The Institute for Computing System Architecture (ICSA) will provide you with academic resources and industry links that are among the best in the world.
We are home to the UK’s largest group of PhD researchers in the field, and host a Centre of Excellence in partnership with ARM, the world’s largest microprocessor intellectual property provider. We are also a member of the European Network of Excellence on High Performance and Embedded Architecture and Compilation.
Our current research is focused on the areas of:
While the scope for research is wide, each area is underpinned by our fundamental aims:
You’ll be supported in your research by award-winning academic staff – including four Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering. They and other research colleagues have contributed to what is an enviable publications portfolio, featuring some of the most prestigious publications in the field.
You’ll graduate with more than an intensive knowledge of your field: you’ll also have established academic and personal links that will last a lifetime.
The School of Informatics holds a Silver Athena SWAN award, in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The School is deploying a range of strategies to help female staff and students of all stages in their careers and we seek regular feedback from our research community on our performance.
The award-winning Informatics Forum is an international research facility for computing and related areas. It houses more than 400 research staff and students, providing office, meeting and social spaces.
It also contains two robotics labs, an instrumented multimedia room, eye-tracking and motion capture systems, and a full recording studio amongst other research facilities. Its spectacular atrium plays host to many events, from industry showcases and student hackathons to major research conferences.
Nearby teaching facilities include computer and teaching labs with more than 250 machines, 24-hour access to IT facilities for students, and comprehensive support provided by dedicated computing staff.
Among our entrepreneurial initiatives is Informatics Ventures, set up to support globally ambitious software companies in Scotland and nurture a technology cluster to rival Boston, Pittsburgh, Kyoto and Silicon Valley.
Our students see their degrees as a launchpad for their careers, and many have established themselves as world-class researchers and developers. By joining their ranks, you will be able to make your mark on the next generation of technological innovations.
Academic and business employers actively recruit ICSA graduates, many of whom are now designing the next generation of products for major software developers, or taking the lead in other entrepreneurial ventures.
The Master’s programme focuses on designing and using complex modern computer systems. As part of the programme, students cover such subjects as innovation and entrepreneurship, hardware systems design and modelling, computer architecture and programming, software project management and databases, to name but a few.
Students can choose between the following two specialisations:
The Department of Computer Engineering received the IBM Faculty Award 2011 and has an excellent partnership with experts from the IBM Development Centre in Germany and the IBM research laboratory in Israel.
The Computer and Systems Engineering Master's programme focuses on the education of designing and using modern complex computer systems. Nowadays computer systems are used more or less everywhere, they are extremely diverse and most of them are "invisible" to users. Such systems include not only traditional PC-s and sophisticated supercomputers, but also computer systems "embedded" into cars and mobile phones, for instance. Most of these computers are interconnected via various wired and wireless networks and do not work in isolation. These embedded systems can be either stand-alone items or an integral part of a larger system and represent the combination of software and hardware designed to perform specific functions.
When studying the Computer and Engineering Systems programme, students are exposed to systems design and modelling, computer architectures and programming, to name few of the topics. Exposure to those topics will position students well for jobs at small, medium and large companies. Their jobs will involve defining, designing and using embedded computer system in areas such as automotive electronics, consumer devices, telecommunications, etc.
The Computer and Systems Engineering programme is supervised by two departments of TUT - Department of Computer Engineering (DCE) and Department of Computer Control (DCC). Students can choose between two of the following specialisations:
Faculty of Information Technology (founded in 1965) trains specialists in the main fields of information and communications technology (ICT) at bachelor, master and doctoral level. High-quality knowledge based teaching and training is based on international research and development activities, and tight cooperation with ICT industry.
There are more than 2100 students annually learning in the faculty, which employs 150 faculty members, lecturers, researchers and engineers.
