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Several universities in Canada offer world-class education for MCA (Masters in Computer Application) aspirants from other countries. If you search for MCA courses on the website of any Canadian university, you may not find any as in Canada, universities offer this course as an MSc/ MS Computer Science. Most Canadian universities' fee structure is affordable and much less expensive than US and UK universities. Usually, the duration of MSc. Computer Science in Canada is two years, and to get admission to this master's programme, the aspirants must complete 4 years of education after their 12th grade. Many Canadian universities offer scholarships for international students, and on successful completion, the students can either take up a job or do further studies.
Course Level |
Post Graduate |
No. of Years |
2 years |
Minimum Qualification |
Bachelor’s Degree (4 years education after 10+2) |
Selection Process |
International Entrance Exams such as GRE |
Average Annual Course Fees |
CAD 15,000 – 18,000 |
Major Universities |
University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, McMaster University, University of Montreal, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Ottawa, Western University, University of Waterloo |
MSc Computer Science and MCA are two master's programmes available for those who would like to pursue their career in IT. But you may not find an MCA programme in universities situated in Canada; Canadian universities offer only MSc Computer Science at the master's level.
However, the curriculum of these programmes is more or less identical, and their scope is also similar.
MCA |
MSc Computer Science in Canada |
|
Course Name |
Master of Computer Application |
Master of Science in Computer Science |
Level |
Master’s Programme |
Master’s Programme |
Duration |
3 years |
2 years |
Eligibility |
Bachelor’s Degree |
Bachelor’s Degree |
Admission Process |
Entrance Test/ Merit |
|
Syllabus (Major Subjects) |
|
|
Now a question might have popped up in your mind. Whether I should pursue MCA in India or MSc in Canada? As most Canadian universities enjoy global recognition, it's wise to do your master's from Canada. Additionally, pursuing your master's from abroad will help you avail yourself of international exposure; enjoy world-class facilities, highly qualified faculties from across the globe, and interact with similar minds from other countries. Apart from this, Canada offers ample opportunities for those who would like to do research after their master's. Above all, Canada is home to many MNCs, and the unemployment rate in Canada is very low, currently at 6.5%. It may help you find your dream job easily with an attractive pay package.
Pursuing your master's degree from a Canadian university ensures world-class education and opens the door to becoming a permanent resident in the country. Almost every university in Canada offers internship programmes to their students doing master's programmes.
Below are the top universities in Canada that offer master's programmes in Computer Science.
The department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of the top Computer Science departments in North America and is recognised internationally for its excellence in research and teaching. Further, UBC has got a PhD programme in Computer Science as well. Hence, those who complete their master's degree from UBC have the choice to continue their research in the same university. The 2-year master's programme, MSc Computer Science, may cost CAD 9,131 per year for international students.
The University of Waterloo is one of Canada's top innovation universities, and it's known for its world-class facilities. Today, it offers more than 190 graduate programmes. The main campus of the University of Waterloo is situated in Ontario. Apart from this, it has three satellite campuses in Canada and 4 affiliated university colleges. The University of Waterloo offers Math in Computer Science, and it costs CAD 7,696 per term (on-campus) for international students.
The University of Toronto is one of the most prestigious universities in Canada. The Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto offers both Master of Science and PhD in Computer Science. The curriculum of these programmes includes courses and research conducted under the supervision of faculty members. The MSc in Computer Science fee is $24,500 per year for international students. To reduce the financial burden on international students, the university offers several scholarships.
The School of Computer Science at McGill University is one of Canada's leading teaching and research centres for Computer Science. McGill University offers MSc and PhD programmes in Computer Science. In the MSc programme, students have thesis and non-thesis options. The annual tuition fee at McGill for MSc in Computer Science stands at around CAD 15,000. To get admission in the MSc Computer Science programme, you should have scored at least 60% in your 4-year undergraduate programme and must have scored a minimum of 300 in GRE. Additionally, a valid TOEFL or IELTS score is also a must.
