Canada proves to be an ideal study abroad destination among international students who want to secure a post graduate degree in software engineering, owing to its ever-growing demand for software professionals. The ICT or Information Communications Technology sector expects to reach 132.6 billion dollars worth by the end of the year 2024 and will emerge as the largest, fastest growing industry in the world. Moreover, the information technology sector will experience a rise of 21% in employment of software engineers by 2028.
Let us have a look at everything you must know if you are planning to get your masters degree in software engineering in Canada. This blog will guide you in getting all the information related to the software engineering programs, course structure, top universities, costs of studying, admission procedure, career prospects and many more.
Why Study Masters in Software Engineering From Canada?
Let us first go through the importance of pursuing masters in software engineering in Canada:
- The curriculum of software engineering emphasises on the computing and software advances in the field of software through education and research with a strong focus on computing research that involves scientific theory, engineering practices and between the interface. It prepares the students to meet the current software market.
- The software or IT industry plays a significant role in job opportunities in Canada and will reach a revenue of 132.6 billion by 2024. This industry employs more than 351,000 people along with an additional 778,000 people in the aftermarket services.
- Most international students have lately turned their higher education towards Canada. The reason for this is their education from top-notch world recognised universities, colleges along with their immediate prosperous job opportunities.
- Over the period of 2019-2028, there are estimated to be 27,500 new job vacancies for computer software engineers, with 24,000 new job seekers (due to school leavers, immigration, and mobility) expected to be available in Canada.
MS in Software Engineering: Course Structure
Software Engineering is a specialisation in the field of Information Technology. You can either go for MASc, MEng or MS in Software Engineering in Canada. Let's us have a look at the various aspects of software engineering masters in Canada and their course structure
- Course Duration: The typical masters degree in software engineering in Canada is of a duration between one to two years, depending upon your selection of course and the university.
- Course Content: The exact content of the course you have to study in your software engineering masters program are human computer interaction, machine learning, artificial intelligence, data analytics and data centres, hardware designs, systems development etc. However, this may vary depending upon your course selection and the admitted university.
- Course Alternative: Getting a software degree isn't the only way to get into software engineering. You can also opt for certain certifications courses for different software technologies. Apart from a masters degree in software engineering, you also have the option of a PG Diploma or Graduate Certificate in the same field.
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Top Universities in Canada for Masters in Software Engineering
There are different types of engineering universities in Canada that are only famous for the engineering courses. In fact the Canadian universities are famous for their management as well as engineering courses across the world. Listed below are some of the best software engineering universities in Canada 202
- McMaster University
- University of Calgary
- Western University
- University of Regina
- Concordia University
Let us know take a look at the top universities for masters in software engineering in Canada in detail
McMaster University
The McMaster University offers admissions to MASc thesis based programs that are focused on advancing knowledge of the software lifecycle from designing, implementation and testing to documentation and maintenance through intensive research in the field. Students will learn about advanced state of the art computer architecture, hardware design, computation and systems development.
|
Type of Institution |
Public |
|
QS World University Rankings 2022 |
140 |
|
Average Annual Fees |
13,650 CAD |
|
Programs Offered |
|
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is ranked amongst the world's top universities that provides admissions to electrical and computer engineering with software that equips the students with the programming knowledge needed to advance your career in an increasingly digitized engineering environment.
|
Type of Institution |
Public |
|
QS World University Rankings 2022 |
235 |
|
Average Annual Fees |
13,330 CAD |
|
Programs Offered |
|
Western University
Provides admissions to masters degree in software engineering that comes with some mandatory courses along with a non technical course. To successfully complete the MEng program students will have to complete either eight required courses & two non-technical courses or six required courses, two non-technical courses with a research project. The required courses may include data management and applications, data analytics foundation, web technologies etc.
|
Type of Institution |
Public |
|
QS World University Rankings 2022 |
170 |
|
Average Annual Fees |
19,495 CAD |
|
Programs Offered |
|
University of Regina
The University is a public research oriented university that is located in Saskatchewan Canada that is committed to equity diversity and inclusion and strong indigenous connections. The main objective of the course is to train students to analyse, study, design and develop different software systems including web based, transaction based, interactive multimedia and many more.
|
Type of Institution |
Public |
|
QS World University Rankings 2022 |
NA |
|
Average Annual Fees |
13,222 CAD |
|
Programs Offered |
|
Concordia University
The software engineering program at Concordia University is an advanced program that broadens the understanding of students in software engineering and its applications. They can apply engineering principles and practices to design, test, operate and maintain the computer softwares. This will enhance their analytical and designing skills to improve their ability for presenting in written form.
|
Type of Institution |
Public |
|
QS World University Rankings 2022 |
521-530 |
|
Average Annual Fees |
25,126 CAD |
|
Programs Offered |
|
Apart from the MEng in Software Engineering in Canada, there are certain colleges and universities that provide admissions to other postgraduate courses in software engineering. Some of the colleges and their programs are
- Conestoga College: Graduate Certificate in Software Quality Assurance.
- Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning: Graduate Certificate in Enterprise Software Development.
- Lambton College: Graduate Certificate in Full Stack Software Development.
- Loyalist College in Toronto: Graduate Certificate in Computer Software and Database Development.
- Bow Valley College: Post Diploma Certificate in Software Development.
Eligibility Criteria for Masters in Software Engineering in Canada
Meeting the eligibility criteria is one of the important criteria you have to qualify if you want to go for software engineering masters in Canada. Since most of the universities and colleges have different academic requirements for admission, the most common ones are explained below
- Bachelor's Degree
- English Proficiency Test Scores
- GMAT or GRE Scores
- Work Experience
- Study Permit
Bachelor Degree
You must have a four year bachelor degree in software engineering from an accredited university. Having an engineering degree in subjects such as science or mathematics or computer science or any other related course is also eligible. The minimum GPA scores at an undergraduate level is at least 3.0 GPA over the last two years of degree.
