MSc Advanced Computing Science (Part time)
Course options
Key Details
- Attendance
- Part Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2023
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Course Overview
Program your future, just the way you want it. Whether you’re an aspiring programmer, software engineer, data or computer scientist, this Master’s course is the ideal opportunity to set yourself apart from other graduates.
Starting from your BSc degree in computing science (or equivalent), you’ll broaden and deepen your knowledge to an advanced level in research-led subjects such as programming language paradigms, artificial intelligence, cyber security, data science, computer graphics and vision.
Your studies will culminate in an MSc research project on a suitable topic of your choice – giving you the chance to showcase everything you’ve learned and demonstrate your research ability. The emphasis on research is a perfect preparation for the job market once you graduate or alternatively, to do further research studies.
This degree follows the same programme as its full-time equivalent but is spread over two years. A study plan should be discussed with the course director. The total number of credits is 180 with six modules of 20 credits and 60 credits for the project.
Optional modules can be chosen by the student but the compulsory modules, Research Techniques and Advanced Programming, should be ideally taken in the first year, whereas the compulsory Dissertation (project) module would be best taken in the second year of study.
The Advanced Programming module covers historical, established and upcoming programming languages, compilers and interpreters, functional languages, assembly and intermediate languages, code optimisation, high performance computing, software testing and modern software frameworks. The final deliverable of this module will see you produce a prototype of a professional standard software product to tackle a real world problem. You’ll develop this in groups or individually, following industrial software engineering practice and guidelines.
The Research Techniques module will help you master crucial skills such as writing scientific reports and analysing and critically reviewing scientific publications. You will also develop your ability to analyse and process big data resources using basic and advanced statistical methods.
Study and Modules
Structure
The structure of the two-year part-time MSc in Advanced Computing Science course is very flexible and depends on your work (or other) commitments and the time you have available for the course. You should consult the course director (and potentially also your employer) to make a study plan to specify exactly what modules to take in each of four Semesters over the two years.
Our Master’s programme consists of a series of advanced level modules to develop your skills and knowledge, as well as a dissertation that gives you the chance to complete your own research project.
The fundamental (and compulsory) modules of the MSc in Advanced Computing Science course are Advanced Programming (20 credits), Research Techniques (20 credits) and the Project/Dissertation (60 credits).
Your remaining 80 credits are made up of four 20 credit optional modules that are broadly in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science, Information Visualisation, Human Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing, Computer Vision and Sound and Image Processing.
A typical part-time study plan for Year 1 could be as follows:
Year 1 – 80 credits
Semester 1
Advanced Programming (20 credits)
Research Techniques (year-long) (20 credits)
One optional module (20 credits)
Semester 2
Research Techniques (year-long)
One optional Module (20 credits)
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Min Credits: 20, Max Credits: 40)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
You’ll have an average of 15 hours of contact time per week with teaching staff through lectures, laboratory sessions and seminars – though this may vary depending on your module choices.
Most modules are taught mainly through lectures and laboratory sessions, led by our experienced lecturing staff. You’ll also benefit from your lab sessions being facilitated by postgraduate associate tutors who are experts in your specific subject.
Our class sizes are relatively small – ranging from 15-30 students – meaning that you’ll have more opportunity to engage directly with our academics.
Independent study
The very nature of a Master’s course means that you'll spend a lot of time carrying out independent study. On top of your taught sessions, you’ll spend at least 25 hours a week on independent study, coursework assignments and projects.
Assessment
We have a mixture of individual and group assessments. These include written work, presentations or demonstrations, and exams (closed and/or time-limited assessment). They combine theoretical understanding with practical application and are designed to test the range of skills and competencies required for the learning outcomes of each module. The balance of assessment types varies according to the options chosen. Additionally, there is an individual project which is assessed through a combination of written work and demonstration or presentation.
You’ll be assessed by a combination of: Examination/course test, Demonstrations/Presentation, Project and Written assignments.
Structure
A typical part-time study plan for Year 2 could be as follows:
Year 2 – 100 credits
Semester 1
Two optional modules (40 credits)
Semester 2
Project with dissertation (60 credits)
The project with dissertation can be either chosen from a list of projects set by the academic staff or you can propose your own suitable subject. Recent dissertation topics include:
- Comparing the Unreal and Unity games engines by developing a first person shooter game
- Creating an augmented reality (AR) game on mobile devices
- Midi to tablature transcription
- Sentiment polarity classification of tweets using supervised models
- Reconstructing speech from articulatory data
- Comparing MPI and GPU Computing in the Cloud
- Programming the Nao robot to play draughts
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) in games
You have until mid to late August to complete the project, which will be assessed based on the dissertation itself and a demonstration of your final deliverable.
Compulsory Modules
Optional B Modules
(Min Credits: 20, Max Credits: 40)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
You’ll have an average of 15 hours of contact time per week with teaching staff through lectures, laboratory sessions and seminars – though this may vary depending on your module choices.
Most modules are taught mainly through lectures and laboratory sessions, led by our experienced lecturing staff. You’ll also benefit from your lab sessions being facilitated by postgraduate associate tutors who are experts in your specific subject.
Our class sizes are relatively small – ranging from 15-30 students – meaning that you’ll have more opportunity to engage directly with our academics.
Independent study
The very nature of a Master’s course means that you'll spend a lot of time carrying out independent study. On top of your taught sessions, you’ll spend at least 25 hours a week on independent study, coursework assignments and projects.
Assessment
We have a mixture of individual and group assessments. These include written work, presentations or demonstrations, and exams (closed and/or time-limited assessment). They combine theoretical understanding with practical application and are designed to test the range of skills and competencies required for the learning outcomes of each module. The balance of assessment types varies according to the options chosen. Additionally, there is an individual project which is assessed through a combination of written work and demonstration or presentation.
You’ll be assessed by a combination of: Examination/course test, Demonstrations/Presentation, Project and Written assignments.
Entry Requirements
- Degree Classification
- Bachelors degree 2.1 or equivalent
- Degree Subject
- Computer Science or a related subject. Important Note: It is essential that applicants can demonstrate industry standard programming experience. This means that they have successfully completed at least one Computing or IT project where a general-purpose language like C, C++, C#, Java or Python was used and its development resulted in writing several thousands of lines of code (LOC).
- English Foreign Language
We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:
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IELTS: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in two components only, with 6.0 in the other two)
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PTE (Pearson): 64 (minimum 59 in only two components with 64 in the others)
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests
INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk.
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- Intakes
- This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2023/24 are:
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UK Students: £10,500 (full time)
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International Students: £22,100 (full time)
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.
Employability
After the Course
As a professional in this rapidly evolving sector, the ability to learn new skills is as important as what you know already. After successfully completing this Master’s you’ll be fully prepared for a successful career, in which you’ll be continually learning and extending yourself.
Careers may include software engineering, web or app development, programming, systems analysis, data science, artificial intelligence development, academic/industrial research, entrepreneurship or teaching.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
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Web and app development
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Applications programming
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Software development and engineering
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IT consultancy
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Industries reliant on computing (e.g. finance, automotive, electronics, retail, government, police)
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Research position in R&D department of a company or higher education