McMaster University is one of the most popular Canadian universities among international students as it provides an excellent education at affordable fees. The university offers a 2-year thesis-based MSc in Computer Science. The MSc Computer Science programme aims to advance computational theory and practice knowledge of students through intensive research in their chosen area of interest. The tuition fee of MSc Computer Science stands at around CAD 12,500 per year at McMaster University. The minimum entry requirements include a 4-year undergraduate degree, a GRE score above 309, and an IELTS score of 6.5 or above.
MSc Computer Science offered by the University of Calgary is a 2-year full-time thesis-based programme. The University of Calgary also offers a PhD programme in Computer Science. Hence, after completing their master's in Computer Science, students can continue their research in the same university if they wish to do so. At the University of Calgary, it costs CAD 8,200 per year for international students to do their thesis-based MSc programme in Computer Science. To get admission to MSc Computer Science, the students must have studied Computer Science at their undergraduate level, and the undergraduate degree must be of 4 years.
Name of the University |
QS World Rankings 2022 |
University of Toronto |
26 |
University of British Columbia |
46 |
University of Waterloo |
149 |
McGill University |
27 |
McMaster University |
140 |
University of Calgary |
235 |
University of Ottawa |
230 |
University of Alberta |
126 |
Western University |
170 |
Queen’s University at Kingston |
240 |
Different universities charge different fees, and it depends upon the location of the university and the activities included in the programme. However, the average annual tuition fee of a master's programme in Computer Science in Canada may range between CAD 15,500 and 35,000.
Apart from tuition fees, there are pre-arrival costs that include visa application costs, entrance exam fees, travel costs, etc.
To get admission to MCA in a Canadian University, the candidate should meet the following requirements:
As an international student doing the master's programme in Computer Science, you can avail yourself of institutional, government, or non-government scholarships in Canada. To know more about various government and non-government scholarships, visit the website of the International Council for Canadian Studies or the Government of Canada International Scholarships.
A few scholarships offered by various universities are:
Name of the University |
Award Name |
Benefit (In CAD) |
University of Calgary |
Entrance Awards Graduate Award Competition |
12,000 – 35,000 700-36,000 |
University of Waterloo |
David R. Cheriton Graduate Scholarships |
10,000 – 20,000 |
University of British Columbia |
International Tuition Award
|
Up to 3,200/year Varies |
University of Toronto |
Admission Awards |
Varies |
University of Northern British Columbia |
Entrance Awards |
Varies |
University of Alberta |
International Admission Scholarships Gold Standard Scholarships |
5,000 6,000 |
Before proceeding with the admission procedures, check the university's entry requirements for the course you have selected and confirm that you're meeting all their conditions.
You may require the following documents for applying for MSc in any Canadian university:
All applicants should complete the online application form and pay the application fee along with the aforementioned documents. If selected, you may get a confirmation mail from the university within a couple of weeks.
Top global names who recruit Computer Science graduates in Canada are:
Job Title |
Average Annual Salary (In CAD) |
IT Specialist |
62,644 |
Web Domain Manager |
47,500 |
Programmer/ Software Specialist |
75,000 |
Software Developer/ Programmer |
59,800 |
Professor |
86,600 |
Ethical Hacker |
85,000 |
Cloud Engineer |
107,063 |
Game Animator |
57,800 |
System Analyst |
62,215 |
Cyber Security Manager |
75,000 |
Software Architect |
92,500 |
DBA |
67,100 |
Doing a job is not the only option available in front of MCA graduates. After completing the programme, many higher study choices are available for those who wish to do so. A few of them are:
In Canada, a master's degree in computer science or MCA not only opens doors to lucrative employment options, but also to the realm of research and development. MCAs in Canada get an average yearly pay of $54,961.
You can apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from inside Canada as long as you're eligible:
Web designer, hardware engineer, software consultant, and software developer are the future prospects of a student that pursued MCA. Some of the courses include Data Scientist, Business Analyst, and Data Analyst.
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