English Proficiency Test Scores
If you are applying as an international student and are from a non-native English speaking country, you will be required to submit the language test scores as a part of the admission process in terms of IELTS, TOEFL etc. The expected test scores are
GMAT or GRE Scores
The test scores of some entrance exams such as GMAT or GRE will play an important factor in your admission process. Since these test scores are not mandatory one in the applications but submitting it helps you stand in the competition.
Work Experience
Although it is not necessary to have work experience in engineering courses, having work experience before applying for masters in Canada will act as a gold dust in your profile. This may boost your university application and higher your admission acceptance rate.
Study Permit
As an international student you will have to submit the Canadian study permit at the university. This document is used by the Canadian government to help you in studying software engineering courses in Canada. It is recommended to apply for the study permit at the nearest embassy prior to the date of your traveling.
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Now that you know about the eligibility criteria and admission requirements for studying software engineering in Canada, let's discuss about the admission process for the course.
Admission Procedure for Masters Software Engineering in Canada
The admission process for masters in software engineering in Canadian universities usually takes place in three different intakes i.e fall, winter and summer sessions with fall being the most competitive one. Apart from the intakes session, some universities and colleges like University of Calgary offers admissions on a rolling basis. Make sure you check out the exact application dates on the university website before filling the application form.
Since the admission procedure for the application of software engineering in Canada are different from one university to other, the general steps of the admission process are given below
- Browse the official website of your desired university.
- In the university website, search for the course you are applying to.
- Now visit the program page and check the eligibility criteria of the course.
- Click on the application form on the program page and collect all the required documents given on the page.
- Fill up the application form and pay the fees.
- You can check the admission status at the university website using the module credentials you get at the time of application.
- If you are accepted at the university, accept the offer letter and pay the tuition fees to confirm your seat acceptance.
- Prepare the admission documents and apply for the study permit at the nearest embassy.
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Cost of Studying Masters Software Engineering in Canada
The costs of studying masters in software engineering in Canada can be huge with time. This when added with your costs of living, pursuing software engineering masters in Canada could really be cutting a hole in your pockets. However, it will be best to get the information about the costs beforehand to prevent any surprises.
Tuition Fees
The software engineering course fees in Canada will mostly depend upon the university and the type of program you applied for. The tuition fees should range anywhere between 12,900 CAD to 39,000 CAD a year.
Cost of Living
The costs of living in Canada and pursuing masters in software engineering in Canada for international students will depend on your lifestyle. The average cost a student needs to spend in their living is between 9,000 CAD to 14,000 CAD on a yearly basis.
Scholarships for Masters of Software Engineering in Canada
There are different types of scholarships, awards and programs in Canada for international students that could aid financially. Below we have discussed some of the helpful scholarships that can help you in saving your money.
|
Scholarship Name |
Eligibility Criteria |
Benefits |
|
Provost Entrance Scholarship, McMaster University |
International students with an outstanding academic achievement at previous education. |
7,500 CAD |
|
The McMaster University Award of Excellence |
International students with a final admission average in the Top 10% of faculty. |
3,000 CAD |
|
Ontario Graduate Scholarships, Western University |
Students should have a minimum average score of 80% in their last program. |
15,000 CAD |
|
Arun Mishra Graduate Scholarship in Engineering, University of Calgary |
Students must enrolled in a full time masters in engineering program |
2,000 CAD |
Suggested: Best masters scholarships for studying in Canada!
Career Opportunities in Canada after Masters in Software Engineering
With the development of computers, smartphones, mobiles or electronics there will be growing demands for software engineers in the world. Software engineering is the highly demanded job that assists people safe and secure in Canada with an excellent salary.
The software engineering field is currently one of the explosively growing sectors for a job in Canada and anywhere across the world. The following table lists software engineering jobs in Canada alongwith the average salary.
|
Job Profile |
Average Annual Salary |
|
Software Engineer |
92,710 CAD |
|
Software Developer |
76,136 CAD |
|
Software Security |
86,993 CAD |
|
Software Development Manager |
115,000 CAD |
|
Software Designer |
74,997 CAD |
Canada's high quality education, world recognised universities and exceptional career opportunities are all the contributing factors that indulge international students in completing their higher education in Canada. With a Masters degree in software engineering, you will get a lot of job options and better salary packages around the world. However, if you are still confused, do check out Yocket Counselors for assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions about MS in Software Engineering in Canada
Ques. Can we pursue MS in Software Engineering in Canada easily?
Ans. The MS in software engineering is offered under several types of courses in Canadian universities. You could go for degrees such as MS, MEng, MASc etc.
Ques. How much does an entry level software engineer make in Canada?
Ans. An entry level software engineering graduate makes around 65,800 CAD per year. The exact average salary will depend upon your job profile, experience, resume, company, etc.
Ques. Which province is the best option for software engineers careers and jobs?
Ans. Calgary is undoubtedly the best and fastest growing tech city in Canada. The minimum salary of a software engineer in Canada is around 57,435 CAD per annum.
Ques. Is having a software engineering degree in Canada worth it?
Ans. A bachelor or a postgraduate degree in software engineering has an extremely good return on investment and the best career prospects.
Ques. What are the software engineering course fees in Canada?
Ans. The tuition fees for the best universities offering software engineering courses in Canada ranges between 13,000 CAD to 39,000 CAD per year.