Advanced Computing

MSc Advanced Computing: If you already work in the IT sector, or you intend to pursue a career in IT or a research degree, our MSc is designed to advance your knowledge of advanced computing technologies.

This Master's degree in computing has significant coverage of emerging technologies and research developments and focuses on areas of expertise and research specialisation among our academic staff.

In addition to eight taught modules, there is a substantial practical project. As an alternative to the award of MSc Advanced Computing, you may choose modules and a project with a particular specialisation leading to the award of MSc Data Analytics.

Once you successfully complete this MSc you will have obtained knowledge and understanding of technologies of growing importance in the IT industry and their relationship to current and emerging IT industry practice.

MRes Advanced Computing: The MRes has been designed to meet the needs of both students wishing to advance their knowledge of computing or information systems before embarking on a research and development career in IT or on an MPhil/PhD degree, and students already working in the IT sector.

This MRes builds on your advanced understanding of computing and information systems. It offers you a supervised research project in one of the following areas of advanced study:

• algorithms, verification and software
• experimental data science
• knowledge representation and data management
• machine learning
• large-scale resource management.

As these areas correspond to particular expertise among our academic staff, you will also have the opportunity to undertake your research within our own ongoing research projects if you wish. As well as following three taught modules in the above areas, you will also take a Research Methods module.

MSc and MRes: On successful completion of the MSc or MRes Advanced Computing you will have gained in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge which you will be able to use in:

• analysis of problems
• evaluation of technology options
• deployment of appropriate solutions
• research into, and development of, new technologies.

• Significant coverage of emerging technologies and research developments in areas of growing importance in the IT industry.
• You will have 24-hour access to several laboratories of networked PCs with a range of language compilers, database and other application software. We are connected, via the SuperJANET network, to the computers of other academic institutions in London, elsewhere in the UK and abroad.
• The Birkbeck Knowledge Lab draws on multi- and interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies from across the sciences, social sciences and the arts, to investigate how digital technologies and digital information are transforming our culture and how we learn and work.
• Birkbeck was ranked in the top 25 universities in the UK for its Computer Science and Informatics research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.