queen's university phd computer science

Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Program overview.

Work under the supervision of one of our internationally recognized researchers in this two-year thesis/research-based master’s program.

The minimum requirements are a research thesis, ELEC 891 seminar course, and 4 term-length graduate-level courses. Two courses must be selected from graduate courses offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Of the remaining two courses, one course may be a fourth-year undergraduate course or a double numbered graduate course (also known as combined undergraduate/graduate course) provided that:

• The student's supervisor approves the course.
• The student has not received credit for a similar course in their bachelor’s program.

The student must attend department seminars to complete ELEC 891, the mandatory seminar series course. The requirements are set at the department's discretion according to the student's background.

The supervisor(s) and department must approve all programs of study.

• Degree Expectations (PDF) Courses Grad Map

Admission and Application

A bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related field.

Domestic Applicants

75% or B+ or Upper Second Class Standing

International Applicants

P.R. China: 80% or GPA of 3.1/4.0

India, Bangladesh & Pakistan: First class or 63%

Iran: 16/20

All others: 80%

Curriculum Vitae

We require curriculum vitae. Curriculum vitae is a detailed, structured listing of education, publications, projects, awards, and engineering work history. This document can be part of the online application or emailed to the department, or a hard copy can be included with your mailed documents.

English Proficiency Requirements

Proficiency in English is a requirement for admission. Applicants whose native language is not English will be required to obtain satisfactory standing in English language proficiency tests before their application can be considered for admission. We require a minimum of 7.0 on IELTS or 65 on PTE or for TOEFL; 580 (paper-based); 237 (Computer-based); and 88 (Internet-based) with a minimum score in each of the components: Writing test 24/30, Speaking test 22/30, Reading test 22/30 and Listening test 20/30. The results must be no more than two years old.

How to Submit English Language Test Scores

The School of Graduate Studies can access test scores directly from TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic and CAEL CE databases. We do not require hard copies of your test scores sent from the testing center if we can obtain them directly from TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or CAEL.

TOEFL, PTE Academic and CAEL CE

Please ensure that you have the testing center release the TOEFL, PTE Academic, or CAEL CE score to Queen’s University (0949). Inform the School of Graduate Studies (following submission of your application) that your score report is available to retrieve electronically from the official testing center site. Email: [email protected]   

Please provide the School of Graduate Studies with the TRF number found on your IELTS score report (following submission of your application) in order for us to obtain your IELTS test score electronically from the IELTS site. Email: [email protected]   

Hard copy test results: If you did not arrange to have the results of your English language proficiency test accessible to the School of Graduate Studies, you must request that the testing agency send us a hard copy official test results document either by email at [email protected]    or through regular mail (address below).

We do not require the GRE. Please do not send us official GRE scores.

Master of Applied Science or Master of Science

• Fill out the application
• Send original, official transcripts to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).
• Indicate accurate email addresses for your referees. They will be contacted and asked to supply an electronic reference.
• Submit payment by credit card online. 
• Contact professors who work in your area of interest to increase your chance of receiving an offer.

Before you begin your application, please review the graduate studies application process .

Fall Admission

Application due: January 31 (international), March 1 (domestic).

Notification of acceptance: usually the end of April for international students.

Winter Admission

Application due: August 15 (for both domestic and international applicants).

Notification of acceptance: usually mid-October for international students.

Finding a Supervisor

We encourage you to identify an area of research interest and contact potential supervisor(s) before applying. Visit research groups  and faculty profiles . When you find a faculty member with similar research interests to yours, contact them to let them know about your interest in graduate work, area of research and related experience.

The minimum funding guarantee for domestic and international MASc students is $23,000 per year, up to four years, providing good academic standing and satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree. The typical financial support package usually consists of research assistantships, teaching assistantship, graduate award(s) and/or a scholarship.

Domestic students are encouraged to apply for external funding from OGS, NSERC, and other sources. Top-up awards may be given to students who hold federal government Tri-Council Awards such as NSERC. Visit the School of Graduate Studies’ Awards and Scholarships  for more information.

The department may also nominate students to the Graduate School for any internal scholarships available. The student does not submit an application.

