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Computing Science Dual Degree
Students in this graduate dual degree program (GDDP), jointly developed by Simon Fraser University and Zhejiang University (ZJU), China, will acquire two graduate degrees. Graduates will receive a doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree from Simon Fraser University, and a second doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree from Zhejiang University. Students will study and conduct research at both universities.
The language of instruction at Simon Fraser University is English, while at Zhejiang University, it is either English and/or Chinese.
Admission Requirements
Students must be admitted to one university, and then apply and be admitted to the other university.
To qualify for admission, students must satisfy the usual admission requirements as specified by each university. At SFU, the admission requirements are stated in Graduate General Regulations 1.3 in the SFU Calendar. The university the student is first admitted to will be referred to as the student's 'home' university.
Once admitted to the home university, the student may then apply for admission to the graduate dual degree program, normally within 18 months of admission to their home university graduate program. The program application requires the support and involvement of the student's supervisor at the home university. The graduate program committee at the home university decides whether to recommend the student for admission to the GDDP. A recommended individual's application will then be forwarded to the other 'partner' university. Applicants must meet the admission requirements of that partner university.
Program Requirements
SFU students with an MSc in computing science or an equivalent must complete at least six units at each university from the courses listed in groups I, II, and III. Please see requirements for the students without the MSc in computing science or an equivalent in Other Information.
This program consists of course work, depth requirements, and a thesis.
All students complete one of
The objective of this course is to expose students to basic techniques in algorithm design and analysis. Topics will include greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, advanced data structures, network flows, randomized algorithms. Students with credit for CMPT 706 may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Qianping Gu |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, Wed, Fri, 9:30–10:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
This course provides a broad view of theoretical computing science with an emphasis on complexity theory. Topics will include a review of formal models of computation, language classes, and basic complexity theory; design and analysis of efficient algorithms; survey of structural complexity including complexity hierarchies, NP-completeness, and oracles; approximation techniques for discrete problems. Equivalent Courses: CMPT810.
2122001-2 Elements of the Theory of Computation (ZJU course)
and one course from Group II
and one course from Group III
and a thesis
NOTE: A Simon Fraser University course and a Zhejiang University course are deemed similar if the two courses overlap substantially. Students with credit for one of two similar courses may not complete the other course for further credit. Simon Fraser University's graduate program breadth committee and the corresponding Zhejiang University committee will decide on the list of similar courses.
Courses
Group I: Algorithms and Theory Credits
Courses at Simon Fraser University
Deep connections between logic and computation have been evident since early work in both areas. More recently, logic-based methods have led to important progress in diverse areas of computing science. This course will provide a foundation in logic and computability suitable for students who wish to understand the application of logic in various areas of CS, or as preparation for more advanced study in logic or theoretical CS.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Evgenia Ternovska |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, Wed, Fri, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
The objective of this course is to expose students to basic techniques in algorithm design and analysis. Topics will include greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, advanced data structures, network flows, randomized algorithms. Students with credit for CMPT 706 may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Qianping Gu |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, Wed, Fri, 9:30–10:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
This course provides a broad view of theoretical computing science with an emphasis on complexity theory. Topics will include a review of formal models of computation, language classes, and basic complexity theory; design and analysis of efficient algorithms; survey of structural complexity including complexity hierarchies, NP-completeness, and oracles; approximation techniques for discrete problems. Equivalent Courses: CMPT810.
Fundamental algorithmic techniques used to solve computational problems encountered in molecular biology. This area is usually referred to as Bioinformatics or Computational Biology. Students who have taken CMPT 881 (Bioinformatics) in 2007 or earlier may not take CMPT 711 for further credit.
This course covers recent developments in discrete, combinatorial, and algorithmic geometry. Emphasis is placed on both developing general geometric techniques and solving specific problems. Open problems and applications will be discussed.
This course will cover a variety of optimization models, that naturally arise in the area of management science and operations research, which can be formulated as mathematical programming problems. Equivalent Courses: CMPT860.
Courses at Zhejiang University
2111001-2 Applied Mathematics for Computer Science (1)
2111002-2 Applied Mathematics for Computer Science (2)
2122001-2 Elements of the Theory of Computation
2122019-2 Advanced Formal Methods
Group II: Systems
Courses at Simon Fraser University
Principles involved in designing modern parallel and distributed software systems. The course focuses on covering key concepts like concurrency, synchronization, consistency models and fault tolerance. Involves multiple programming projects and reading articles on recent trends in parallel and distributed computing.
