Computing and communications technologies are having a truly disruptive effect on societies and business worldwide. Mobile payments, wireless communications and the ‘Internet of Things’ are transforming the way we approach key challenges in development, security, healthcare and the environment.
Taught jointly by the School of Computing and the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, this course will give you a grasp of all layers needed for mobile communication and computation, from the physical network layer through to the applications that run on mobile devices.
You’ll gain a full understanding of the web and cloud computing infrastructure, as core modules give you a foundation in key topics like systems programming and data communications. A range of optional modules will then allow you to focus on topics that suit your interests and career plans, from cloud computing to embedded systems design and high speed web architecture.
Specialist facilities
You’ll benefit from world-class facilities to support your learning. State-of-the-art visualisation labs including a powerwall, a benchtop display with tracking system, WorldViz PPT optical tracking system and Intersense InertiaCube orientation tracker are all among the specialist facilities we have within the School of Computing.
We also have Ascension Flock of Birds tracking systems, three DOF and 6DOF Phantom force feedback devices, Twin Immersion Corp CyberGloves, a cloud computing testbed, rendering cluster and labs containing both Microsoft and Linux platforms among others. It’s an exciting environment in which to gain a range of skills and experience cutting-edge technology.
You’ll take two core modules in Semester 1 that introduce you to fundamental topics like systems programming and network security. With this foundation, you’ll be able to gain high-level specialist knowledge through your choice of optional modules taught by the School of Computing and the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.
The optional modules you choose will enable you to direct your studies towards topics that suit your personal interests and career ambitions such as mobile app development, digital media engineering, big data, cloud computing and embedded systems design, among others.
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.
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 professional 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.Most projects are experimentally based and linked with companies within the oil and gas industry to ensure the topic of research is relevant to the field whilst also addressing a real-world problem.
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.
Career opportunities are extremely broad, covering jobs in the design of embedded software running on multi-core devices through to jobs involving the design and implementation of new mobile-applications centric systems for business. In the application of mobile computing skills, job opportunities span every area, from the automotive sector through to retail and banking.
You could launch a career in fields such as mobile app development, mobile systems architecture, project management, network consultancy. You could also work as an engineer in embedded mobile communications, network security or research and development among many others – and you’ll even be well-prepared for PhD study.
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.
We have a wide range of testbeds available for projects, including wireless networking, wireless sensors, satellite networking, and security testbeds, future internet testbed and cloud infrastructure.
We also have a wide range of software tools for assignments and project work, including OPNET, NS2/3, Matlab, C, C++ and various system simulators. Some projects can offer the opportunity to work with industry.
Read about the experience of a previous student on this course, Paulo Valente Klaine.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year, until a total of eight is reached. It consists of eight taught modules and a standard project.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The taught postgraduate Degree Programmes of the Department are intended both to assist with professional career development within the relevant industry and, for a small number of students, to serve as a precursor to academic research.
Our philosophy is to integrate the acquisition of core engineering and scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills (where relevant).
To fulfil these objectives, the programme aims to:
Intended capabilities for MSc graduates:
This programme in Mobile Communication Systems reflects the importance and ubiquity of mobile telephony and mobile data communications throughout the world.
Students will gain a detailed knowledge of the fundamentals and advanced concepts involved in communications and 3G/4G/5G mobile technology together with the principles, algorithms and protocols that underpin Internet-based mobile backbone networks.
This material is complemented by study in areas such as mobile applications and web services, mobile app software development, the Internet of Things, network management, and satellite communications.
The teaching material and projects are closely related to the research being carried out in the EE Department's Institute for Communications Research.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Mobile communications provide terrestrial coverage in densely populated areas, while satellite communications enable wireless communication in regions where mobile networking is not cost-effective. The programme gives you an in-depth understanding of the engineering aspects of these important current and future technologies.
Read about the experience of a previous student on this course, Gideon Ewa.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year, until a total of eight is reached. It consists of eight taught modules and a project.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The programme aims to:
Intended capabilities for MSc graduates:
This Programme in Mobile and Satellite Communications reflects the importance of mobile telephony, mobile data communications and satellite-based communications as complementary technologies.
Students will gain a detailed knowledge of the fundamentals and advanced concepts involved in communications and 3G/4G/5G mobile technology, and satellite-based communications and networking.
This material is complemented by study in areas such as mobile applications and web services, mobile app software development, RF design, the Internet of Things, and network management.
The teaching material and projects are closely related to the research being carried out in the EE Department's Institute for Communications Systems.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Developments in cloud computing technology are transforming the way we live and work. This programme will equip you with specialist knowledge in this fast-growing field and allow you to explore a range of advanced topics in computer science.
You’ll gain a foundation in topics like systems programming and algorithms, as well as specialist modules in advanced distributed systems – especially cloud techniques, technologies and applications.
Building on your existing knowledge of computer science, you’ll also choose from optional modules in topics across computer science. You could look at emerging approaches to human interaction with computational systems, data mining and functional programming among others.
The programme will give you the theoretical and practical skills required to design and implement larger, more complex systems using state-of-the-art technologies. You’ll even have the chance to work as an integral member of one of our research groups when you develop your main project.
Specialist facilities
You’ll benefit from world-class facilities to support your learning. State-of-the-art visualisation labs including a powerwall, a benchtop display with tracking system, WorldViz PPT optical tracking system and Intersense InertiaCube orientation tracker are all among the specialist facilities we have within the School of Computing.
We also have Ascension Flock of Birds tracking systems, three DOF and 6DOF Phantom force feedback devices, Twin Immersion Corp CyberGloves, a cloud computing testbed, rendering cluster and labs containing both Microsoft and Linux platforms among others. It’s an exciting environment in which to gain a range of skills and experience cutting-edge technology.
Core modules in Semester 1 will lay the foundations of the programme by giving you an understanding of the key topics of algorithms and systems programming. Throughout the year you’ll also take modules developing your understanding of cloud computing itself, from designing the high-level framework of a distributed system to big data and the “internet of things”.
From there you’ll have the chance to tailor your studies to suit your own preferences. You’ll choose from a wide range of optional modules on diverse topics such as image analysis, machine learning, semantic technologies and developing mobile apps.
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 Advanced Computer Science (Cloud Computing) 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 professional 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.
Recent projects for MSc Advanced Computer Science (Cloud Computing) students have included:
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.
Computing is an essential component of nearly every daily activity, from the collection, transformation, analysis and dissemination of information in business, through to smart systems embedded in commodity devices, the image processing used in medical diagnosis and the middleware that underpins distributed technologies like cloud computing and the semantic web.
This programme will give you the practical skills to gain entry into many areas of applied computing, working as application developers, system designers and evaluators; but further, links between the taught modules and our research provide our students with added strengths in artificial intelligence, intelligent systems, distributed systems, and the analysis of complex data. As a result, you’ll be well prepared for a range of careers, as well as further research at PhD level.
Graduates have found success in a wide range of careers working as business analysts, software engineers, wed designers and developers, systems engineers, information analysts and app developers. Others have pursued roles in consultancy, finance, marketing and education, or set up their own businesses.
