For Students

Meetings

Lab meetings are held each Friday at 4:00 pm in the AMMI Lab (CSC 3-63). All students are welcome to attend.

FAQ

How nice is Alberta?

I’m interested in your research area and would like to become a member of your laboratory. What should I do?

You should browse the web page descriptions of some of our laboratory projects, and apply to the graduate program in Computing Science at the University of Alberta, specifying your interest in working with our research group.If you are a scholarship student (or expect to receive an NSERC or equivalent) and live within reasonable proximity to Edmonton, please send an e-mail to Dr. Boulanger directly to arrange a time to visit our laboratory.

What qualifications do I need to become a graduate student in your laboratory?

First, you must be an excellent student, as the department minimum requirement is a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale, over the last 20 half courses. In our laboratory we only accept top students with grade point average of 3.5 and higher. There are also GRE and TOEFL requirements for non-Canadian applicants. See the department web pages for details. You should also have a solid background (e.g. an undergraduate degree) in Electrical and Computer Engineering or Computer Science, good math skills, have strong programming skills in C and/or Java, and have excellent communication skills.For students wishing to enter the Ph.D. program, you should have relevant experience in a core subject area pertinent to the research project of interest and ideally, a number of publications.

What sort of funding is available to support my studies?

Many graduate students are supported during the Fall/Winter terms by a Teaching Assistantship. For the summer period, we provide funding to a limited number of graduate students every year through research grants and contracts. However, other than cases where a prospective student already has a scholarship, we are unlikely to provide support for M.Sc. and PhD students. Qualified Canadian applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for NSERC or Alberta Innovates scholarships. Alberta Innovates scholarships are open to international students.

How do I choose a thesis project?

There are generally a number of reasonably well defined projects at the AMMI laboratory that are directly suitable for a M.Eng. or Ph.D. thesis. However, you are encouraged to spend (at least part of) their first semester working on a few small projects in parallel to help decide more precisely what fits best with your interests.

What courses should I take as a graduate student in your group?

Normally you have to comply with the Department of Computing Science’s course requirements (M.Sc. program requirements, Ph.D. program requirements). You also need to choose two courses that are specific to the AMMI laboratory activities. You can choose  from the AMMI Lab course list or other courses that fits with your thesis topic.For new graduate students whose first language is not English, we strongly recommend you taking one of the technical writing courses offered by the university. Previous students have found these courses immensely valuable, in particular when it comes to help in composing research papers and theses.

I’m a graduate student at [University X] and wish to conduct part of my thesis research in your lab as a visiting graduate student.

If you have strong marks and have identified a research interest that is closely aligned with current AMMI Lab activities, we will be happy to discuss your application.

I am an international undergraduate student and wish to conduct a summer internship.

If you have strong marks, an interest in the research areas of the AMMI Laboratory, and an ability to learn the necessary tools quickly, we will be happy to consider your application. However, we cannot provide any funding to support your travel or stay in Edmonton. If you’re still interested, please send an e-mail to Dr. Boulanger indicating that you understand that no financial assistance will be offered.