Investigates the design and operation of wide-area computer networks, especially the Internet and the TCP/IP protocol suite. This course studies performance modeling, security and quality of service; wireless connectivity and multimedia networking; network services, including recent topics and trends in these areas.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Jiangchuan Liu |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
The goal of formal verification is to prove correctness or to find mistakes in software and other systems. This course introduces, at an accessible level, a formal framework for symbolic model checking, one of the most important verification methods. The techniques are illustrated with examples of verification of reactive systems and communication protocols. Students learn to work with a model checking tool such as NuSMV.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Uwe Glaesser |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 10:30–11:20 a.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
G200 |
Anders Miltner |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Thu, 2:30–3:20 p.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
G300 |
Jianliang Wu |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 3:30–4:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 2:30–4:20 p.m. |
|
Courses at Zhejiang University
2122002-2 Advanced Operating System
2122003-2 Advanced Computer Architecture
2122006-2 Modern VLSI Design: System on Chip Design
2122018-2 Advanced Computer Networks
2124003-2 Computer Security
2124012-2 Grid Computing and Distributed Systems
2124014-2 Advanced Software Engineering
2124028-2 Pervasive Computing
2124057-2 High End Computing and Its Applications
2124058-2 Advanced Topics in Compilers
2124059-2 Multi-core Computing
2124060-2 Network Multimedia Computing
2124072-2 Principles of Embedded System Design
2124069-2 Sensor Network and Information Processing
2124070-2 Parallel Computer Architecture and Programming
2124071-2 Network Algorithms
Group III: Applications
Courses at Simon Fraser University
Natural Language Processing is the automatic analysis of human languages such as English, Korean, and thousands of others analyzed by computer algorithms. Unlike artificially created programming languages where the structure and meaning of programs is easy to encode, human languages provide an interesting challenge, both in terms of its analysis and the learning of language from observations. Covers NLP tasks such as language modeling, machine translation, multilingual processing, information extraction, question answering, and other topics relevant to modern NLP. Students with credit for CMPT 825 or CMPT 413 may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Angel Chang |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, Wed, 3:30–4:50 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Fundamental concepts in robotics and related fields, including computational methods for solving decision making and algorithms for robots to understand their environment. Topics include modeling and simulation of robotic systems, optimization, optimal control, robotic safety, reinforcement learning, and robotic perception. Applications of the material include unmanned aerial vehicles and self-driving cars.
Knowledge representation is the area of Artificial Intelligence concerned with how knowledge can be represented symbolically and manipulated by reasoning programs. This course addresses problems dealing with the design of languages for representing knowledge, the formal interpretation of these languages and the design of computational mechanisms for making inferences. Since much of Artificial Intelligence requires the specification of a large body of domain-specific knowledge, this area lies at the core of AI. Prerequisite: CMPT 310/710 recommended. Cross-listed course with CMPT 411.
Machine Learning is the study of computer algorithms that improve automatically through experience. Provides students who conduct research in machine learning, or use it in their research, with a grounding in both the theoretical justification for, and practical application of, machine learning algorithms. Covers techniques in supervised and unsupervised learning, the graphical model formalism, and algorithms for combining models. Students who have taken CMPT 882 (Machine Learning) in 2007 or earlier may not take CMPT 726 for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Ke Li |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, 3:30–5:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 3:30–4:20 p.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
Using machine learning algorithms effectively requires understanding their theoretical and conceptual basis. Covers mathematical and probabilistic foundations of machine learning, placing learning methods in a unified framework based on Bayesian reasoning. Students will acquire skills for formulating models, deriving optimization algorithms, and choosing effective approaches for a given learning problem. Topics include parameter estimation, optimization, linear classification and regression, regularization, and probabilistic graphical models.
Introduction to advanced database system concepts, including query processing, transaction processing, distributed and heterogeneous databases, object-oriented and object-relational databases, data mining and data warehousing, spatial and multimedia systems and Internet information systems.
The student will learn basic concepts and techniques of data mining. Unlike data management required in traditional database applications, data analysis aims to extract useful patterns, trends and knowledge from raw data for decision support. Such information are implicit in the data and must be mined to be useful.
Selected topics in computer vision including cameras, edge detection, feature matching, optical flow, alignment, epipolar geometry, stereo, structure-from-motion, recognition, segmentation, detection, and deep learning.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Andrea Tagliasacchi |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Selected topics in biomedical imaging. Computer visions, medical data and image representation, file formats, segmentation, registration, classification, anatomical shape modeling, machine and deep learning tools and methods.
Advanced topics in geometric modelling and processing for computer graphics, such as Bezier and B-spline techniques, subdivision curves and surfaces, solid modelling, implicit representation, surface reconstruction, multi-resolution modelling, digital geometry processing (e.g., mesh smoothing, compression, and parameterization), point-based representation, and procedural modelling. Prerequisite: CMPT 361, MACM 316. Students with credit for CMPT 464 or equivalent may not take this course for further credit.
Selected topics in computer animation and simulation, including 3D character animation and control, facial animation, simulation of natural phenomena (i.e. fluids, crowd simulation, and deformation of pliant materials).
Advanced topics in data visualization. Topics covered may include principles of data representation, data presentation, data interaction, data physicalization, data and visualization literacy, data visualization and diversity, open data, and public personal data visualization. Students with credit for CMPT 878 or 775 may not take this course for further credit.
