’s program will be 16 months. If the student does two USRA positions during their undergraduate program, the expected time to complete the Master’s program will be 12 months. The USRAs and the Master’s program also both come with guaranteed funding, as detailed below.

All students who receive a USRA and are admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway in at least their 3rd year of their undergraduate program will register in a 3 credit unit course CMPT 886.3 at the time of their USRA. The credits from this class can count towards their future Master’s degree requirements but not their undergraduate degree requirements. If this is not the student’s last year of their undergraduate degree, they can also take one other summer USRA position by registering in the course CMPT 887.3 in a future summer. Altogether, if a student does two USRAs (while taking CMPT 886 and 887), then once the Master’s program has been started, then they will already have completed 6 credit units of graduate coursework and they will only need to take an additional 6 credit units of graduate coursework once their Master’s program starts. If instead, a student does only one summer USRA (while taking CMPT 886 but not CMPT 887), then once the Master’s program has started, they will already have 3 credit units of graduate coursework completed, and they will only need an additional 9 credit units of graduate coursework as part of their Master’s program. Students will also need to complete the other degree requirements of the MSc in Computer Science program, mainly consisting of the Master’s thesis. Their research experience during their undergraduate program will also provide a significant head start in research to condense the expected timeline.

Eligibility Requirements, Application Process, and Funding

The minimum eligibility requirements to be admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway are as follows:

  • Students must be registered in at least their third year of a 4-Year Honours Degree in either Computer Science, or the Software Engineering Option, or Applied Computing at the University of Saskatchewan. Students who are not in an Honours program are not eligible.
  • It is required that students have at least an 80% cumulative average in all computer science courses taken. 

The application instructions and criteria for students in at least their 3rd but not final year of their undergraduate program are different than those in their final year of their undergraduate program.

To apply for the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway:

  • All students must apply for a summer (funded) USRA position within the Department of Computer Science by using the standard Departmental USRA application that is distributed to undergraduate students each fall, with a deadline in January. As part of this application, there will be a question regarding whether the student is interested in participating in the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway. This process will match certain students with a supervisor. From those matched students, all eligible students must also apply for a NSERC USRA with a deadline also in January. The eligibility requirements for NSERC USRA are that they must be a Canadian Citizen, a Permanent Resident, or have Protected Status, and must have a cumulative average of at least 70%. If students are not eligible, then they do not need to apply for an NSERC USRA, but still must apply for a Departmental USRA. International students are eligible for this opportunity.
  • If a student is successful in receiving either a Departmental or NSERC USRA, they meet the Eligibility Criteria listed above for the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway, and both student and their USRA supervisor(s) are interested in the student pursuing the MSc degree, then they will be invited to submit an application for the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway.

Students will be evaluated for acceptance to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway based on meeting the Eligibility Criteria listed above, and the Selection Criteria below. 

If a student is accepted using the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway, then they will receive the following:

  • a funded USRA position for the current summer (awarded before the application), where they can register in CMPT 886;
  • a funded USRA position for the next summer (typically, the summer after their 4th year), where they can register in CMPT 887. This USRA position is awarded on condition of applying for both a Departmental USRA and NSERC USRA if eligible in their next academic year, on being enrolled in (or have taken) CMPT 400/405/407, on having received at least 80% in CMPT 886, and maintaining a cumulative average of 80% in Computer Science courses;
  • a conditional admission to the MSc program in Computer Science for the September following the next summer (typically, September of their 5th year) after their undergraduate degree is complete.
  • If conditions are successful and they register in the MSc program, this will automatically include 12 months of standard MSc funding (currently valued at the cost of tuition plus $18,000, which includes some employment hours as a teaching assistant).
The conditional admission to the MSc program will have the following as conditions, which will need to be satisfied to officially enter the MSc program:
  • the student needs to have completed the 4-Year Honours BSc in either Computer Science or the Software Engineering Option, or Applied Computing, at the University of Saskatchewan;
  • they must have received at least 80% in both CMPT 886 and 887;
  • they must have received at least 80% in one of the research intensive courses CMPT 400/405/407 (required by Honours degree);
  • they must have completed at least 6 credit units from an approved list of 4th year courses as part of their undergraduate degree (list is below) with a grade of at least 70%;
  • they must have received a cumulative average of at least 80% in Computer Science courses;
  • they must have applied for an NSERC USRA for both summers if eligible.
  • they must have applied for the NSERC CGS-M scholarship if eligible; applications are typically due in December of their last year of their undergraduate degree.

To apply for the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway:

  • All students must meet the Eligibility Criteria above.
  • All students must be enrolled in (or have completed) one of the research-intensive courses, CMPT 400/405/407.
  • All students must apply for a USRA within the Department of Computer Science by using the standard USRA application that is distributed to undergraduate students each fall, with a deadline in January. All eligible students must also apply for a NSERC USRA with a deadline also in January. The eligibility requirements for NSERC USRA are that they must be a Canadian Citizen, a Permanent Resident, or have Protected Status, and must have a cumulative average of at least 70%. If students are not eligible, then they do not need to apply for an NSERC USRA, but still must apply for a Departmental USRA. International students are eligible for this opportunity.
  • All eligible students must apply for an NSERC CGS-M scholarship, typically due in December. The eligibility requirements for NSERC CGS-M are that they must be a Canadian Citizen, a Permanent Resident, or have Protected Status, and must have a cumulative average of at least 70% (international students skip this step).

The application portal for the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway will be available and linked from here in the fall to start the MSc in Computer Science program the following September. As it is required to apply for a Departmental USRA, and if eligible, to apply for both the NSERC USRA and NSERC CGS-M (due early December), it is recommended to apply for the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway in November.

