Masters in Data Science in Canada 2024: Top Universities, Fees, Eligibility & Salaries

masters in data science in canada top colleges uni fees exam

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Shivani Mani

Lead, Student Success - FundRight

Data science is an interdisciplinary field involving algorithms, statistics,  mathematics skills, and programming skills. 

Data scientists extract data-centric information from various sources to gain insights into various technical programs such as targeting audiences and program recommendations in applications like Amazon and Netflix.

Data science has gained popularity in recent years because of its efficiency in generating large amounts of data to generate information, develop business models, and increase customer satisfaction.

Its relevance has also increased primarily due to the technology-driven century we live in, thereby escalating the demand for data analysis and data scientists globally. 

Almost a decade ago, Harvard Business Review dubbed data science the “Sexiest job of the 21st century” and is expected to grow by 28% by 2026.

Therefore, working as a Data Scientist will provide you with stability and longevity. 

If you’re wondering about attractive opportunities in the field, do consider studying in Canada. Canada is one of the highest paying countries for Data Scientists. 

Why Study Masters in Data Science in Canada?

Canada’s low tuition costs and high-paying jobs make a master’s in Data Science in Canada a great choice. 

Along with the decently priced tuition fees, Canada is emerging as one of the top choices for Indian students to study for the following reasons:

  • Numerous scholarships for international students.
  •  Flexible immigration policies.
  • More than twenty colleges and universities are placed in the QS world ranking. These universities provide some of the best MS in Data Science coaching.
  • Finally, students can also work part-time to manage their living in Canada
  • The post-study work visa facility is another cherry on the cake for students moving to study master’s in Data Science in Canada. 

Given the number of perks of studying MS in Data Science, Let’s at the top universities for MS data science in Canada along with their tuition fees.

Universities Duration Cost CAD ($)Cost (₹)
University of Toronto1 Year61,000 CAD37,37,340.70
University of British Columbia10 months45,898.74 CAD28,12,358.09
Thompson Rivers University 2 years38,528 CAD23,60,564.10
Queen’s University ( Smith’s School of Business)12 months, Full time74,500 CAD45,64,525.16 
University of Western Ontario12 months, Full time52,655 CAD32,26,108.35
HEC Montreal2 years28,800-29,900 CAD17,64,473.03-18,32,260.36 
Simon Fraser University16 months, Full time42,165.56 CAD for four semesters25,83,850.70
Ryerson University1 Year23,795.81 CAD14,58,176.30 
Carleton University2 Years31,258-51,018 CAD19,15,449.60-31,27,020.17
University of Waterloo1 Year 4 Months40,000 CAD24,51,699.53

Note: The tuition fees are subject to change and some of them are  not inclusive of other fees such as student union fees, books, internet facilities at the campus.

Eligibility to Study MS Data Science in Canada: Who Can Apply for Masters in Data Science in Canada?

Studying MS data science in Canada requires a minimum of three to four years of undergraduate degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Business Analytics, Economics, Statistics, Engineering, or any other related subject.

(Depending on the requirement of your desired university, an undergraduate with a three years degree can apply to the program by attending a one-year diploma course related to the program, thereby extending to four years.) 

  • Along with a relevant degree, you must have an average GPA of 3 or 78% or B grade equivalent in the qualifying undergraduate degree.
  •  Experience at the senior level in at least one of computer science or statistics is a requirement for some institutes. 
  • IELTS score of 6.5-7 or TOEFL(IBT) scores of 86-100
  • GMAT/GRE scores.

Now that we have sorted the eligibility criteria, let’s move on to the types of courses offered in the MS Data Science program in Canada.

Suggested Read: List of Documents You Require to Study Abroad

MS in Data Science Canada: What Do You Learn in Data Science Canada?

Understanding what you will be taught in the Data Science program will help you gauge a better idea about the course. The table below shows you keep subjects you will learn at the top universities for Masters in Data Science in Canada:  

Universities Program Offered Course
University of TorontoThe Master of Science in Applied Computing (MScAC) Concentration in Data Science 
  • Communication for Computer Scientists
  • Data Wrangling
  • Data Visualization
University of British ColumbiaMaster of Data Science
  • Programming for Data Science
  • Data Wrangling
  • Statistical Inference
  • Computation
Thompson Rivers UniversityMaster of Science in Data Science
  • Statistical Design
  • Inference for Data Science
  • Data and Database Management for Data Science
  • Theoretical Machine Learning
Queen’s UniversityMaster of Management Analytics program
  • Big Data Analytics
  • Analytical Decision Making Predictive Modeling
University of Western OntarioThe Master of Data Analytics program 
  • Introduction to Data Science
  • Business Skills for Data Scientists
  • Statistical Modeling
HEC Montreal Master of Science (MSc) – Data Science and Business Analytics
  • Forecasting methods
  • Decision Analysis
  • Statistical Modeling
Simon Fraser UniversityThe Professional Master’s program, Big Data Specialization
  • Data Mining 
  • Big Data Systems
  • Visualization
Ryerson UniversityMSc in Data Science and Analytics program
  • Management of Big Data and Big Data tools
  • Data Mining
  • Machine Learning
  • Advanced-Data Visualization
Carleton UniversityData Science collaborative programs 
  • Data Science Seminar 
  • Critical Data Studies 
  • Data Integration
University of WaterlooMaster of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MDSAI) and Master of Mathematics (M.Math) in Data Science
  • Exploratory Data Analysis
  • Machine Learning
  • Data Visualization

You can check out the university websites for further information on the courses offered. 

