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Online Master of Computer Science Course Curriculum
Table of Contents
03 | Program Overview
04 | Program Goals
06 | Master of Computer Science Curriculum
Master of Computer Science
3 For more information, contact an Online Enrolment Advisor at 1-888-368-0345, or visit ONLINE.WLU.CA
Master of Computer Science Program Overview
Dream It. Build It.
Wilfrid Laurier University’s online Master of Computer Science program is designed to help you reach
your professional potential by cultivating the advanced real-world skills you’ll need to excel in parallel
programming, application development, algorithm design, data mining and analysis, cyber-attack and
defense, machine learning and technology entrepreneurship.
This computer science master’s degree is the
only 100% online program of its kind in Canada,
combining a world-class graduate education
with the convenience of online learning.
4 For more information, contact an Online Enrolment Advisor at 1-888-368-0345, or visit ONLINE.WLU.CA
Master of Computer Science Program Goals
The online Master of Computer Science program develops computer science professionals who
possess the advanced real-world skills required to excel in parallel programming, application
development, algorithm design, cyber security, machine learning and more.
Program Outcomes
There are a multitude of career opportunities
in the feld of computer science with top
companies around the world. Whether you’re
ready to unlock your career potential or want
to create your own opportunities in computer
science, it's a growing feld that fuels our world’s
technology and innovation.
Master of Computer Science Tuition
Employers across the country are seeking top
candidates with a Master’s Degree in Computer
Science for positions such as:
• Senior data scientist - mixed reality
($103,000)
• Lead software developer ($97,000)
• Senior cloud service developer ($97,000)
• Data scientist, data analytics ($80,000)
• Software development manager ($93,000)
Total tuition for the online Master of Computer Science program is $24,000 (CAD) with each credit
hour costing $3,000, plus incidental fees.
5 For more information, contact an Online Enrolment Advisor at 1-888-368-0345, or visit ONLINE.WLU.CA
Master of Computer Science Admissions Requirements
The online Master of Computer Science program is designed for those who have obtained an
undergraduate degree in computer science or a related feld such as computer engineering,
information systems, mathematics, applied computing or another area of STEM.
Admission requirements also include undergraduate courses in computer algorithms and object-
oriented programming.
To be admitted to the online Master of Computer Science (MCS) program, students must meet the
general admission requirements of the University, and must have an honours degree in Computer
Science or a closely related area that includes courses in data structure, object-oriented language
programming, and software engineering. A fnal year average of at least B+ is usually required, along
with a cumulative average of at least B+ in all computer science courses.
Applications are reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee, which considers all prior university
grades, letters of reference and indications of support from potential supervisors.
Applicants must submit the following paperwork:
• Submit all transcripts from all universities or colleges attended
• Prepare a statement of intent
• Submit a resume
• Submit two reference letters
Interested applicants who do not meet the academic requirements above, but who have signifcant
work experience in computer programming are encouraged to speak with an Online Enrolment
Advisor to discuss their situation, including possible upgrading opportunities. For more information
about the admissions process, visit our Admissions page or speak with an Online Enrolment Advisor
at 888-368-0345.
6 For more information, contact an Online Enrolment Advisor at 1-888-368-0345, or visit ONLINE.WLU.CA
Master of Computer Science Curriculum
The online Master of Computer Science program consists of eight courses. Each 13-week course
equals 0.5 credit hours, for a program total of 4.0 credit hours.
• In the accelerated model, students take two courses at a time, completing the program in as few
as 16 months
• In the part-time model, students take two courses in the frst term and ffth term only, completing
the program in six terms (approximately two years)
• During each course, a student is expected to spend approximately ten hours per week per course
studying and completing coursework
• There are three start dates per year aligning with winter, spring and fall terms
Below are the curriculum course descriptions.
CP600: PRACTICAL ALGORITHM DESIGN (0.5 Credit)
The techniques of algorithm design form one
of the core practical technologies of computer
science. This course introduces students to
advanced techniques for designing and analysing
algorithms, and explores their use in a variety
of application areas. Topics include: sorting and
search algorithms, graph traversal algorithms,
combinatorial search, heuristics methods, and
dynamic programming, intractable problems.
Students learn the skill of understanding the
computational complexities of computing
problems and designing solutions for them.
CP601: SEMINAR IN TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP (0.5 Credit)
This seminar introduces the fundamentals of
technology entrepreneurship. It involves taking
a technology idea and fnding a high-potential
commercial opportunity, gathering resources
such as talent and capital, fguring out how to
sell and market the idea, and managing rapid
growth. It also involves bringing incorporating a
new technology idea into an existing business.
There will be guest lecturers from the industry.
7 For more information, contact an Online Enrolment Advisor at 1-888-368-0345, or visit ONLINE.WLU.CA
Master of Computer Science Curriculum
CP610: DATA ANALYSIS (0.5 Credit)
This course provides students with the
foundations of data analysis – a burgeoning feld
that allows organizations to discover patterns
in data to help explain current behaviours or
predict future outcomes. Students learn the
underlying theories, techniques and practices
involved in modern data analysis in order to
efectively collect, process, interpret and use
data in decision making. More specifcally, the
course utilizes case studies from felds such
as fnance and statistics to expose students
to topics including data collection, storage,
processing, representation, and reporting, and
also further develop their decision-making skills
using decision trees and artifcial intelligence.
CP631: PARALLEL PROGRAMMING (0.5 Credit)
Parallel computers, or supercomputers or high-
performance clusters are ubiquitous today in
science and engineering. Parallel programming
requires inventing new algorithms and
programming techniques. This course covers the
fundamental paradigms of parallel programming,
with an emphasis on problem solving and
actual applications. The parallel programming
concepts and algorithms are illustrated via
implementations in OpenMP and MPI (Message
Passing Interface), as well as serial farming.
CP640: MACHINE LEARNING (0.5 Credit)
Machine learning is the science of getting
computers to act without being explicitly
programmed. In the past decade, machine
learning has given us self-driving cars, practical
speech recognition, efective web search, and
a vastly improved understanding of the human
genome. This course introduces students to
machine learning, data mining, and statistical
pattern recognition. Topics include supervised
learning (parametric/non-parametric algorithms,
support vector machines, kernels, neural
networks) and unsupervised learning (clustering,
dimensionality reduction, recommender systems,
deep learning). Students learn a variety of
learning algorithms and determine which are
most likely to be successful.
8 For more information, contact an Online Enrolment Advisor at 1-888-368-0345, or visit ONLINE.WLU.CA
Master of Computer Science Curriculum
CP669: IPHONE APPLICATION PROGRAMMING (0.5 Credit)
Apple iPhones are one of the most popular
smartphones on the market today, with
thousands of applications downloaded every
day. This course provides students with the
knowledge to develop applications for iPhones,
iPads, and iPods, using the Cocoa Touch
framework on iOS and introducing students
to the programming language Swift. More
specifcally, students learn how to develop
interfaces for mobile devices and the challenges
faced when developing applications that use
diferent input modalities. Other topics include
web services and memory management for
mobile devices.
CP670: ANDROID APPLICATION PROGRAMMING (0.5 Credit)
As the worldwide smartphone market continues
to grow, so does the demand for mobile
applications. This course provides students with
the skills for creating and deploying applications
for mobile devices using Android, the most
widely used operating system. With an emphasis
on the Model-View-Controller paradigm this
course provides students with the foundational
knowledge that underlies many popular
programming languages. The course cumulates
with the development of an original Android
application. Knowledge of Java is required.
CP685: CYBER ATTACK & DEFENCE (0.5 Credit)
This course focuses on both the principles
and practice. It covers fundamental principles
and the best practices of computer systems
and network security attack and defense.
The roadmap for the course includes seven
main sections, including security objectives,
vulnerabilities, attacks and exploitation, wireless
security, web application security, defence and
countermeasures, and incident Handling and
forensic investigation. Specifcally, it frst covers
security objectives such as confdentiality,
data integrity, authentication, authorization,
access control, availability, and non-repudiation.
Also, it covers the fundamental theories of
vulnerabilities in software, computer system,
network protocols, cryptographic techniques and
social engineering. It then covers various security
protection and defense mechanisms, including
major security protocols and standards, frewalls,
intrusion detection, wireless security, and web
application security. It also discusses the latest
cutting-edge insidious attack vectors, and the
patterns of denial-of-service attacks. This course
also presents the understanding tools needed to
defend against attackers maintaining access and
covering their tracks. This course examines and
reviews various types of hacking tools as well as
ways to harden the system or application against
these attacks.
Inspiring Lives/ Online
UPDATED / 08/20/18