MSc Advanced Computer Science at University of Essex

Develop expertise in contemporary design and practice within computer science. You graduate with the ability to explore further how technology influences people’s lives.

Our MSc Advanced Computer Science provides you with the flexibility to master the areas of computing that interest and excite you most. You choose from a range of topics including:

• Intelligent systems and robotics
• Machine learning and data mining
• Human language understanding and text processing
• Computer game development
• Cloud and web technologies
• Computer security
• Evolutionary computation

Our School is a community of scholars leading the way in technological research and development. Today’s computer scientists are creative people who are focused and committed, yet restless and experimental. We are home to many of the world’s top scientists, and our work is driven by creativity and imagination as well as technical excellence.

More than two-thirds of our research is rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent' (REF 2014).

This course is also available on a part-time basis.

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements.

Why we're great.

• Tailor your degree and master the areas of computing that interest you the most
• Develop expertise in contemporary design and practice, providing the skills to further explore how technology influences people’s lives
• Our Employability and Careers Centre is on hand to help with careers advice and planning. You will also have opportunities to present your research and travel to international conferences.

Our expert staff

Our research covers a range of topics, from brain-computer interfaces, human language understanding and technology, intelligent and adaptive systems, information and data analysis, robotics and embedded systems, to future networks, optoelectronics and radio frequency and signal processing foundations, with many of our research groups based around laboratories offering world-class facilities.

Our impressive external research funding stands at over £4 million and we participate in a number of EU initiatives and undertake projects under contract to many outside bodies, including government and industrial organisations.

In recent years we have attracted many highly active research staff and we are conducting world-leading research in areas such as evolutionary computation, brain-computer interfacing, intelligent inhabited environments and financial forecasting.

Specialist facilities

We are one of the largest and best resourced computer science and electronic engineering schools in the UK. Our work is supported by extensive networked computer facilities and software aids, together with a wide range of test and instrumentation equipment.

• We have six laboratories that are exclusively for computer science and electronic engineering students. Three are open 24/7, and you have free access to the labs except when there is a scheduled practical class in progress
• All computers are dual boot Windows 10 and Linux. Apple Mac Computers are dual boot MacOS and Windows 10
• Software includes Java, C++, Perl, MySQL, Matlab, Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, and Project
• Students have access to CAD tools and simulators for chip design (Xilinx) and computer networks (OMNet++)
• We also have specialist facilities for research into areas including non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, intelligent environments, robotics, optoelectronics, video, RF and MW, printed circuit milling, and semiconductors