Academic Programs - Graduate

Computer Science

Develop your skills and experience in research and development in computing. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your employment options or advance towards a PhD program, Acadia's Master in Computer Science will help you achieve your goals.

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By choosing Acadia's graduate program in computer science, you will increase the depth and breadth of your knowledge through additional coursework and study, and you will further develop your research skills through challenging projects and development of a thesis with your supervisor. You will benefit from our small class sizes and collaborative approach to research – developing a high degree of contact and collaboration with your supervisor and gaining skills by working with groups with fellow researchers. Many of our research projects are collaborative in nature, where you will be working and reflecting with your supervisors and groups of students while pursuing your own particular research project.

Be Inspired

The Jodrey School of Computer Science is a strong leader in the Acadia Institute for Data Analytics (AIDA), creating many opportunities for you to work with local business and industry partners using data to help solve problems of interest. AIDA is hosted with the Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre - its programming helps you connect with local businesses and entrepreneurs. Acadia was the first in the world to produce a Web Census – a full polling of all web servers in the publically addressable Internet – and has been prolific in performing research on the results and on improved methods for learning about the structure of the web. Our expertise in artificial intelligence, mobile computing, and multi-agent systems is enhanced through collaboration amongst our researchers and students in the Cooperative Intelligent Distributed Systems Group and the Intelligent Information Technology Research Laboratory.

Research Interests

  • Agent-based distributed systems applications
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Autonomic computing
  • Computer-supported co-operative work
  • Data compression
  • DBMS performance
  • Distributed systems
  • Graph theory algorithms
  • Handheld and wireless technologies
  • Intelligent agents and adaptive software systems
  • Intelligent information retrieval and integration
  • Knowledge management
  • Logic theory and algorithms
  • Machine learning
  • User modelling and user adapted interfaces

Selecting courses

You can choose from three different program routes (project, thesis, and course), and you will select at least one course from each of three topic areas in computer science: application, systems, and theory.

  • The thesis-based MSc in Computer Science is a research-oriented program where you will work closely with your faculty supervisors on cutting-edge research. Your work will result with an MSc thesis that will be held in the Acadia library. Many graduate students, along with their supervisors, go on to publish their research work at computer science conferences.

  • In the project-based MSc in Computer Science, you will complete a project instead of a thesis. Your project will supervised by faculty and will usually involve participation in some research-related activities.

  • The course-based MSc in Computer Science will extend your knowledge in the field without involving a thesis. You will explore courses in the various topic areas, expanding the breadth of your expertise.

Some of Acadia's Computer Science courses are cross-listed (available for both graduate and undergraduate students). When choosing courses, a maximum of 1/3 of your courses (excluding 0 credit-hour courses) can be cross-listed with undergraduate courses. You cannot take a graduate course that is cross-listed with an undergraduate course for which you already have an Acadia credit.

Program at a Glance

The program normally requires two years of study. Courses take place in-person at Acadia University.

Year One -
First Term

  • COMP 5923*
    Research Methods in Computer Science
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5960
    Thesis

Year One -
Second Term

  • COMP 5923*
    Research Methods in Computer Science
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5960
    Thesis

Year One -
Third Term

  • COMP 5960
    Thesis

Year Two -
First Term

  • COMP 5960
    Thesis

Year Two -
Second Term

  • COMP 5960
    Thesis Completion
* COMP 5923 may be offered in either Fall or Winter semester, but not both.

Program at a Glance

The program normally requires 12-16 months of study. Courses take place in-person at Acadia University. You will complete the 15 credit-hours of advanced coursework over the Fall and Winter semesters. The number of courses you can register for is dependent on the availability of courses in each semester.

Year One -
First Term

  • COMP 5923*
    Research Methods in Computer Science
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5950
    Project

Year One -
Second Term

  • COMP 5923*
    Research Methods in Computer Science
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5950
    Project

Year One -
Third Term

  • COMP 5950
    Project

* COMP 5923 may be offered in either Fall or Winter semester, but not both.

Program at a Glance

The program normally requires 12-16 months of study. Courses take place in-person at Acadia University. You will complete the 21 credit-hours of advanced coursework over the Fall and Winter semesters. The number of courses you can register for is dependent on the availability of courses in each semester.

Year One -
First Term

  • COMP 5923*
    Research Methods in Computer Science
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory

Year One -
Second Term

  • COMP 5923*
    Research Methods in Computer Science
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory

Year Two -
First Term

  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
  • COMP 5xx3
    Advanced course in applications/systems/theory
 
 

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