Thesis-Based Master of Science

Focusing on advanced courses with close research collaboration with our faculty, this program will well equip graduate students both for working in industry and continuing in a university-based research career. 

Prospective graduate students are encouraged to contact a faculty member in their area of research interest before submitting an application. 

Program Completion Process

Application and Acceptance
  1. A Departmental Graduate Committee is to be composed of three Departmental faculty members, with a Chair elected by the Department faculty for a 3-year term. The other two members are to be elected for two-year terms (initial appointments of one and two year terms). It is the function of the Graduate Committee to receive applications, seek appropriate supervisors for applicants, ensure that the applicants meet the requirements of acceptance, and make recommendations to the Graduate Studies Committee of the University. 
  2. Incoming Graduate students should have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science with a 70% average or better; equivalent to grade B or better, or 3.3 or better on the Merit Point system (out of 4). A degree in a related field is acceptable if the applicant shows evidence of a Computer Science background suitable for entry into the Master’s program as judged by the Departmental Graduate Committee. Generally, the minimum background is the equivalent of all required courses of a St.F.X. Honours Computer Science degree. Some applicants may be requested to take make-up courses to satisfy the minimal requirements. 
  3. Prospective graduate students are encouraged to submit scores of Graduate Record Examinations or equivalent. 
  4. Undergraduate transcripts and two letters of recommendation are required. Please visit our programs page for information steps on the application process
  5. All students accepted into the program must have a supervisor, who must be a regular faculty member in the Department of Computer Science at St. Francis Xavier University. See the Faculty listing for areas of specialization. 
  6. Final acceptance is the decision of the University Graduate Studies Committee. 
English Language Competency

As the standard language of study at St. Francis Xavier University is English, candidates whose native language is not English must demonstrate their competency in the English language.

Recognized English Language Proficiency Tests

Financial Support

Limited financial support (scholarship or graduate research assistantships) is available. St. Francis Xavier University currently has a limited number of positions available for students enrolled in the MSc program to work as laboratory instructors. In addition, prospective graduate students are strongly urged to apply for Science and Engineering Research Canada Post Graduate Scholarships (Canadian citizens or landed immigrants) or for Commonwealth Scholarships tenable at St. Francis Xavier University (citizens of Commonwealth countries). 

Faculty and Research Interests

Tasneem Darwish
Intelligent and autonomous self-evolving network management, intelligent mobility management in future satellite networks, software defined networks (SDNs), network function virtualization (NFV), cloud/fog/edge computing, 5G and 6G networks, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), wireless sensors networks, Internet of things, blockchain technology, and network security

Jean-Alexis Delamer
Artificial intelligence; machine learning applied to autonomous vehicles; especially Markov Decision Process and reinforcement learning 

Iker Gondra
Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Evolutionary Algorithms 

James Hughes
The development of machine learning algorithms for real world applications. Although I am interested in many algorithms, particular strategies of interest are Evolutionary Computation and Artificial Neural Networks. Application areas include neuroinformatics, bioinformatics, kinematics, geology, art, finance, and clinical applications.  

Jacob Levman
Using computational technology and imaging to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders and healthy brain development 

Man Lin
Formal methods for reactive and real-time systems 

Erin Mazerolle

Ryan Reid
Obesity and body composition, Application of wearable health monitors, Physical activity and sedentary behaviours 

Laurence T. Yang
Parallel and distributed computing, embedded and ubiquitous computing