MA/MS in Software Engineering is a master's degree in Software Engineering programme taught at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years.
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Software Engineering
Duration: 2 years
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Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This Master of Applied Science in Software Engineering is a thesis-based graduate program typically completed over about two years, offered on a full-time or part-time basis. Students undertake supervised research examining the software lifecycle, from design and implementation through testing, documentation, and maintenance, culminating in a thesis. Research within the program overlaps with the department's Computer Science graduate offerings and includes areas such as machine learning, formal verification, databases, and safety-critical systems, allowing students to focus their thesis on a specific software engineering problem. Entry is intended for applicants with a background equivalent to a Bachelor of Engineering in software engineering. The program suits engineering graduates who want to build deeper research expertise in how large or safety-critical software systems are designed, verified, and maintained, whether as a step toward doctoral studies or specialized industry research roles. It sits alongside the department's non-thesis Master of Engineering option, which is structured around applied coursework and a project rather than an original research thesis.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: McMaster's Computing and Software graduate program page states this Master's route (MASc) requires the equivalent of a BEng in Software Engineering; applicants typically begin in September, with a 28 February deadline for international applicants and 31 July for Canadian/permanent-resident applicants. Minimum-average and English-proficiency figures are not listed on the program page itself but follow the School of Graduate Studies' published policy for Engineering programs: a minimum average of B- in upper-year undergraduate courses related to the proposed program of study, and English proficiency of IELTS Academic 6.5 overall or TOEFL iBT 88 overall for applicants whose first language is not English. Admission is competitive and meeting these minimums does not guarantee a place.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:McMaster admits Level I students for September entry only. For Fall 2027, deadlines are set per programme: competitive programmes such as Engineering, Computer Science, Health Sciences, Midwifery, iBioMed and Honours Integrated Science close 15 January 2027, while most other Level I programmes (Business, Humanities I, the Life Sciences and Social Sciences gateways) stay open to 1 April 2027, often with an earlier 1 February 2027 'Equal Consideration' review point. These dates are identical for domestic and international applicants for nearly every programme; the sole exception is Nursing, where Ontario high-school applicants close 15 January 2027 and all other applicants, international included, close 1 February 2027. No programme is described as rolling beyond its published deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
