PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Computer Science's additional admission requirements stated below.

• Successful completion of an appropriate master's degree with a standing equivalent to at least a University of Toronto B+. Preference is given to applicants who have studied computer science or a closely related discipline.

• Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction is not English must achieve a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 580 on the paper-based test and 4 on the Test of Written English (TWE); or 93/120 on the Internet-based test and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

Completion Requirements

• Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 2.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs). Together with graduate courses completed during the student's master's program, at least five courses must be from the approved list of courses and they must be from at least three different course groups. PhD students who did not complete their master's from the Department of Computer Science may, with the permission of the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, have graduate courses they took during their master's be deemed equivalent to courses in the approved list. Students who completed their master's degree in a subject other than Computer Science may have to take additional courses to fulfil these requirements.

• Presentation of a research project in the first supervisory committee meeting, typically held within Year 1, and within four months of forming the supervisory committee. Students who completed their MSc within the Department of Computer Science will present the project they completed in CSC4000Y. Students who did not complete their MSc within the department will present an equivalent research project.

• Qualifying oral examination, typically held no later than two sessions after the first supervisory committee meeting. After the qualifying oral examination, the student's PhD supervisory committee must meet at least once annually.

• Thesis topic, which must be approved by the supervisory committee no later than one year after the successful completion of the qualifying oral examination.

• Thesis. Students must pass the departmental thesis examination before the SGS Final Oral Examination can be scheduled.

A timeline of milestones for satisfactory progress is outlined in the Department of Computer Science PhD handbook.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Computer Science's additional admission requirements stated below.

• Applicants may be admitted to this program directly from a bachelor's degree with a standing equivalent to at least a University of Toronto A–. Preference is given to applicants who have studied computer science or a closely related discipline.

• Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction is not English must achieve a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 580 on the paper-based test and 4 on the Test of Written English (TWE); or 93/120 on the Internet-based test and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

Completion Requirements

• Students must successfully complete a total of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs). Within this, at least five of the eight courses (2.5 FCEs of 4.0 FCEs) must be from the approved list of courses and they must be from at least three different course groups.

• Complete CSC4000Y and a presentation of the project completed in that course at the first supervisory committee meeting, typically held by the first session of Year 2 (by the 16th month of the program).

• Qualifying oral examination, typically held in the first session of Year 3 (by the 28th month of the program). After the qualifying oral examination, the student's PhD supervisory committee must meet at least once annually.

• Thesis topic, which must be approved by the supervisory committee no later than one year after the successful completion of the qualifying oral examination.

• Thesis. Students must pass the departmental thesis examination before the SGS Final Oral Examination can be scheduled.

A timeline of milestones for satisfactory progress is outlined in the Department of Computer Science PhD handbook.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 5 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 7 years full-time