The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is home to nationally and internationally recognized researchers and cutting-edge research facilities. Our research is categorized into the areas of:

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Biomedical and Human-Machine Systems
• Communication and Signal Processing
• Engineering Education and Technology
• High Performance and Next Generation Computing
• Information and Software Security
• Networks and The Internet of Things
• Photonics, Nanotechnology & Integrated Circuits
• Power Electronics and Energy Systems
• Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Control
• Software Engineering

  Our Research

Graduate Supervisors

Career Opportunities

Our graduates have found careers:

• As university professors, including at the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, Carleton University, and Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
• With high tech companies such as AMD, BlackBerry, Ciena, Cisco Systems, Google, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Infinera, Microsoft, Nokia
• With startup companies
• In service sectors such as financials, pension, actuarial, intellectual property

Interested in learning more about becoming a postdoctoral fellow? Learn more through Queen’s School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs .

Program Contacts

Graduate Program Assistant Cheryl Wright [email protected] 613-533-6000 ext. 79307 Walter Light Hall, Room 416

Graduate Program Assistant Debie Fraser [email protected] 613-533-2179 Walter Light Hall , Room 416A

More Electrical and Chemical Engineering Graduate Programs

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solid foundation in the principles of AI, machine learning, and deep learning.

Master of Engineering (MEng), Electrical and Computer Engineering

Advanced engineering skills in a specific area of specialization.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Electrical and Computer Engineering

Researching and developing future technology

Biomedical Engineering

This program is offered in collaboration by the departments of chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering.

Search type

University Wide

Faculty / School Portals

• Grad Studies

How to Apply

Queen’s University continues its tradition of excellence in graduate education by warmly welcoming a dynamic 2024-25 cohort of domestic and international graduate students. To support students, graduate programs that provide a minimum funding guarantee for graduate students are maintaining or increasing these commitments in 2024-25. These incoming students will be central to Queen’s ongoing innovations in research, teaching, and community engagement, contributing to a thriving graduate community in which they shape our academic mission towards a better future for all.

Embarking on a graduate degree is the beginning of an exciting future. Queen’s is an exceptional environment in which to explore your research interests and pursue this next stage of your academic journey. This page provides you with the steps and information needed to apply to one of our graduate programs .

If you have questions about the admission & application process, or specific questions about a program, you can contact the SGSPA directly.

Ask the SGSPA

Do you have questions about resources available to you as a graduate student or how to navigate the challenges of grad school.? Then why not chat with a current Queen's graduate student?

Ask a Grad Student

Steps to Apply

Step 1: start your application.

Deadlines: The application portal typically opens in September each year with deadlines occurring early in the new year. Each program will have their own specific submission deadline. Most acceptances to programs are made in March. Applications should be made early in the year if you wish to be considered for fellowships or awards. Please refer to the degree program websites for specific deadlines for the program that you are applying to.

Completing an Application: Once you have reviewed the degree programs available and decided to apply, you are ready to begin the online application . If you cannot complete the online application, please contact or email the graduate assistant in your program of interest for a paper application.

Accommodations: The School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs places great importance on accommodating disabilities and special circumstances to ensure applicants can access and complete their application for graduate studies. Any applicant with requests for accommodations should email the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Director of Admissions and Student Services.

Step 2: Compile Documentation

In addition to your application form, you will need to submit additional documentation to complete your application to gradaute studies, including:

• Transcripts
• Letters of Recommendation
• Additional Information and Documentation Needed by the Degree Program

Transcripts: A complete application must include official, up-to-date transcripts for all current and previous study the applicant has listed in the Academic Background section of the application. Acceptable methods for submitting transcripts:

• Transcripts can be uploaded to the online application, as PDF files. The transcripts must be scanned (black and white recommended) and saved as a PDF file, and uploaded successfully. Complete instructions are available to applicants on the Transcript Upload section of the online application.
• If a transcript or transcripts cannot be successfully uploaded to the online application, applicants are responsible for ensuring that an official transcript or transcripts of all current and previous university-level studies are sent to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs by all universities previously attended. All hard copy transcripts received as part of an application for admission must be received in sealed envelopes.

Final Transcripts: Hard copy original official transcript showing degree completion and conferral, will be required from all applicants who accept an offer of admission to graduate studies at Queen's University. These final transcripts are to be sent directly from the issuing institutions to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in sealed envelopes.

Transcripts sent from the issuing university should be sent to:

School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Queen's University Gordon Hall Room 425 74 Union Street Kingston, Ontario Canada K7L 3N6

Other transcript notes:

• Transcripts in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by an English or French translation provided by the institution issuing the transcript.
• Photocopied transcripts or those printed from a university website are not permitted.
• Degree and graduation certificates must be included if the transcript does not indicate the type of degree and date granted.
• Transcripts are to be sent directly from the issuing institutions to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in sealed envelopes.
• All hard copy transcripts received as part of an application for admission must be received in sealed envelopes.
• Transcripts submitted with applications become the property of Queen's University, are subject to verification, are not available for copying, and will not be returned to the applicant.

Official transcripts are not required for any study of any kind carried out at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. The School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs will access the student record directly for applicants who have attended or are currently attending Queen's University.

Letters of Recommendation: For applicants to research programs, two current academic recommendations are required from professors under whom the applicant has recently studied. It is recognized that certain applicants to some programs may have difficulty obtaining academic references and that it may be more appropriate to get references from professionals or supervisors. In such cases, references from other sources containing information acceptable to the Department/Program or School and the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs may be considered. However, all effort should be made to include academic recommendations.

Two Professional letters of recommendation (e.g., letters from an employer or workplace supervisor) can be submitted in support of applications to professional graduate programs. For applicants who apply to a professional graduate program, a Professional reference form will be generated for their referees.

In all cases, the information in recommendations should relate to the ability of a prospective student to undertake the work in the program to which they are applying.

Referees normally use and submit their letter of recommendation or reference form to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs via a secure online reference form submission process. Letters of reference sent as attachments via electronic mail (email) are unacceptable substitutes for this secure online reference form.

Photocopied or stale dated letters (letters that were issued more than one year prior to the application date) are unacceptable.

Other universities' references forms are not to be substituted for the reference form for an application to Queen's University.

Some departments/programs have special requirements regarding letters of recommendation (e.g., three letters may be required, etc.). It is the applicant's responsibility to consult the appropriate department’s/program's application procedures for details.

Additional Information and Documentation Needed by the Degree Program: Some departments/programs require additional documentation such as a current course list, GRE, or written sample of work. Review the department’s/program's application procedures for details. Please note that all required test scores must be received directly from the testing agency before your application is complete.

Step 3: Indigenous Student Self-identification (if applicable)

If you are an Indigenous student and wish your application to be considered under the "Indigenous Student Admission Regulation" then you must self-identify as Indigenous upon application for admission to Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Step 4: Provide English Language Test Results (if applicable)

All required test scores must be received directly from the testing agency before your application is complete.

English Language Comprehension: At Queen's, English is the language of instruction and communication, except for the language departments. Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for admission. Some programs require satisfactory achievement on the GRE. Please check with the degree program for specific testing needed and scores.

Those applicants whose native languages do not include English will need to earn satisfactory standing in an English Language Proficiency Test as part of the application process, and before final acceptance is granted.

Any applicant whose first language is not English but who, within the 12 month period prior to the month of application, has studied for at least one complete year at a post-secondary institution where English is the official language of instruction, may submit with their application a request to be exempted from the English Language Proficiency test requirement. The Director of Admissions will review the request. The applicant will be informed of the results of the review.

The following English Language Proficiency tests' results are accepted by the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs:

TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test)

Applicants must have the minimum score in each test, as well as the minimum overall score. Please note that some departments have higher minimum score requirements in one or more of the tests listed below.

TOEFL Paper-Based and Computer-Based Tests

Applicants must meet the minimum score requirements of the department to which they wish to apply. These minimum scores are listed on the individual Program websites .

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) - minimum overall score of 7, academic module
• Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - 65 (minimum overall score)
• Canadian Academic English Language (Computer Edition) (CAEL CE) – 70 (minimum overall score)

Please note that if a final grade of 80% or more in ESLA 140 or ESLA 150 from Queen's University's English for Academic Purposes Program is achieved at the time of application, an English language test score may not be required. See Queen's University School of English for details.

