Offered by Université du Québec en Outaouais in Gatineau, Canada, PGDip in Cybersecurity (DESS) is a postgraduate diploma in Cyber Security programme. The programme is delivered on campus. It carries 30.0 credits. Tuition for international students is CAD 825 per credit.
This Diploma of Specialized Graduate Studies (DESS) in Cybersecurity prepares graduates for technical cybersecurity careers through coursework in threat analysis, cryptography, artificial-intelligence applications for defense, software vulnerability detection, and digital investigation. The 30-credit program includes 24 mandatory credits -- four core courses covering research methodology, threat intelligence, cryptography, and a practical workshop, plus a required essay-or-internship pathway (12 credits) -- and 6 elective credits chosen from one of two specialization blocks: advanced cyberdefense techniques or digital investigation. It is delivered full-time or part-time at the Gatineau campus, with admission in the fall, winter, and summer terms. The program is designed for holders of a bachelor's degree in computing, mathematics, engineering, or a related field who want a focused, graduate-level credential in cybersecurity without committing to a full master's degree, and it also accepts candidates with relevant post-secondary training and substantial work experience through an alternative admission route. Applicants need a foundation in mathematics and computing plus adequate French proficiency. The choice between an essay and an internship, and between the two elective specialization blocks, lets students orient the program toward either applied cyberdefense system work or forensic digital-investigation roles depending on their career direction.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.00 / 4.33
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, computer engineering, software engineering, or electrical engineering, or equivalent, with a foundational mathematics background equivalent to course MAT1023. The standard GPA threshold is 3.0 on UQO's 4.3 scale; applicants averaging 2.8-2.99 are reviewed by the program subcommittee, and those at 2.5-2.79 must first complete at least 15 credits of qualifying university coursework with a 3.0+ average. Applicants without a bachelor's degree but with completed college studies may instead be admitted on the strength of at least 12 years of relevant work experience, reduced proportionally by any additional university credits completed. Language requirements follow UQO's policy: adequate French is required, and applicants must also show sufficient understanding of English. The program may impose remedial or prerequisite coursework on candidates who do not fully meet these conditions.
Application Details
Start Date:September, January and May
Application Deadline:UQO currently publishes deadlines only for the term now open, which as of mid-September 2026 is winter 2027 entry. Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply directly to UQO: regular undergraduate and certificate programmes close 1 December 2026, while co-operative-education bachelor's programmes and all graduate programmes close 15 October 2026, with admission decisions issued from August onward. International applicants had an earlier cut-off of 1 August 2026 for winter 2027 entry; as of the fetch date that window has already closed for most programmes, and several programmes are not open to international applicants for this term at all. UQO has not yet published fall 2027 dates, and none of these deadlines are rolling; all are firm cut-offs. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
