Research-oriented Projects with Computer Science Professors

The professors in the School of Computer Science love to do research with their students - including many undergraduate students. Participating in undergraduate research gives you a chance to work along side the professors and their graduate students, gaining valuable experience (and sometimes getting paid for it).

There are many ways to get involved:

• Through research courses:
  There are two main courses you can take:
  • COMP 396, which is an elective course, available to qualified students starting in their second term at McGill. Computer Science professors post available projects in the central Faculty of Science web site. However, make sure to check out all the other 396 courses from other departments too, since one objective of these courses is to allow interdisciplinary research. You may find a professor in another department looking for a student with a computer science background.

    Also, don't be shy to talk with the Computer Science professors about new projects that could be proposed.

  • COMP 400, which is a complementary course (part of the Honours program). If you have found an area that excites you, talk to the professors for courses in those areas and see if you can work out a project propsal with them.

• With summer research projects:
  You may have thought that University professors don't work during the summer. Actually, that's not right at all! Professors work really hard during the summer, concentrating mostly on their research, so this is an ideal time to work with them on research projects. Summer research projects may be paid research assistantships or very often they are made possible by an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA). You can apply for this starting in your U1 year at McGill (that is your second year if you started in the Freshman Program, and in your first year if you came from a CEGEP). If you are doing well in your studies, remember to apply for these early in the winter term. Ask your professors for some help and for potential projects. Professors love to have NSERC USRA students working with them in their labs and they will help you out with your applications.

  More information about summer research and our undergraduate research symposium is here.