Frequently Asked Questions

In first year, you will take 5 full course equivalents (or 10 half courses). One full course equivalent in computer science and one full course equivalent in math are required, and the other three full courses are your options. You may choose almost anything you like. One of the only restrictions we have is that a Science student may not take all five Science courses in the first year, thus at least one of your options must be an Arts course or a Social Science course.

Please note that if you plan on taking any courses from Graphics, Gaming, or Artificial Intelligence, then you should take first year Linear Algebra (Math 1600A/B)

CS1026 Computer Science Fundamentals I. This serves as a prerequisite for the second term first year half course: CS1027 Computer Science Fundamentals II. CS1026 is suitable even for students with no programming experience. This means that you can enroll in computer science even if you didn't take any computer science courses in high school!

Yes!  Western University is situated in the centre of London, Ontario, and has one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada. You can arrange a tour of campus by contacting the university Undergraduate Recruitment Office.   You can explore the campus at: welcome.uwo.ca/visit/

Please come and visit the Computer Science Department! We are located in Middlesex College. The main office is room 355 on the third floor.

Western has many student residences. Some of the residences have single and double rooms, whereas others offer suite-style accommodation with cooking facilities. All residences have high-speed internet, and all are located right on campus. For more information about residence life, visit this site:
residence.uwo.ca/

Western has a very flexible degree program in which you can choose the combination of specialization, major and minor which best suits your interests.  You could do a major in computer science, a minor in computer science combined with a major from another department, or a specialization in computer science together with a minor in software engineering or game development.

A Specialization or Major in Computer Science can also be combined with studies in another department. For example, if you love visual art, you could do a major in computer science with a minor in visual art. You will be ready to be a graphic designer or do art for video games!

See the academic calendar for more information: www.Westerncalendar.uwo.ca/

Western offers something different than co-op, we have Industry Internship. We actually think, especially for computer science students, that internship is a better option as the student can make a more lasting and valuable contribution to the company where he/she is working. Co-op are usually four month placements, however in the Internship program, you will spend 8-16 months working at a company in your field. You will earn a competitive salary, and you will gain valuable work experience. Many students work for their internship company after graduation!

To be eligible for an internship, you must have a 70% average and apply at the beginning of your 3rd year of study. The internships are normally completed between 3rd and 4th year.

You can read more about internships at: Science Internship Program

For up to date fee information please visit the registrar's office: www.registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances/fees_refunds/fee_schedules.html

Please see welcome.uwo.ca for the latest information regarding this.   Requirements vary for International Students and Canadian Students by Province.  Check the links on that page to find specifics.

This changes from year to year, but typically the first round of offers goes to students with averages in the mid 80's or more. The second round of offers will usually go to students with a low 80's average.

The process of applying to Western is explained at: https://welcome.uwo.ca/next-steps/index.html.
The forms can be found at: www.ouac.on.ca/

The number of extra-curricular activities at Western is a little overwhelming, here is a list of the clubs that are recognized by the University Student Counsel: westernusc.ca/clubs/, however this list doesn't even include the sports groups! Extra-curricular activities on campus include:

• Varsity sports including hockey, figure skating, football, swimming, golf, tennis and rowing
• Intramural sports such as basketball, volleyball, water polo, softball and ultimate frisbee
• Campus clubs like the Aviation Society, the Breakdancing Club, the Comedy Club, Doctors Without Borders, and the Electronic Gaming Society.

Western has nearly 200 clubs with over 12,000 participants!

If you choose, you can also apply for part-time jobs on campus such as working at the movie theatre on campus or lifeguarding at one of the pools. In addition to regular jobs, Western runs a work-study program through which students in financial need have access to a job bank of campus employment opportunities.

Some students stay in residence in second year, and have the opportunity to become "sophs." Sophs are responsible for helping first year students adapt to university life, and for organizing social activities.

Other students choose to live off-campus after first year. London has a very diverse and affordable rental market. You can expect to pay around $600 for a room in a shared house, or $1000 and up for a one bedroom apartment  (These estimates are as of Feb 2021). Western University runs an off-campus housing office to help you find accommodation. You can see the current housing listings and find out more about off-campus housing here: www.has.uwo.ca/housing/offcampus/

You will have excellent job opportunities! You will be qualified to work in Canada or abroad. The technology sector is one of the highest paying and most exciting fields in which to work. You could be a video game designer, computer animator, computer science teacher, medical imaging specialist, or a web designer, to name just a few possibilities.  For some real-world examples, click on the following link to see a listing of Tech Jobs in the London Ontario area:  londontechjobs.ca/

Yes, yes, yes!

In Canada, there is a large need for Computer Science graduates across all industries! In high-tech development, education, healthcare and manufacturing, skilled computer professionals are in high demand. For example, London, Ontario has distinguished itself as a world leader in minimally invasive robotic surgery. In 2008, the world's first intestinal bypass surgery was performed in London using a DaVinci robot. Computer scientists were involved in all stages of the implementation of this technology.

Abroad, developing countries require assistance in technology education and infrastructure. You will have the opportunity to help people around the globe with your computer science degree.

This varies year to year.  For up to date fee information please visit the registrar's office: www.registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances/fees_refunds/fee_schedules.html

There are many opportunities for students to get bursaries and/or scholarships. Please click here to get all the details about what Western has to offer.

Western has its own campus police who are constantly monitoring the campus. Anyone on campus can call 911 and the campus police will arrive in minutes. Western also has emergency phones located around campus.   For more details:  www.uwo.ca/police

Western has a "Foot Patrol" service. Students can call the foot patrol at any time of the day or night from any location on campus. The foot patrol, which always consists of one female student and one male student, will come and meet the student at the building he/she called from and accompany the student to his/her next location. For example, a female student might use this resource if she has a night class and would like to have the foot patrol walk her from the classroom back to her residence.   www.uwo.ca/footpatrol/

London is a very safe city with an excellent police force. The campus is within walking distance to one of the three major shopping malls in London. At least three bus routes go onto campus every 15 to 20 minutes. One of the routes goes within two blocks of the Greyhound bus station and the London train station.

Every first year student at Western is guaranteed a bed at one of our beautiful residences. If you would like more details please visit the  Residence at Western Website.

Often students make life long friends during their first year while in residence. Often 3 or 4 friends will then decide to live together off campus for the next 3 years. London offers some of the most reasonable, clean and well located off campus housing in the country. Students can find very affordable housing within a two minute walk to campus.

A computer science student must take five first year full credits, one of which must be a full math credit (this consists of two half courses) and one of which must be the first year computer science fundamentals full year credit (this consists of two half courses). At the end of first year, the minimum requirement to move on to second year is 60% in the two math half courses, 65% in the second term computer science half course, and pass in at least one of the three other full year courses.

Please note that if you plan on taking any courses from Graphics, Gaming, or Artificial Intelligence, then you should take first year Linear Algebra (Math 1600A/B). 

For specific details please look for individual module requirements in the Western Calendar.

Western University is situated in the centre of London, Ontario, and has one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada. You can arrange a tour of campus by contacting the university Undergraduate Recruitment Office.   You can explore the campus at: welcome.uwo.ca/visit/

Please come and visit the Computer Science Department! We are located in Middlesex College. The main office is room 355 on the third floor.

There are a number of things that make Western unique. First of all, Western offers module degrees. This allows students to mix and match programs from different areas; for example, a student might get a major in Computer Science and a minor in French. Also, while we do require our students to take at least one and a half full math credits for a computer science major or minor and two and a half full math credits for a computer science specialization, our program does not require as much math as some other Ontario universities.

We also offer some programs that other universities don't have, such as our popular minor in Gaming. We also have a very well-rounded faculty with many award winning professors and lecturers who have won awards in research and teaching. Another important option that we offer is the Industry Internship program that finds our third year students 16 month placements at companies throughout North America between third and fourth year of our program.

The number of extra-curricular activities at Western is a little overwhelming, here is a list of the clubs that are recognized by the University Student Counsel: westernusc.ca/clubs/, however this list doesn't even include the sports groups! Extra-curricular activities on campus include:

• Varsity sports including hockey, figure skating, football, swimming, golf, tennis and rowing
• Intramural sports such as basketball, volleyball, water polo, softball and ultimate frisbee
• Campus clubs like the Aviation Society, the Breakdancing Club, the Comedy Club, Doctors Without Borders, and the Electronic Gaming Society.

Western has nearly 200 clubs with over 12,000 participants!

If you choose, you can also apply for part-time jobs on campus such as working at the movie theatre on campus or lifeguarding at one of the pools. In addition to regular jobs, Western runs a work-study program through which students in financial need have access to a job bank of campus employment opportunities.

Western offers many opportunities to study abroad. For more information, go to the following link: www.uwo.ca/international/learning/

Your child will have excellent job opportunities! He/she will be qualified to work in Canada and abroad. The technology sector is one of the highest paying and most exciting fields in which to work. Your child might end up being a video game designer, computer animator, computer science teacher, medical imaging specialist, or a web designer, to name just a few possibilities. For some real-world examples, click on the following link to see a listing of Tech Jobs in the London Ontario area:  londontechjobs.ca/

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer & Information Technology (IT) jobs are expected to grow 12% by 2028. ( Source)

The Western Computer Science Graduate program is thriving. We offer both Master's and PhDs degrees in computer science. Currently, we have some graduate students in our PhD and Masters program who completed their undergraduate degree right here at Western. We also have some students who completed their undergraduate degree at other Canadian universities. We also have international graduate students from places such as Romania, China, Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Mexico, Syria, India and Pakistan.

Why choose? Your child can have the best of both programs as it is possible to get a module in computer science that will combine with the Ivey HBA program. For more details about which courses your child would choose, see: Computer Science and Ivey Program

Please see the Computer Science Department  Contact Page.

Yes, there are many jobs in the high tech industry! Every day someone somewhere has a new idea that can eventually lead to a new area of employment. The gaming industry is one example of a newer area that needs computer science graduates.

Western Computer Science offers advanced courses in game development. They cover both the aspects involved with designing a game and the technical issues in developing games.

Western requires that all science students have the Calculus and Vectors course, but we highly recommend that computer science students also take the Grade 12 Advanced Functions course.

For our computer science program, we really just require a strong background in calculus and algebra. However, any of the physical sciences could potentially be useful in many of our courses. For example, biology will be relevant if a student decides to do bioinformatics.  

Tell your students to try to learn a little bit of programming in any language: Java, C, Visual Basic, Python, and see if the basic programming skills come easily for the student. If so, he or she should have no problems taking our first year computer science courses without grade 12 computer science.

The technology section is one of the highest paying and most exciting fields in which to work. A student might end up being a video game designer, software engineer, computer animator, computer science teacher, medical imaging specialist, or a web designer, to name just a few possibilities. For some real-world examples, click on the following link to see a listing of Tech Jobs in the London Ontario area:  londontechjobs.ca/

Yes, we have a 12-16 month Industry Internship program between 3rd and 4th year where students work for a company often in Ontario but Industry Internships are available across North America. We find the companies and set up the interviews, which are held on campus. Often students will receive more than one job offer. This is a great way for students to get their foot in the door of prospective employers and it gives the student a taste of the real world. We have internships with companies such as Microsoft, IBM and some gaming companies located in downtown London.

This is one of the wonderful things about Western. We try to keep lots of doors open with our module program. Students rarely have doors shut in first year and second year, and as long as the student's grades are reasonable, then transferring programs is always an option.

Yes, local London high school students can volunteer at Bit By Bit, our summer computer camp for kids aged 9-13.

The following page from the US Bureau of Labor offers some insight: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm. In Money Magazine's list of the best job in America, 3 of the top 10 are IT related: http://money.cnn.com/pf/best-jobs/

Also, according to payscale.com, graduates with a Computer Science major end up with annual salaries between $48,700 (e.g. Computer Help Desk Representative) to $162,000 (e.g. Software Developer Director), with a mid-salary of $88,000 (e.g. Linux System Administrator). ( Source)

This is a hard question to answer because in theory, you could potentially apply a computer science degree to any type of employment and have a very exciting career. For example, computer science and music or computer science and graphic design are potential careers. Nowadays computer science would be relevant and useful in almost all areas of employment.

Yes, there are many jobs in the high tech industry! Every day someone somewhere has a new idea that can eventually lead to a new area of employment. The gaming industry is one example of a newer area that needs computer science graduates.

Any student who excels in math, is great at problem solving, and thinks logically will do very well in computer science, whether or not he or she has ever programmed before.

It is usually around the mid 80's for first round offers and low 80's for second round offers, but this changes year to year.

Yes, we have a 12-16 month Industry Internship program between 3rd and 4th year where students work for a company often in Ontario but Industry Internships are available across North America. We find the companies and set up the interviews, which are held on campus. Often students will receive more than one job offer. This is a great way for students to get their foot in the door of prospective employers and it gives the student a taste of the real world. We have internships with companies such as Microsoft, IBM and some gaming companies in downtown London.

Western's Computer Science Department offers advanced courses in game development. They cover both the aspects involved with designing a game and the technical issues in developing games.

Yes, there are both three and four year programs. Western's modular approach allows students to obtain either a 3 year major or a 4 year double major or 4 year specializations.

Yes, Computer Science has a graduate program that offers both a both MSc and PhD degree.

Yes, there are many events like this. More information for some of these can be found at:
career.uwo.ca/

www.uwo.ca - Western University's home page
www.csd.uwo.ca - Computer Science Department's home page
welcome.uwo.ca - Western Prospective Students Home Page

Computer Science can be combined with many other programs. Computer Science with Ivey Honours Business Administration (HBA) is one popular example.