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Honours in Computer Science
Fourth year honours thesis
Undergraduate students at Ontario Tech have the opportunity to enroll in a Computer Science Thesis project during their fourth year. Completing an honours thesis is an excellent way to gain research experience, enhance your CV, and contribute to the field. It offers a safe introduction to the research process and is a requirement if you’re considering graduate studies. Additionally, an honours thesis can help you stand out from your peers when entering the job market.
At the Affective Data Science Lab (ADSL), you could build a software tool, create a dataset, or conduct a data science investigation. For instance, building a tool is an ideal project for those pursuing a career in industry, as it provides a tangible deliverable on GitHub to showcase to potential employers.
Eligibility
You must be an undergraduate student enrolled in Computer Science at Ontario Tech.
You should be in good academic standing, have completed 90 credit hours of your program, and have finished six third-year required courses. Read more.
Thesis spots are competitive. Generally, students with a CGPA over 3.2 are more likely to secure a position
Be enrolled as an undergraduate student in computer science at Ontario Tech.
Be in clear academic standing and have completed 90 credit hours of their program and six third-year required courses read more.
Thesis spots are somewhat competitive. Generally, students with a CGPA over 3.2 will secure a position.
Application process
- Optional: Consider attending the CS Research Day at Ontario Tech in January. During this event, supervisors present five-minute pitches about their labs and research. You can network with both supervisors and fellow students during the event.
- Optional: Contact me to learn more about potential projects, or to setup a meeting.
- Required: Complete the Honours Thesis sign-up sheet, which is circulated between February and March.
- In April or May, you will be notified via email whether you have secured a thesis position.
Thesis process and timeline
- The thesis officially begins in the Fall semester. Motivated students may start over the summer, using this free time to jumpstart their project.
- In the first few weeks, we will discuss project ideas and develop a detailed plan.
- In January, there will be a midterm thesis check-in, where you’ll present your progress. Last year, students prepared short demo videos (5–10 minutes). This was followed by an informal Q&A session, where students showcased their work and received feedback.
- Your thesis has two final elements, due in April: a presentation and a thesis document. In mid-April, we hold a Thesis Presentation Day, where each student presents their work in a 10-minute slot and answers questions. One week later, you’ll submit your final thesis document to your supervisor.
Undergraduate Thesis Award (UGTA)
Strong-performing students may be considered for the Undergraduate Thesis Award. If you’re interested, discuss this option with your supervisor. Nomination requires a letter of support from your supervisor and a statement from you summarizing your work, its impact, and outcomes. Below is a picture of last year’s winners.
