Students who wish to pursue studies in computer science leading to the degree of Master of Computer Science (MCS) or Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) can do so in joint programs offered by the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the University of Ottawa and the School of Computer Science at Carleton University under the auspices of the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Computer Science (OCICS).

The Institute is responsible for supervising these programs and for providing a framework for interaction between the universities in graduate computer science education.

In addition to the faculty members from the two computer science programs, the Institute also has members with computer science expertise from other departments.

The School of Computer Science is a participating unit in the collaborative program in bioinformatics at the master’s level.

Bioinformatics is an emerging and increasingly important scientific discipline dedicated to the pursuit of fundamental questions about the structure, function and evolution of biological entities through the design and application of computational approaches.

Fundamental research in these areas is expected to increase our understanding of human health and disease which translates into innovation in industry.

Bioinformaticians today must be able to appreciate significant research in other fields and therefore require an understanding of the basic principles of other disciplines.

To meet this challenge Carleton University and the University of Ottawa offer a collaborative program leading to a master of science degree in the primary program with specialization in Bioinformatics or, in the case of computer science, a master of computer science degree with specialization in Bioinformatics.