Image and signal processing affect our daily lives in an ever-increasing way. Participate in designing this fascinating technology and shape IT‘s future function in business and society. Today‘s networked devices for image and signal generation provide a historically unmatched volume of raw data for automated decision making and control systems. The demands are high: How can we design new tools and software in order to best distil useful information? A lot of interesting research and development projects in the private and the public sectors are calling for your expertise. Alternatively, this degree will open career tracks in universities and research labs.
The international Joint Degree Master Programme„Applied Image and Signal Processing“ is conducted in English. The standard period of study is four semesters. The full program is worth a total of 120 points according to the ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). The academic degree of „Master of Science in Engineering“ (MSc) will be awarded upon successful completion of the programme.
From Theory to Practice (Curriculum)
The first semester is devoted to a concise study of the theoretical basis, the mathematical models and the algorithms used in image and signal processing. The second semester additionally focuses on geometric modelling, audio processing and digital media formats. Starting with the third semester, specific application scenarios are discussed and corresponding technologies are investigated in a number of elective courses.
Choose your Elective Courses
The elective courses comprise medical imaging, platform specific signal processing, data science, biometric systems, media security, computational geometry and machine learning.
Apply your Scientific Knowledge
In the third semester, students also start research on their master thesis and acquire profound IT-project management skills. The fourth semester is dedicated to the completion of the master thesis. An accompanying master seminar provides a forum for presenting and defending one‘s approach to a solution and the results obtained, i.e., for scientific discourse with faculty and peers.
Modules & Competences
This Joint Degree Master Programme is designed to provide students with an in-depth professional and scientific training. Based on appropriate prior bachelor studies, this programme offers a thorough technical training in conjunction with research-driven teaching. It will make the participants familiar with introductory and advanced-level topics in the fields of image and signal processing, their formal and methodical basics, and with diverse fields of application. The sound knowledge and skills acquired in this programme qualify the alumni for diverse practical challenges in their professional work and empower them to contribute to future innovations in image and signal processing. A master thesis serves as a documentary proof of the student‘s ability to tackle scientific problems successfully on his or her own and to come up with a result that is correct with regards to contents and methodology. Furthermore the publication of Master Thesis is intended. Thus, this programme also paves the road to subsequent work in science and technology.
The Institute for Digital Communications (IDCOM) is the UK's leading research institute in signal processing and communications and is home to the Li-Fi research and development centre. We have three major centres of activity; signal processing, communications systems and tomographic imaging. Our programme of research delivers world leading research in signal and image processing and communications from fundamental theoretical and algorithmic work through to its translation to specific audio, imaging, radar/sonar, and communications applications.
The Institute has excellent research facilities, including state-of-the-art computing systems and laboratories for agile tomography, and audio signal processing, as well as the Li-Fi research and development centre for visible light communications. Internationally recognised for our research on communications systems and signal processing, we offer research topics including: green radio; visible light communications; cognitive radio; compressive sensing; distributed sensor signal processing; and agile tomography.
IDCOM holds the only UK Research Council platform award in sensor signal processing, in collaboration with the joint research institute in signal and image processing and Heriot-Watt University, recognising our world leading research status.
The development of transferable skills is a vital part of postgraduate training and a vibrant, interdisciplinary training programme is offered to all research students by the University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD). The programme concentrates on the professional development of postgraduates, providing courses directly linked to postgraduate study.
Courses run by the IAD are free and have been designed to be as flexible as possible so that you can tailor the content and timing to your own requirements.
Our researchers are strongly encouraged to present their research at conferences and in journal during the course of their PhD.
Every year, the Graduate School organises a Postgraduate Research Conference to showcase the research carried out by students across the Research Institutes
Our researchers are also encouraged and supported to attend transferable skills courses provided by organisations such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The Institute has excellent research facilities, including state-of-the-art computing systems and laboratories for usability engineering, audio signal processing and visible light communications.
This programme is structured around topics in systems and signal processing, with specialisms in control and systems theory, image processing and machine learning. Skills developed are sought after by industry (biotech, financial services, systems engineering, medical imaging, etc) and the academic research community. The modules have a high mathematical content and much of the material is computationally based, developing strong transferable skills in algorithmic development and programming.
Semester one: Signal Processing; Control System Design; Machine Learning; Computer Vision.
Semester two: Advanced Systems and Signal Processing; Digital Control System Design; Applied Control Systems; Biological Inspired Robotics; Advanced Computer Vision; Image Processing; Advanced Machine Learning; Computational Finance; Computational Biology; Biometrics.
Plus three-month independent research project culminating in a dissertation.
The huge growth of processing power, now available in small power-efficient packages, has fuelled the digital revolution, which has touched all sectors of the economy. This practically orientated, advanced course in the area of electronics design and applications provides a strong digital technology core backed with applications-led modules.
You’ll study applications as diverse as medical and electronics, e-health, intelligent building design, automotive electronics, retail and commerce to prepare you for a range of careers in industry, where the skills you gain will be in high demand. A substantial element of practical work will give you confidence with software and digital hardware implementations using microcontrollers, FPGA, DSP devices and general system-on-chip methodology.
You’ll be taught by experts informed by their own world-leading research, and you’ll have access to world-class facilities to prepare for a career in a fast-changing industry.
Our School is an exciting and stimulating environment where you’ll learn from leading researchers in specialist facilities . These include our Keysight Technologies wireless communications lab, as well as labs for embedded systems, power electronics and drives, ultrasound and bioelectronics.
There’s also a Terahertz photonics lab, class 100 semiconductor cleanroom, traffic generators and analysers, FPGA development tools, sensor network test beds. We have facilities for electron-beam lithography and ceramic circuit fabrication – and a III-V semiconductor molecular beam epitaxy facility.
This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council.
The programme is built around a set of core modules that will develop your knowledge and skills areas such as digital signal processing, embedded microprocessor systems and how electronics and communications technology could be used in healthcare. You’ll also take a core lab-based module to give you experience of different circuits, systems, equipment and tools.
Optional modules will give you the chance to develop specialist knowledge. If you don’t have any experience of C programming, you’ll take Programming – otherwise, you can choose to take either this module of Software Development. Then you’ll choose one additional module specialising either in data communications and network security or the principles of digital wireless communications.
To build your understanding of the global electronics industry, you’ll also complete a dissertation. This could take the form of a business, manufacturing or outsourcing plan, a proposal for research funding or an essay on a specific aspect of the industry.
Over the summer months you’ll also work on your research project. This gives you the chance to work as an integral part of one of our active research groups, focusing on a specialist topic in computer science and selecting the appropriate research methods.
Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Embedded Systems Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.
Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.
The research project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and may include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.
Embedded systems are ubiquitous in engineering and graduates are likely to find employment in a wide and diverse range of industries including: communications, automotive, transport, construction, industrial, automation, energy and environmental monitoring
You’ll have access to the wide range of engineering and computing careers resources held by our Employability team in our dedicated Employability Suite. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops. Our annual Engineering and Computing Careers Fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UK’s leading employers.
The University's Careers Centre also provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
