Advanced Computer Science (MSc)

About the Course

Computer Scientists are in more demand today than ever before due to the increasing reliance on Computer Systems and Software, this is further compounded with the continual introduction of cutting edge and new technologies. Therefore, an advanced master degree in Computer Science will make you highly employable, having developed practical skills in computing systems and software development. 

You will be ideally placed to gain employment in a wide range of high-demand jobs including software engineering, systems development and other related fields. This course aims to equip postgraduate students with core skills in: Data Analytics, Numerical Methods, Theoretical Computer Science, Programming and Applied Computer Science. In addition, students will also undertake a selection of courses such as: Data Communications, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, High Performance Computing, Advances in Computer Science, Visualisation, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. 

Accreditation

Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.

Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for Incorporated Engineer and partially meeting the academic requirement for a Chartered Engineer

Curriculum Overview

Two courses will be 60 credits and run year long. This will allow for both a October and January entry (January starters will register for a different run of the course but will be taught alongside October starters). Both January and October entrants will embark on their dissertation/Project after competition of 120 taught credits only.

Advanced Computer Science covers a wide range of specific topics such as:

• Data Analytics
• Theoretical Computer Science
• Numerical Methods
• Applied Computer Science
• Programming
• Data Communications
• Cyber Security
• Visualisation, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
• High Performance Computing
• Advances in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• The Internet of Things

Assessment is through a mixture of coursework and examination. The ethos within the Department is to foster enthusiasm for Computer Science and so assessment is largely through project work, giving you the opportunity to explore the subject area and focus on those specific topics that capture your interest. The project entails research and innovation as well as practical industrial applications of the ideas developed during the programme of study.

The dissertation gives the student an opportunity to use the skills gained throughout the PG taught provision. The students are expected to specialise in a specific area of research in order to create something new, or to scientifically investigate research questions. They are expected to independently solve problems in innovative ways. The dissertation constructed during this practice should reflect the scientific process and be self-reflective, critical and clear in its explanation of its hypothesis and in its synthesis of ideas.

Each individual dissertation is worth 60 credits and this is expected to be a student led investigation into a relevant area of Computer Science. A “pool” of topics is available that reflects the research interests of the staff within the department, however, a student can propose their own topic which is then considered by the PG coordinator. Ultimately the research topic needs to be agreed with and approved by the PG coordinator.   Students are assigned to a specialist tutor that guides them through the research process.

The dissertation will normally involve the investigation of related research work, relevant innovative and emerging technologies and concepts. This involves the use of case study scenarios and the critique of the research findings in the form of a dissertation. We strongly encourage our students to produce publishable research work, where possible, and thus provide an opportunity to jointly publish their research work with members of the team. Workload allocation is in accordance with the agreed Common Dissertation Policy for allocation and supervision.

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a Second-Class Honours degree in Computer Science, Computing, Science, or engineering-based discipline awarded by a UK university, or an equivalent higher education qualification.

International Entry Requirements

For students whose first language is not English there is a language requirement of IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 minimum of all components. In addition to this, we also accept a wide range of International Qualifications, for more information please visit our English Language Requirements page.

For additional information about country specific entry requirements visit the your country pages. 

Teaching and Research

The course is delivered by a small, enthusiastic team which prides itself not only on high teaching quality, which has been independently recognised, but also a vibrant research community; in the most recent Research Excellent Framework Exercise, 100% of the Department’s research was deemed to be internationally excellent or recognised. Staff have expertise in many areas such as: Robotics, Bio-mimetic Systems, Bio-inspired Systems, Spiking and Deep Belief Neural Networks, Machine Intelligence, Virtual Reality , Cognitive Mobile Ad-Hoc Network Design and Network Traffic Packet Analysis. Cyber Security, Mathematical Modelling, Computational Mathematics, Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Wave Propagation, Inverse Problems in Non Homogeneous Media, Human-Robot Interaction, Computational Motor Control, Haptics, Petri Nets, Biomechanics, Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Applications, Metaheuristics.

We have recently opened a purpose-built Robotics Laboratory in a new Science Building, equipped with the latest cutting edge technologies including industry-standard software (e.g. Matlab/Simulink, Labview, Visual Studio, 3D Studio Max), Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality interfaces (e.g. Oculus Rift), exotic robots and 3D printing facilities. The laboratory includes robots (Kilobot swarm robots, Aldebaran Nao, i-Sobot, FlowCode Robotic Buggies, Moway Robotic Buggies, Robo Builder, National Instruments robotic platform), embedded systems and devices for physical computing (e.g. Arduino, Makey Makey, Xilinx Zynq, XMOS, Anadigm FPAA), communication modules, wearable and biomedical sensors, marker less motion capture systems, UAVs and drones.

UK/EU Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for Home/EU students for 2023/24 are £6,000

Funding

We offer a number of scholarships and loans to help fund your postgraduate studies. Visit our scholarships pages for more details.

International Tuition Fees

The International tuition fees for courses starting in the 2023/24 academic year are £12,500 per year.

If you are an international student, visit our international scholarships pages.

Careers

Graduates will have developed scientific and analytical skills which are highly valued in the computing, engineering, IT and business industries. These skills are also transferable to a range of other careers, including research and development in the software and other IT industries, science and engineering consultancy and management roles. In addition, the course provides an excellent foundation for further postgraduate research study through PhD studies.