Grad Students

 

Admission Requirements


Admission to a CS Master's program will normally require a four-year Honour's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science from a recognized university, college or institute with an average of at least 70% (or the equivalent grade point average) as determined by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. However, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. An applicant with an undergraduate degree in a different area should see the section on Entry into Master's Program for Students with a Prior Degree outside Computer Science

Applicants for admission to the PhD program must possess an MSc degree in Computer Science from a recognized university, college or institute. At least a 70% average (or the equivalent grade point average) in the MSc program as determined by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies is required. However, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Since we receive so many applicants who meet our minimum requirements, each year we must turn away many well-qualified students. For the most part, it is unrealistic to expect that you will be admitted with an average less than 78% (based on the grade of the last two academic years). Please note that in the past two years, most of the accepted MSc students have had over 82% and most of the accepted PhD students have had over 85%.

For those who have a BSc in computer Science with a very high average and wish to be admitted to the PhD program without having a MSc degree, they can only apply to a CS thesis MSc and if they academically prove themselves within the first three terms, they can ask to be transferred to a CS PhD program without finishing their MSc degree. If this request is accepted, all credits collected during the MSc program will be automatically counted toward the PhD degree.

If your mother tongue is not English and you have not attended a university or college in an English speaking country for the past two years, then you must take TOEFL and achieve a score of at least 580 (237 in case of computer-based TOEFL test, or 92 in case of Internet-based Testing), with a minimum score of 60 (25 in case of computer-based TOEFL exam, or 20 in case of Internet-based Testing) in each section. The TOEFL test date must be within two years of the first term of registration at The University of Western Ontario. We also accept the results of the following tests as proof of proficiency in English

  • The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of the British Council; (the minimum acceptable score is 6 out of 9)
  • The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) of the University of Michigan; (students must have at least 80 on each of the sections and an overall score of at least 85).
  • The Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment; (the minimum acceptable score is 60 out of 100)

You should arrange for the testing agency to send us an original copy of your score. Permanent residents may be required to submit proof of proficiency in English.

To check whether you have our minimum requirements, we recommend that you visit the Computer Science Self-Assessment Form.

If you still have questions regarding admission requirements, you may want to visit the CS Graduate studies FAQ page. If you still have more unanswered questions, please direct all correspondence concerning our Graduate Programs in Computer Science to:

Graduate Office
Department of Computer Science
Middlesex College
The University of Western Ontario
London, ON Canada N6A 5B7
Tel: (519) 661-3564
Fax: (519) 661-3515
E-mail: gradsec@csd.uwo.ca

 

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