– Read 2-3 recent papers from potential supervisors. Understand their lab's focus. Do not email a professor saying, "I want to do AI research." Be specific: "I read your CHI 2023 paper on gaze-assisted selection, and I’m interested in extending the user study to mobile devices."
A: Absolutely. You still need a faculty supervisor who agrees to oversee it. Do not be discouraged if they suggest modifications.
COMP 396 is a unique offered by the School of Computer Science at McGill University . Unlike traditional lecture-based courses, it focuses on independent research under the direct supervision of a professor. Core Requirements and Eligibility comp 396 mcgill
Before enrolling, you must ensure you meet the baseline requirements. Typically, McGill requires students to have completed COMP 251 (Algorithms and Data Structures) and maintain a solid CGPA (often a minimum of 3.00 or higher, though exceptions are made based on the supervisor's discretion). It is a course designed for students who have mastered the basics and are ready to apply them to unsolved problems.
If you are serious about grad school, COMP 396 is invaluable. Even if not, it’s a great way to see if research is for you — and to get a strong letter of recommendation. Start looking at least one full semester in advance . Good luck! – Read 2-3 recent papers from potential supervisors
The schedule is flexible. Some projects are theoretical (proofs, complexity analysis) and have no coding at all.
| Course | Focus | Team Size | Research vs. Development | |--------|-------|-----------|--------------------------| | | Undergraduate research | Individual (rarely pair) | Research | | COMP 400 | Software engineering project | Teams of 4-5 | Development (client-driven) | | COMP 401 | Research project (Honours) | Individual | Research (more rigorous) | | COMP 599 | Independent study (graduate) | Individual | Advanced research | You still need a faculty supervisor who agrees to oversee it
The primary goal of COMP 396 is to provide a "real-world" research experience. COMP 396 Undergraduate Research Project (3 credits)
Visit the McGill School of Computer Science (SOCS) website. Look at the faculty directory and filter by research areas. Do you like Game Theory? Look into Prof. Adrian Vetta. Interested in Reinforcement Learning? Check out the Reasoning and Learning Lab. 2. The "Cold Email" Strategy
McGill offers several project-oriented courses. Here is how COMP 396 compares: