Applying for masters in CS in Canada from a social science background

[chelseaplus]

Hello everyone,

I have a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Asia (sadly had a rocky start during the first year and got Bs in some intro to programming & calculus I-III courses but did much better in latter years with an overall GPA of 3.5+).

Later, I pursued a Master's degree in social sciences at one of the UCs in California (GPA 3.9+) with a full ride. During my Master's program, I took a lot of foundational courses in computer science and data science (linear algebra, discrete mathematics, data structures (Python), natural language processing) and received A/A+ grades in all of them. Additionally, as my track's in economics, I  have taken a number of courses in statistics and econometrics (R & Stata). I also audited a machine learning course (based on the grades on Gradescope and confirmed by the professor, I could've received an A-, but of course it doesn't appear on my official transcript). My IELTS score is 8.0 and my GRE score is 333 (V163, Q170, AW 5.0).

Currently, I am employed full-time in social science research at an Ivy. However, I have discovered a deeper passion for CS classes than my current field and am determined to make my transition into it. While my current contract extends until August 2025, I'm planning to take advantage of an employee benefit program to enroll in courses such as database management, operating systems, computer networks, and others related to computer science during the upcoming fall term.

Given my lack of interest in pursuing a social science PhD (I do know people with social science PhDs who have later become data scientists at places like Meta, but this demands so much more effort), and as I am an international student and have exhausted my OPT for a master's degree in the U.S., my current plan entails waiting until the conclusion of my current job in the summer of 2025 and then transition into a computer science or data science Master's program in Canada. I would greatly appreciate any advice you may have regarding finding suitable schools and making preparations for this transition.

I have considered Simon Fraser University's professional CS program in Big Data, Northeastern Vancouver's Align program or CS general program, the University of Waterloo's MDSAI, and the University of Toronto's MSCAC. However, I recognize that the latter two options may present greater competition, despite the potentially broader job opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area. Additionally, I am aware of the competitive nature of the aforementioned programs and understand that I may need to put forth extra effort in various aspects. One potential advantage is that I have already completed or will soon complete some prerequisite courses at reputable institutions. However, there remains a disparity between my target and my undergraduate major and internship experiences. I have previously engaged in text analysis/natural language processing research in social sciences & have contributed to research in an open data/digital government policy project at an NGO/international organization though. Nonetheless, I am not sure if I can stand out among applicants who used to major in computer science or have worked in this area before (maybe applying for a research assistantship in this area might be conducive? but that seems challenging with my background). Thank you immensely for your advice on strengthening my candidacy, and I am eager to learn more about other potential programs in Canada that may align better with my goals.