How to Submit English Language Test Scores: The School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is able to access test scores directly from TOEFL , IELTS, PTE Academic, and CAEL CE databases. We do not require hard copies of your test scores sent from the testing centre if we can obtain them directly from TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or CAEL.

TOEFL, PTE Academic, and CAEL CE

Please ensure that you have the testing centre release the TOEFL, PTE Academic, or CAEL CE score to Queen’s University (0949) and inform the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (following submission of your application) that your score report is available to retrieve electronically from the official testing centre site. Email: [email protected]

Please provide the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs with the TRF number found on your IELTS score report (following submission of your application) in order for us to obtain your IELTS test score electronically from the IELTS site. Email: [email protected]

Hard copy test results : If you did not arrange to have the results of your English language proficiency test accessible to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, you must request that the testing agency send us a hard copy official test results document either by email [email protected] or through regular mail (address below).

Cambridge English Assessment

The Cambridge English Assessment requires a minimum score of 185. To access this test, please visit the Cambridge English website.

Step 5: Complete Your Online Application

The online application will walk you through each step in the process, including how to submit transcripts, letters of recommendation and other documentation. You will first be invited to create an account using your email address. We will email you a User ID so that you can create a password to complete the online application.

Complete all the screens as they are presented to you, remembering to click Save and Continue before you move on to the next set of questions.

Paying the Application Fee: When you have completed all the sections, you can submit your application. At this point, you are asked to pay the non refundable application fee online (currently $110 CDN). Remember, you must be able to pay the fee online with a Visa or Mastercard number, in order to complete your application online.

Please note that the application fee of $110 (CDN) is non-refundable.

The application is considered complete when all of the documentation is received by the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Step 6: Check Your Status

You will be emailed an application number and can set your own password to complete your online application and check the status of your application, such as which documents are still needed in order for your application to be complete.

When your online application is complete and all documentation is received, the degree program will assess your application. You will be informed by the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs by email, or in the postal mail if you submitted a paper application, about whether or not you are being offered admission.

Application Considerations

Supervision: Some graduate programs require applicants to identify a potential supervisor prior to applying. Review specific graduate program websites to determine program requirements. Speaking with your current mentors, attending graduate recruitment fairs, and asking questions of potential supervisors will help clarify your options, expectations, and give you a chance to get to know the communities in which you may choose to work.

Funding: Funding for your studies is an important consideration when choosing a graduate program. Queen’s offers competitive funding packages. Review our funding page for more information on our graduate funding packages.

Equity Admission Regulation: Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is committed to enhancing diversity in graduate education which includes ensuring mechanisms for applications from prospective students who may not have had opportunity and advantage equal to others to be considered. In recognition that life circumstance may prohibit, present barriers, and/or discourage access to pursue advanced degrees, due consideration shall be given by the applicable graduate program personnel to the non-academic factors identified by the applicant, and the applicant’s special circumstances and unique qualities. Traditional measures of an applicant’s academic performance will be considered accordingly.

Indigenous Applicants: Queen’s welcomes and encourages inquiries and applications from Indigenous candidates. If you are an Indigenous student and wish for your application to be considered under the “Indigenous Student Admission Regulation,” you must self-identify as Indigenous upon application for admission. For the purposes of this regulation, Indigenous is defined as First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI). See Step 3 above for more information on self-identification procedures in the application process.

International Applicants: English is the language of instruction and communication at Queen’s, except for language departments. Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for admission. Those applicants whose native languages do not include English will be required to obtain satisfactory standing in an English Language Proficiency Test before acceptance is granted. See Step 4 above for more information on English Language Proficiency Test requirements.

International Study Permits: International students participating in programs longer than six months must obtain a study permit issued by the Canadian government. Additionally, citizens of some countries require a temporary resident (entry) visa for entry into Canada. The Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) offers information about applying for these documents, as well as additional support for mandatory health insurance, housing, and more.

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Computer Engineering – PhD

Doctor of philosophy in computer engineering.

Students seeking a Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering must select a research area and complete minimum 75 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate. Some of our research areas include computer architecture, integrated circuits and systems, embedded systems and signal processing, optical communications, hardware/software co-design, distributed systems, advance computer systems engineering, high performance dependable computing, visual computing, embedded and adaptive computing, open networking advanced research, application specific processors, advanced computer and network architectures, and healthcare technologies.