Graduates find employment as specialists in the design, realisation, application and administration of computerised equipment and systems. Career opportunities are varied: computer and software companies; banks; diagnostic systems in manufacturing, service, medicine; "smart" houses and manufacturing systems; industrial automation; management control and monitoring systems in air, water and ground based transport, etc. Master’s degree holders interested in high-level research work and university staff positions have the opportunity to continue their studies in the PhD programme.
Career opportunities and potential jobs: designer of computer and automated control systems and the components thereof, project manager, software developer, department manager, management board member, and management board chairman.
Offered through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Master of Science in Computer Engineering prepares students to apply sophisticated computer architecture and integrated circuit design techniques toward modern computing systems using industry-standard design tools. Faculty and students work together to explore solutions for photonic computing; create state-of-the-art advances in high-performance computing; and improve the reliability of cloud computing.
The program offers up-to-date knowledge and skills in the advances of computer systems architecture and networking, as well as the rapidly-growing use of superscalar microprocessors, real-time embedded systems, VLSI and ASIC design modules, digital signal processors and networked computing platforms.
Students may choose to focus on the following areas of focus in their coursework and thesis:
The Computer Science MSc provides a balance between computer science theory and practical software engineering skills, including teamwork for industrial or research clients. Graduates find employment in the IT industry, or complement their first degree subject with computer science knowledge, leading to interdisciplinary industrial positions and PhD research.
You will learn fundamental aspects of how computers work by taking modules in computer architecture, operating systems, compilers, data structures and algorithms. You will also gain practical knowledge in areas such as human-computer interaction, App design, databases and software engineering. You will develop programming skills in modern languages, such as object-oriented Java for Android development.
Team working, project planning and communication skills are developed by working in small groups developing software for real industrial and research clients. Optional modules allow specialisation in subjects such as functional programming, computer music, entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of five core modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits) and a research project (60 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Students must choose a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 45 credits from Group One options. For the remaining credits, students can choose up to 30 credits from Group Two options and up to 15 credits from Electives.
Group One Options (15 to 45 credits)
Group Two Options (up to 30 credits)
Please note: the availability and delivery of optional modules may vary, depending on your selection.
A list of acceptable elective modules is available on the Departmental page.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent computer-based science project which culminates in a dissertation in the form of a project report.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and tutorials. Lectures are often supported by laboratory work with help from demonstrators. Student performance is assessed by unseen written examinations, coursework and a substantial individual project.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Computer Science MSc
Graduates from UCL are keenly sought after by the world's leading organisations, and many progress in their careers to secure senior and influential positions. UCL Computer Science graduates are particularly valued as a result of the department's strong international reputation, strong links with industry, and ideal location close to the City of London. Our graduates secure careers in a wide variety of organisations; for example with global IT consultancies, as IT analysts with City banks, or as IT specialists within manufacturing industries.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
This degree opens up many different career paths. Recent graduates have been employed by some of the world's leading IT companies such as Accenture, Barclays Capital and Credit Suisse. The entrepreneurial spirit is ignited in other students and they may either start their own companies or join dynamic start-ups. Other graduates have gone on to PhD study to conduct cutting-edge research in areas that interest them.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
UCL Computer Science is recognised as a world leader in teaching and research.
UCL received the highest percentage (96%) for quality of research in Computer Science and Informatics in the UK's most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014).
Our Master's programmes have some of the highest employment rates and starting salaries, with graduates entering a wide variety of industries from entertainment to finance.
We take an experimental approach to our subject, enjoy the challenge and opportunity of entrepreneurial partnerships and place a high value on our extensive range of industrial collaborations.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Computer Science
96% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This MSc programme takes two years of full-time study, covering a wide spectrum of fields in Computer Science and Information Technology. It is suitable for students with diverse academic backgrounds, such as computer science, engineering, statistics, mathematics and related disciplines.
The programme has been awarded with the GRIN 2015 Quality Label.
GRIN is an Italian association that aims at promoting research and education in Computer Science.
