What is the best Graduate School for Computer Graphics and Visulization in Canada?

[Z]

The topic basically says it all...

"What is the best Graduate School for Computer Graphics and Visulization in Canada?"

I know UW is the best bet for computer sci in general but their graphics research isn't too strong. I the following univs are doing graphics..

Anyway can give idea which univ is best for computer graphics, and how is SFU ?

Z.

[apomb]

google has alot of answers

and what is SFU?

[Vermette]

SFU (probably)= Simon Fraser U

You could look through SIGGRAPH and scan the proceedings for the last couple of years. Keep a tally of any paper whose primary author is at a Canadian Uni. That could give you an idea of the hot players in the field. Bonus points if that paper is referenced!

Graphics however is an incredibly dense field. Do you have a particular interest? i.e. hardware piplining, rasterization, machine vision, pattern-matching, raytracing, special algorithms, and so on to name a scant few.

[Dan]

Lakehead has a VR (virutal relaity lab) witch is prity cool and i know the prof that runs it. He seems to be rather knwoabgle about the subject of graphics.

However i don't know what grad school is like at lakehead and i am not sure if you would want to go to a small school.

What is "best" is all ways subjective so it is a hard question for others to awnser for you.

[Zeroth]

Based on what I've seen, as a research flunky, you may be in for a surprise at UBC-Vancouver. A good one. SFU is pretty good too. Really, just take a look at SIGGRAPH like they suggested. I think if you have access to a university library, they can show you the search engines that are available only to university libraries, that'll help you find a good school. Don't forget to talk to counsellors! They might be able to help. Good luck on the search.

[Z]

Yes, infact you are right, Graphics is pretty dense. I am mostly interested in Real-Time rendering, lighting, physically based modelling, GPU methods and etc (mainly game graphics related elements). Rating a university in terms of their graphics program is pretty tough because some school good at Computer Sci doesn't necessarily mean it's good in graphics too. Graphics is pretty much still a US based program but still I am looking for Canadian options. Only a few schools are doing graphics in Canada and even less in Game-Graphics area. Among them are schools like UBC, SFU, UoA, UoT, UW, UoC. UoC graphics program is pretty monotonic and deals with only Computer Modelling of Plants and vegetation. UBC is also good but not too sure about their current graphics trend. UoT is probably the best in this line and SFU seems good too. McGill, though being the top schools in the country for engineering and computer sci, doesn't do graphics. But how would you rank these universities based on.

1. Computer Graphics Program
2. Job opportunities in Graphics or Game industry after passing out
3. General reputation.

My guess is:

UoT
SFU
UBC
UoC
UW
UoA

Z.

[Zeroth]

Hey Z, I'll find out about how the graphics program is at UBC for you, okay? I go to UBC-Okanagan(Kelowna, in BC). Theres some pretty nifty graphics research going on right now, like a couple of years ago, a group of undergraduate students came up with a system for determining the distance of an object from a photograph. Several have since been hired on by NASA or the Canadian equivalent. As well, one of my professors used to consult with Nvidia on graphics chip design.

[apomb]

Nvidia has probably the most advanced image-rendering hardware on the market today... you'd probably be better off going into the industry instead of going to grad school for gaining any type of real experience.

[Z]

Actually I did get an offer from SFU and Calgary for Graphics and Vis. Sometimes I regret for not applying in UBC in the first place. Anyway, I declined Calgary's offer due to their one-directional plant rendering research and accepted the SFU's offer. SFU is kind of diverse, though they too dont deal with game elements but still it's ok i guess. I did have a short stint at EA-Redwood Shore Studio right after my BSc. Basically I look forward to working in some cool game companies and Vancouver has got a few of them, like EA-Canada, Rockstar, Radical and etc. Most of the EA-Canada dudes are from Waterloo, but I didn't find waterloo's graphics particularly strong - maybe most of the waterloo kids over there are working for other aspects of gaming, maybe AI, physics and etc (i dont know).

Anyone from Vancouver here ? maybe we can meet as I already booked my flight on 24th Aug.

Z.

[Zeroth]

Good job! Anyway, as I can say from being a research student... it doesn't matter what is taught at you in University, but what you learn. So, even if you go do the plant modelling, if you decide to apply what you've learned elsewhere, then you most certainly can! Dunno why I'm saying this, since you've already made it through a BsC.