Speaking of the best universities and courses, you definitely need to know how much does it cost you to study MS Data Science in Canada. So, here’s a break-up: 

Costs of Studying MS Data Science in Canada:

The cost of pursuing an MS Data Science degree in Canada can be divided into three categories: pre-arrival costs, cost of study, and cost of living.

You can take care of the overall cost of studying master’s in Data Science in Canada by also signing up for a smart funding option like FundRight, to plan and support your expenses abroad. 

Here is a quick overview of the estimated expenses:

  • Pre arrival costs:

Program application fees76-136 CAD4,656.29 – 8,332.30 
Visa application 235 CAD14,397.73
Health insurance10,000 CAD6,12,669.24

Note: The program application fees vary for every university.

You can also include test costs in your pre-arrival costs. That costs about: 

Exams Cost (CAD)Cost (₹)
TOEFL236.61 CAD14,500
IELTS 253.05 CAD15,500

Canadian Academic English Language

195 CAD11,942

French Proficiency Tests

440 CAD26,963.64
GRE (General/ subject)266.11/187.84 CAD16,300/ 11,500
Gmat 343.02 CAD21,000
  • Cost of Study:

The average cost of tuition fees for Indian students studying MS Data Science in Canada is about ₹ 12 lakh – ₹ 40 lakh.

  • Cost of Living:

Students in Canada spend on accommodation, food, books and transportation. 

To help you get a quick idea on the type of expenses you can expect, take a look at the table below:

Expense category Cost (CAD)Cost(₹)
Student dormitory/ residence8,000-10,000CAD/ year4,90,341.28 – 6,12,665.87
Off-campus residence400-700 CAD/ month24,517.06 – 42,904.86
Food 200-600 CAD/ month12,255.36 – 36,766.09
Books 800-7,000 CAD/year49,031.03 – 4,29,021.53
Transportation 80-120 CAD/ month4,903.10 – 7,354.65

The cost of living and related expenditures will vary depending on personal choices, lifestyle and region you choose to live in. Cities like Vancouver and Toronto are comparatively  expensive to live in as to other cities. 

Refer: Accommodation for international students in Canada

On the brighter side, to effectively manage these costs you can apply for scholarships to study in Canada. 

Suggested Read: Best Cities to Study in Canada

Scholarships to Study MS Data Science Canada: Which Are Some of the Scholarships to Study in Canada for an International Student?

There are a number of scholarships available to study Data Science courses in Canada. Starting from government scholarships to university-offered scholarships, you have a couple of options to apply to choose from for MS in Data Science in Canada. Some of them are 

1. Master of Data Science International Scholarship

Offered by the University of British Columbia, entrance scholarships of up to $25,000 CAD are offered annually to an international student in each of the MS in Data Science in Canada, Vancouver, Okanagan and Computational Linguistics programs. 

This scholarship is awarded to students demonstrating academic and leadership achievements in their undergraduate or graduate program, field or industry. 

2. JN Tata endowment Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to Indian students aspiring to pursue master’s in Canada. The scholarship amounts to 1600 – 18,135 CAD.

3. Ontario Graduate Scholarships

For students pursuing a master’s degree in Ontario, the amount is 20,000 – 32,000 CAD.

4. Ryerson Graduate Scholarships

International students who undertake master’s programs at the Ryerson Graduate are awarded 15,000 CAD.

5. GradRight Scholarships

With GradRight you can bag rewarding scholarships to study master’s in Data Science in Canada at ease. 

Job Opportunities After Masters in Data Science in Canada:

To measure your ROI after masters in Data Science in Canada, Look at jobs and expected salaries to gauge your future prospects in the field. 

Title Average Salary/year In INR/ year
Business intelligence analyst 68,995-77,500 CAD42 lakhs-47 lakhs
Data Analyst58,443-61,387 CAD36 lakhs- 38 lakhs
Data engineer87,922-98,646 CAD54 lakhs- 60 lakhs
Machine learning engineer85,660-105475 CAD52lakhs- 64 lakhs
Financial analyst63,878 CAD+39 lakhs+
Data scientist 77,870-95,219 CAD47-58 lakhs

MS Data Science graduates can look forward to recruiters from top companies in Canada like 

  • Wipro
  • Royal Bank of Canada 
  • Cognizant Technology solutions
  • Netflix and Amazon
  • Microsoft, Latent View, Genpact. 

A Masters in Data Science in Canada will open doors to various opportunities that include exposure to international corporations. 

With affordable fees and attractive scholarships, Canada is the perfect country to study for a master’s in Data Science in 2024 for a rewarding future.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question 1: Is Canada a good choice for MS in Data Science?

Ans: Yes, globally ranked universities in Canada like the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia offer attractive programs for MS data science. Scholarships and future job opportunities for Data Science in Canada too are seemingly bright. 

Question 2: Are scholarships available to study in Canada?

Ans: Numerous scholarships are offered by the Canadian government for various degrees and programs to study Data Science in Canada. 

Question 3: Is MS in Data Science in Canada a good course?

Ans: MS in data science is a trending course globally, expecting to meet the increasing demands of data scientists around the world.

Question 4: What kind of jobs can I get after studying for a Masters in Data Science in Canada?

Ans: You can work as a Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Entrepreneur, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Analyst, etc.

Question 5: What is the salary of Data Scientists in Canada?

Ans: The average salary of Data Scientists in Canada ranges from 77,870 CAD – 95,219 CAD, i.e, 47-58 lakhs.

Picture of Shivani Mani

Shivani Mani

Shivani, aka 'Sheen' brings in 15+ years of experience in banking & finance. An IIM-A alumna, she actively interacts with students & provides actionable solutions to their study abroad funding issues.

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