The programme unfolds into three semesters of full-time lectures and lab experience. During the last semester, students work on an individual project and dissertation, supervised by a department member. The programme is organized around two curricula, which include both compulsory and elective courses, from which students have to build their study plan for qualification. The two curricula, which include a first semester of common courses on advanced topics in computer science and mathematics, are the following:
Data Management and Analytics (DMA)
This curriculum is designed to train a new generation of professionals specialized on data. Specifically, the study program of this curriculum allows students to acquire skills and key competences such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, advanced databases and information retrieval, statistics, data mining and visualization, cloud, distributed and parallel computing.
Software Dependability and Cyber Security (SDCS)
The curriculum aims at training specialists in software engineering with advanced skills in software correctness verification, in design of secure and privacy aware systems, and their performance evaluation. The study program for this profile allows students to acquire skills in system modelling, in evaluating and verifying software requirements in terms of correctness, scalability and performance, in secure programming and cyber security.
To enter the programme applicants need to have an equivalent of a three-year Italian undergraduate degree (Laurea) such as a BSc degree in Computer Science or related subject, with good background on fundamental topics in computer science and engineering, such as programming languages and software engineering, algorithms, computer architecture, operating systems, databases, and computer networks. Further requirements include basic knowledge of calculus, discrete mathematics, and probability and statistics, foundations of computer science.
The classes start in September. Please note that it is best to apply as early as possible. Applications are made directly to the University of Venice. For full details visit How to apply, or contact the Head of Study ([email protected]).
Students graduating from the MSc in Computer Science may use their new computing skills to enhance their employment prospects in work related to their first degree. Graduates interested in foundational, experimental, and applied research, can join our PhD Programme in Computer Science.
Offered through the Department of Computer Science, the Master of Science in Computer Science helps students acquire advanced programming and coding skills that going beyond basic concepts to cover topics such as artificial intelligence, graphic and user interface and cloud computing.
Taught by faculty from top-tier institutions and within the growing tech industry of the mid-Atlantic region, students can expect a rigorous curriculum that builds on the foundations of computer science while offering course options that address modern technological issues in the following areas:
Our computer science conversion course is for those who have little or no experience in computing. You will study the principles and practice of computing. It will include the fundamentals of computing science, database design, network technologies and programming.
This course can also be taken as Continuing Professional Development (CPD), for example by ICT teachers who are switching to the new Computer Science curriculum.
Our graduates have an excellent record of finding employment (around 90%). Recent examples include:
-Graduate Trainee, British Airways
-Software Developer, IBM UK
-Graduate Developer, Scott Logic
-Software Engineer, BT
Our research expertise feeds into our teaching. This means that you learn at the cutting edge of the discipline. We incorporate new techniques and knowledge into your learning and have an active research community. We have several research groups and four three research centres.
The course is delivered by the School of Computing. You can study over one year full time or two years' part time.
The first nine months of the full time course are devoted to taught modules (120 credits), which are examined by written papers. There will be about 20 contact hours per week. You will also undertake a substantial amount of supervised and unsupervised practical work.
The taught part of the course follows three main threads:
The three summer months are devoted to a dissertation project (worth 60 credits).
You can find more information on the School website:
We seek British Computer Society (BCS) accreditation for all our degrees. This ensures that you will graduate with a degree that meets the standards set out by the IT industry. A BCS-accredited degree provides the foundation for professional membership of the BCS on graduation. This is the first step to becoming a chartered IT professional.
The School of Computing Science at Newcastle University is an accredited and a recognised Partner in the Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science.
You will have dedicated computing facilities in the School of Computing. You will have access to the latest tools for system analysis and development. For certain projects, special facilities for networking can be set up.
You will enjoy access to specialist IT facilities to support your studies, including:
We have moved to the new £58m purpose-built Urban Sciences Building. Our new building offers fantastic new facilities for our students and academic community. The building is part of Science Central, a £350 million project bringing together:
Study Computer Science, Mathematics and Nuclear Education at a world-class university
