Graduate Studies - Computer Science @University of Alberta
This document is originally written by Md. Asadul Islam, M.Sc in Computer Science (University of Alberta).
Year of Publication: 2013
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A. Why University of Alberta?
The University of Alberta is a research-intensive, innovative institution that attracts the best and brightest minds from around the world.
With world-class facilities such as Canada's National Institute for Nanotechnology on main campus, UofA is leading the way in research and discovery.
UofA students choose from 200 undergraduate and 170 graduate programs, many of which are unique in Canada.
UofA leads the country with the most 3M teaching awards (Canada's highest award for undergraduate teaching excellence) and rank second in Canada for external research funding, with more than $490 million. With 100 years of history, U of A is known globally.
U of A is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada's modern city and the major hub for Alberta's thriving oil and gas industries. The main campus is located in the centre of Edmonton, minutes from downtown and with great bus and subway access through the city. Home to 37,000 students, including 3,405 international students from 130 countries, U of A fosters a supportive and multicultural atmosphere within a vibrant research environment.
http://www.topuniversities.com/institution/university-alberta
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/top-400.html
B. Why Computing Science in UofA?
Computing Science at the University of Alberta was one of the first programs of its kind in Canada.
It is also one of the top research-intensive Computing Science departments in Canada.
As one of the top research-intensive computing science departments in Canada, it is an excellent place to pursue graduate-level studies.
Dept. of CS poker program Poki, is one of the best-selling poker programs in the world
Dept. of CS checkers program, Chinook, won the world man-machine checkers championship, the first program to win a human world championship in any game (a feat recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records)
Dept. of CS researchers won two of the three International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) Distinguished Paper awards, one of the top awards in artificial intelligence
Faculty and students of UofA continue to have opportunities to collaborate with researchers from a variety of disciplines as well as companies at the forefront of industry. Such partnerships include:
IBM - Bioware
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/prospective-students/cs-university-alberta
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/prospective-students/graduate-studies
C. Application and Admission:
I. Applying for Graduate Admission
There are 7 basic steps to apply for graduate studies:
(https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/prospective-students/graduate-studies/applications- admissions)
Make sure you meet the background and minimum requirements for application
Review the instructions for using the Departmental application system (GAPS) (https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/prospective-students/graduate-studies/applications-admissions/about-gaps)
Submit an application to the Department using GAPS (no fee) (https://gaps.cs.ualberta.ca/)
Receive a confirmation email from the Department *Do not proceed until you receive this email*
Apply using the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGSR) application form
Pay the $100 CDN non-refundable application fee using the FGSR form (For BD you don't need to pay this you have to inform graduate coordinator that you are from Bangladesh. Also They will ask to send your transcript, based on your grades they will waves application fees )
Send in your required documents to the Department
II. Deadlines
The Department of Computing Science only accepts new graduate students for the Fall semester. The application deadline for Graduate studies in Computing Science is January 15th to be admitted in Fall of that year. (CS of UofA does not admit students in the Winter and Spring terms.)
III. Application Fee
Not Required for Bangladeshi Students.
IV. Minimum Application Requirements for Graduate Studies
1. Academic Record
To apply to the Master’s Program (M.Sc.) a four-year undergraduate degree, or equivalent, is required
To apply to the Doctorate Program (Ph.D.) a two-year graduate degree, M.Sc. or equivalent, in computing science is required in addition to a four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent in computing science
Normally three-year degrees do not meet the university requirements
You must have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale, over the last 20 half courses to apply
2. Letters of References
Three letters of reference are required
Two of the referees should hold academic positions at an institution from which you graduated
3. GRE Requirement
The GRE (general) is required if you have received a degree outside of Canada
Please note that we may waive the GRE requirement for applicants from certain U.S. universities
We do not require the GRE subject test.
Successful applicants obtain a minimum score of 155 on the quantitative and 4.0 on the analytical writing section
4. English Language Proficiency
You must have a degree from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta in which the language of instruction is English.
Otherwise you must take an English Language Test.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Minimum score = 600 paper, 250 computer based, 100 internet with a minimum score of 20 per section
MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery)
Minimum score = 90
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Overall band score of 7.0, with a score of at least 5.5 on each test band
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/prospective-students/graduate-studies/applications-admissions#background
D. Cost in CS of UofA
Tuition: For International Student Tuition fee is CAD 7832.
Housing: $6000 (shared accommodation)
Food: $3000
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/prospective-students/graduate-studies/awards-tuition
E. Award and Scholarship
Teaching/Research Assistantship: Each year, the Department of Computing Science provides financial support for approximately 70 students in the graduate program in the form of eight-month teaching and research assistantships. This is designed to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses in Edmonton, and are available to M.Sc. students for up to two years and Ph.D. students for three or four years. Additional summer support is usually provided by the student's supervisor. International students may also be considered for a tuition supplement to offset differential fee. The amount of this support is around 2012-13 is 24K (I saw all the International admitted student automatically receive this funding in form of TA)
Also All international Student will get another 2000CAD to offset tuition
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/graduate-students/financial-support-awards
http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=Computer+Science+Alberta+University&t=a&o=&pp=25
F. Job Opportunity
Job opportunity is excellent for CS graduate in Alberta for more info go to
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/resources-services/job-opportunities
G. Managing Supervisor
Managing a supervisor is important for all universities in Canada. It is also true for CS, UofA. It is better to communicate with professor before applying.
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/research/research-areas
https://webapps.cs.ualberta.ca/directory/
https://www.cs.ualberta.ca/prospective-students
Good luck in your search!