• Financial Assistance

Master of Data Science and Machine Learning (MSc)

The Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) through Digital Egypt Builders Initiative (DEBI) and the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) have launched an initiative to:

• enhance the skills of professionals and newly-graduated students;
• support digital transformation projects;
• improve the competitiveness of Egyptian youth in the international labor market; and
• build nationwide capacity in modern technologies including Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

The Master of Data Science and Machine Learning is a 12-month program offered by Queen's School of Computing addressing the growing demand for graduates with a Data Science and Machine Learning background from leading technology firms, healthcare companies, automobile manufacturers, research labs, and government agencies. Data Science and Machine Learning play a critical role in understanding customers, making effective decisions, recommending relevant information, detecting cyber-intrusions or financial fraud, and much more. The creation of this professional program will help to distinguish Computing graduates and increase their competitiveness for these highly skilled positions.

Key program learning outcomes include:

• Develop a rigorous understanding of fundamental concepts in Data Science and Machine Learning.
• Model real-world problems or decomposed sub-problems from a data-driven perspective.
• Design and execute rigorous processes for modeling complex systems and collecting data that is appropriate, effective, and revealing.
• Design, evaluate, and refine data-driven solutions, processes, and infrastructure for effective problem solving.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the ethical, security, and privacy implication of data-driven solutions.

The Program is offered remotely to up to 100 Egyptian students. There will be three cohorts of students.

• The first cohort started their studies in January 2022,
• the second cohort will begin in January 2023, and
• the third cohort will begin in January 2024 and complete in December 2024.

Requirements

The program requires that a student completes 26 credits by:

• taking the 6 courses covering different subfields of Data Science and Machine Learning; and
• completing a research-based capstone project that is related to Data Science, Machine Learning, or any of their subfields.
• CSAI-801*/3.0 : Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• CISC 839*/3.0 : Topics in Data Analytics
• CISC 856*/3.0 : Reinforcement Learning
• CISC 867*/3.0 : Deep Learning
• CISC 873*/3.0 : Data Mining
• CISC 886*/3.0 : Cloud Computing and Big Data
• CISC 898*/8.0 : Master's Project

Program Instructors

• Dr. Hazem Abbas : machine learning, computational intelligence, image processing
• Dr. Dorothea Blostein : biomechanics; adaptive tensegrity; pattern recognition
• Dr. Yuanzhu Chen : mobile computing, cyber-physical systems, edge learning
• Dr. Steven Ding : data mining; machine learning; security
• Dr. Qingling Duan : machine learning; biomedical computing; bioinformatics
• Dr. Randy Ellis ( IEEE fellow ): medical data analysis, computer-assisted surgery
• Dr. Gabor Fichtinger ( Canada Research Chair, IEEE Fellow ): computer-assisted surgery and interventions
• Dr. Sidney Givigi : machine learning applied to autonomous vehicles; reinforcement learning; deep learning
• Dr. Ahmed Hassan ( IEEE fellow, Member of New College of Royal Society, Steacie Fellow ): software engineering and analytics, intelligent systems, data analytics
• Dr. Hossam Hassanein ( IEEE fellow ): wireless and mobile networks, architecture, and protocols; edge services, intelligent systems
• Dr. Anwar Hossain : cloud computing, big data
• Dr. Ting Hu : evolutionary computing; machine learning; complex networks; bioinformatics
• Dr. Parvin Mousavi ( Member of New College of Royal Society ): machine learning in computer assisted diagnosis and interventions; image-guided interventions; ultrasound imaging; medical image computing; computational biology; bioinformatics; systems biology
• Dr. Christian Muise : automated planning; model understanding, learning, and acquisition; goal-oriented dialogue systems
• Dr. Amber Simpson ( Canada Research Chair ): machine learning; medical image analysis; computer-aided surgery
• Dr. David Skillicorn : adversarial knowledge discovery, cybersecurity, data analytics
• Dr. Yuan Tian : deep learning; software engineering; machine learning, recommender systems
• Dr. Farhana Zulkernine : big and streaming data management and analytics; deep learning and decision support systems (DSS); cognitive computing; cloud and services computing