This seminar course covers current research in the field of multimedia computing. Topics include multimedia data representation, compression, retrieval, network communications and multimedia systems. Computing science graduate student or permission of instructor. Equivalent Courses: CMPT880.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Jiangchuan Liu |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 2:30–3:20 p.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
A seminar based on the artificial intelligence approach to vision. Computational vision has the goal of discovering the algorithms and heuristics which allow a two dimensional array of light intensities to be interpreted as a three dimensional scene. By reading and discussing research papers - starting with the original work on the analysis of line drawings, and ending with the most recent work in the field - participants begin to develop a general overview of computational vision, and an understanding of the current research problems.
Intelligent systems are knowledge-based computer programs which emulate the reasoning abilities of human experts. This introductory course will analyze the underlying artificial intelligence methodology and survey advances in rule-based systems, constraint solving, incremental reasoning, intelligent backtracking and heuristic local search methods. We will look specifically at research applications in intelligent scheduling, configuration and planning. The course is intended for graduate students with a reasonable background in symbolic programming.
Examination of recent literature and problems in bioinformatics. Within the CIHR graduate bioinformatics training program, this course will be offered alternatively as the problem-based learning course and the advanced graduate seminar in bioinformatics (both concurrent with MBB 829). Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
An advanced course on database systems which focuses on data mining and data warehousing, including their principles, designs, implementations, and applications. It may cover some additional topics on advanced database system concepts, including deductive and object-oriented database systems, spatial and multimedia databases, and database-oriented Web technology.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
G100 |
Martin Ester |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Thu, 3:30–5:20 p.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
G200 |
Hang Ma |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
G300 |
Linyi Li |
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Thu, 5:30–6:20 p.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
Examines current research topics in computer graphics, human computer interaction (including audio), computer vision and visualization.
Courses at Zhejiang University
0711026-2 Bioinformatics Topics
2112001-2 Research Frontiers of Computer Science and Technology
2122020-4 Computer Graphics
2122021-2 Introduction to Computer Vision
2122023-2 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
2124017-2 The Fundamental Principles of Non-Photorealistic Computer Graphics
2124025-2 Electronic Business Technology
2124027-2 Computer Animation and Its Application
2124061-2 Network Multimedia Search Engine
2124062-2 Solid Modeling
2124063-2 Biologic Intelligence and Algorithm
2124064-2 Introduction to Machine Learning
2124065-2 Advanced Artificial Intelligence
2124066-2 Visualization in Scientific Computing
2124067-2 Speech and Language, Processing and Understanding
2124068-2 Image Processing and Modeling
2124073-2 Virtual Reality
2124074-2 HCI and Virtual Human
2124075-2 Data Mining
5141062-2 Advanced Data Base Technology
Program Length
Students entering with a master of science degree (MSc) in computing science, or equivalent, are expected to complete the program requirements in four years. Students entering with a bachelor of science degree (BSc) are expected to complete the program requirements in six years.
Other Information
Course Work for Simon Fraser University Students
SFU students without an MSc in computing science, or an equivalent, must complete at least 12 units at each university. Of those units, at least nine from each university must be chosen from the courses listed in groups I, II, and III. At Zhejiang University, the approval of the student's supervisor and the Zhejiang University graduate program director are required for the student to complete courses that are not listed in groups I, II, and III.
SFU students with an MSc in computing science or an equivalent must complete at least six units at each university from the courses listed in groups I, II, and III.
With the approval of the student's supervisors and the graduate program director at the partner (home) university, up to three of the units at the partner (home) university may be completed at the home (partner) university.
Course Work for Zhejiang University Students
ZJU students without an MSc in computing science or an equivalent must complete at least 12 units at Simon Fraser University and at least 14 units at Zhejiang University. Of those units, all but three from Simon Fraser University must be chosen from the courses listed in groups I, II, and III.
ZJU students with an MSc in computing science or an equivalent must complete at least six units at each university from the courses listed in groups I, II, and III.
Depth Requirement
Simon Fraser University's School of Computing Science requires students to complete all of the following depth requirements:
- present a depth seminar and examination
- write a thesis proposal and present a seminar and defend the material
- submit a written thesis proposal and defend that thesis based on independent original work
All requirements may be completed at either university. Additional requirements concerning the thesis are found at the graduate and postdoctoral studies website. For more information about the thesis defence, see 1.9 and 1.10 of Simon Fraser University's graduate general regulations.
Breadth Requirement
At most two special topics courses at Simon Fraser University may be used to meet the breadth requirement, except with permission from the graduate program director at Simon Fraser University. For more information about breadth requirements, please visit the GDDP website.
Supervisory Committee
Each student will be supervised by a supervisory committee consisting of a supervisor and another faculty member at the home university, and a co-supervisor and another faculty member at the partner university.
Each student is required to have an annual progress evaluation by the supervisory committee. Meetings of the supervisory committee are normally once per year and may involve the use of new media.
Program Withdrawal
Student may withdraw from the GDDP program by transferring to the PhD program at the home or partner university at any time. The full academic record at the partner university may be used to determine standing at the home university.
Residency Requirement
Students are expected to conduct research at both Simon Fraser University and Zhejiang University, and to reside at each university for at least one year.
Tuition Fees
Students who are resident at Simon Fraser University pay per term tuition fees. Students who are resident at Zhejiang University pay per year tuition fees.
Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled.