Degree Requirements
MSc Requirements
In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies admission requirements, the Department requires an undergraduate background of either:
- a four-year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science from a recognized institution with a minimum GPA of 3.3 in the last two years (i.e., last 20 half course equivalents) of the undergraduate program; or
- a four-year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized institution with a minimum GPA of 3.3 in the last 2 years (i.e., last 20 half course equivalents) of the undergraduate program. In addition, candidates must have an undergraduate course at the third or fourth year level in each of the following computer science areas:
- Application (Artificial Intelligence, Graphics, Databases, etc.)
- Systems (Operating Systems, Compilers, Distributed Systems, Networking)
- Software Engineering
- Theory of Computation
The Faculty of Graduate Studies GPA requirements can be found on the graduate future students website. The Department of Computer Science is looking for a higher GPA than Graduate Studies (for specific requirements please contact the program).
If your GPA falls between the Department's minimum requirements and the Faculty of Graduate Studies' minimum requirements, your application will still be considered, but with a reduced chance of gaining admission.
Exceptions to the GPA requirements may be considered for students with demonstrated research excellence and/or strong GRE scores.
Computer Science courses taken outside of a degree may be considered to meet the GPA requirements.
PhD Requirements
For students applying with a Master of Science degree, all the requirements for a Master of Science apply, plus a thesis-based Master's (Science, Engineering, Tech) degree from a recognized institution with a minimum GPA of 3.3. Note: A master's project does not equal a master's thesis.
For exceptional students applying with a Bachelor of Science degree, all the requirements for a Master of Science (above) apply, plus a four-year Honours degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution with a minimum GPA of 3.7 and demonstrated research ability.
Excellent students who progress well at the MSc level may be able to transfer directly to the PhD program. Each case is considered individually. Find out more about information about PhD Transfers.
Additional Requirements for both MSc and PhD
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY:
For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a TOEFL score of 580 (paper-based test) or 97 (Internet-based test), or an IELTS score of 7.0 or above is required.
When submitting an application, official scores must be sent directly from the testing institution and can only be reported for a period of two years from the testing date. For TOEFL: Institution code -0813; dept. code -78. For IELTS please have your score sent to our office. Please email us your unofficial English scores to Graduate Science Centre (email: sci.grad@ucalgary.ca) after you apply to speed up your review process.
NOTE: Applicants who have resided in Canada (or another English-speaking country) for at least five consecutive years prior to applying to The University of Calgary may apply for exemption from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. If you have completed your Bachelor’s or Master’s in a country where English is a second language, but from an English Speaking Post-Secondary Institution please email sci.grad@ucalgary.ca BEFORE you apply to see if you are eligible for exemption from the English Proficiency Requirement.
REFERENCE LETTERS:
The application system will send the appropriate forms to your referees automatically. The referee will then submit the form and corresponding letter back to the system. Please log on to your application frequently to ensure all supporting documentation has been received.