Wilfrid Laurier University Online Master of Computer ... › sites › default › files › MCSBrochure.pdf · The online Master of Computer Science program develops computer science

LAURIER Online Inspiring Lives.

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.


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.


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.


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.



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.



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

Documents

Wilfrid Laurier University Online Master of Computer ... › sites › default › files › MCSBrochure.pdf · The online Master of Computer Science program develops computer science