Students will be evaluated for acceptance to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway based on the Eligibility Criteria listed above, and the Selection Criteria below. If a student is accepted using the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway, then they will receive the following:

  • a funded USRA position for the coming summer where they can register in CMPT 886;
  • a conditional admission to the MSc program in Computer Science for September;
  • if conditions are successful and they register in the MSc program, 16 months of standard MSc funding (valued at the cost of tuition plus $18,000 per year, which includes some employment hours as a teaching assistant).

The conditional admission to the MSc program will have the following as conditions:

  • the student needs to have completed a 4-Year Honours BSc in either Computer Science or the Software Engineering Option, or Applied Computing, at the University of Saskatchewan,
  • the student must receive at least 80% in CMPT 886,
  • the student must receive at least 80% in one of the research intensive courses CMPT 400/405/407 (required by Honours degree),
  • the student must have completed at least 3 credit units from an approved list of 4th year courses as part of their undergraduate degree (list is below), with a grade of at least 70%.
  • they must have received a cumulative average of at least 80% in Computer Science courses,
  • they must have applied for a Departmental USRA, an NSERC USRA and an NSERC CGS-M scholarship (if eligible).

Selection Criteria

We will decide on acceptance to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway based on meeting the minimum admission criteria outlined above, based on a faculty member in Computer Science agreeing to supervise and help fund the student, and based on departmental funding resources.

List of Approved 4th Year Courses

  • CMPT 423.3: Machine Learning
  • CMPT 432.3: Advanced Operating Systems Concepts
  • CMPT 435.3: Foundations of Concurrent Programming
  • CMPT 436.3: Mobile and Cloud Computing
  • CMPT 438.3: Introduction to Computer Security
  • CMPT 440.3: Advanced Topics in Programming Languages
  • CMPT 442.3: Compiler Design and Implementation
  • CMPT 451.3: Modelling and Algorithms for Biological Systems
  • CMPT 463.3: Advanced Algorithms
  • CMPT 470.3: Advanced Software Engineering
  • CMPT 481.3: Human Computer Interaction
  • CMPT 484.3: Graph Drawing and Network Visualization
  • CMPT 485.3: Computer Graphics and Animation
  • CMPT 487.3: Image Processing and Computer Vision
  • CMPT 489.3: Deep Learning and Applications

Frequently Asked Questions

For students in their 3rd year, they must be successful in a (either Departmental or NSERC) USRA application to be admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway. While it is not required to have a supervisor in place before applying for a Departmental USRA, it is recommended to discuss the opportunity with one or more potential supervisors before applying. To submit an NSERC USRA application, a supervisor already needs to be in place.

For those in their final year of their undergraduate degree, it is not required, but is recommended to discuss the opportunity of a USRA and Accelerated Master’s with a potential supervisor. This could be your CMPT 400/405/407 supervisor. To submit an NSERC USRA application, a supervisor needs to be in place who can also help with completing the NSERC CGS-M application.

To be accepted into the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway, there needs to be a supervisor in place.

It is required that each student be in an Honours program before being accepted. It is possible to register in an Honours program in the third year of the undergraduate program, after taking the second year major computer science courses. As long as these courses are completed before taking CMPT 886 in May and the student is eligible to be in Honours, it should be possible to apply for Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway. The application to enter the Honours program is available here.

Yes, you can withdraw at any point without penalty. There is 3 credit units of tuition needed to take each of CMPT 886/887 which will not be refunded.

Yes, you can switch supervisors. However, you would be responsible for finding another supervisor who agrees to supervise you and who agrees to honour the remaining funding commitments made in your conditional offer letter.

No, these credit units cannot be used to count towards your undergraduate program requirements (and are not used towards your undergraduate average). They will only count towards a future Master’s program in Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan

We cannot help in this case, and it is not possible to obtain credit for these courses to help towards reducing graduate program requirements.

Mostly, these courses will involve conducting summer research in your supervisor’s lab, and meeting with them regularly. However, there will also be some joint meetings for everyone taking the class. Syllabi will be released before the classes start.

Yes! The undergraduate internship program involves either a 12 month internship or a 16 month internship. With a 12 month internship during a student’s fourth year, the student could just pause their undergraduate degree for one year, and still have two remaining summers for USRA positions starting in at least their third year. With a 16 month internship, the student could easily take one USRA during the summer after their final year of the undergraduate degree before starting the Master’s program, resulting in a 16 month expected completion time for the Master’s.

Yes, students applying to the MSc in Computer Science program with the normal pathway or those using the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway enter the same MSc in Computer Science program, and the degree parchment and degree requirements are identical in both cases.

Yes, both can apply. However, international students are not eligible and therefore not required to apply for either NSERC USRA or NSERC CGS-M. There are also differences in terms of the cost of MSc tuition, however the Master’s funding package covers the appropriate level of tuition plus $18,000/year regardless of their type of tuition, as outlined above.

Yes, this is allowed, and it is not required to have had any USRA positions during the undergraduate degree.

No, but you can apply to the Master’s program with the standard application pathway and requirements.

No. It is required to apply for them if eligible, but it is not required for the NSERC applications to be successful.

For students that are not in their final year of their undergraduate program, it is required to receive either a Departmental USRA or an NSERC USRA for that summer to apply and be admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway. For students in their final year of their undergraduate degree, all students who are accepted to the Accelerated Master’s Admission Pathway will automatically receive either a Departmental or an NSERC USRA.