Search engines. Cryptography. Peer-to-peer networks. Applications like these wouldn’t function without smart algorithms. In this degree, you’ll learn how to tackle real-world problems with advanced computational methods.
The field of algorithms is today an extremely important enabling technology. Web search engines, keyword-based advertising, routing in the Internet, peer-to-peer networks, genome analysis, cryptography and image analysis are just a few examples of applications that depend critically on suitable choices of algorithms and data structures.
The focus of this MSc is on the design, analysis and engineering of algorithms, covering their use for modelling real-world problems. Our core modules touch upon some recent and important areas of algorithmic applications, including bioinformatics, large computer networks, game theory and discrete event systems, providing you with the tools needed to model large and complex systems as algorithmic processes, while training in C++ and advanced algorithm design will give you the skills to write the necessary software. In your project you have the freedom to explore the full range of algorithmic application areas.
The PGDip includes the same modules as the MSc but without the final project.
The regular degree takes 12 months if you start in September, or 16 months if you start in January. The 'With Industry' degree takes 21 months if you start in September, or 24 months if you start in January.
NB. If you start your course in January, you will take Semester 2 before Semester 1.
2:1 degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject with a substantial element of Computing. Relevant work experience may also be considered.
IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
Tuition fees for the 2019/20 academic year are yet to be confirmed.
NB. The additional fee for the 'MSc with Industry' variant is not charged if, for whatever reason, you are unable to secure a placement.
All our postgraduate Informatics degrees are available 'with industry': stimulating your creativity and capacity to innovate, and ensuring that you acquire key transferable skills. These courses will allow you to develop into a highly skilled professional, well versed in advanced methods and tools. Colleagues from industry participate directly in the delivery of some of the modules, including hands-on tutorials that allow you to use some of the tools and methodologies that are shaping the software development landscape.
We have an open approach to collaboration with industry. We undertake joint projects, provide consultancy services, and organise events to connect you with potential employers. We also run an Industrial Advisory Board: its members are computer scientists who hold successful careers in industry and who help us ensure that your training is industrially relevant.
Studying a 'with industry' masters degree is the perfect way for you to enhance your career prospects and deepen your understanding of your specific area of expertise. By experiencing real-world scenarios and applying your skills and knowledge to business challenges, you will gain a unique insight into how your studies can be utilised in industry. This will not only showcase your abilities to future employers, but will also enhance your studies when you return to University to complete your programme.
Human tumours are very diverse in their appearance and growth patterns, but the understanding of the cell biological processes that underlie tumour growth is still very limited. This project, which was co-supervised by a medical expert, developed and implemented a software tool that simulates and visualises the growth of tumour cells, allowing researchers to investigate the effects of parameter values on the growth of the tumour.
Wireless sensor networks are a new technology with a wide range of applications (from environment monitoring to surveillance) but subject to a number of energy constraints, many-to-one flows, and redundant low-rate data. Many routing protocols have been proposed for sensor networks that aim at achieving energy efficiency, but with little or no attention to robustness and fault-tolerance. This project addressed fault-tolerance in ad-hoc sensor network routing, namely the design and development of a robust and energy efficient routing protocol that distinguishes between local and large-scale traffic. A new multipath routing protocol was proposed and simulated which follows the 'number of hops' metric and employs a waiting time before transmitting messages to sink.
In large car parks that are nearly full, it may take drivers a lot of time to find an empty space. This project designed a smart parking system that can alleviate this problem by guiding drivers to empty spaces. Image processing methods were employed to process camera images in order to detect which spaces are free and which are occupied. A combination of a shortest-path algorithm and breadth-first search was used to determine directions that can be displayed at junctions throughout the car park in order to direct drivers to vacant spaces. A simulation was implemented to demonstrate the efficient operation of the system.
Social media such as Twitter collect a huge amount of data that is publicly available. The analysis of this data can be used to map out trends and predict events such as the outcome of elections. In this project you will choose a question you want to study using the data from a social media site and write a software that allows users to download and manage the data and, most importantly, to extract information from the data and to visualise the results.
Most of our members of staff are actively engaged in research and are frequently guests of universities both in the UK and other countries to lecture on their work.
The Department has three Staff Student Committees - for undergraduates, postgraduates and PhDs - consisting of student representatives and members of staff. These provide a forum to discuss general issues and problems, and for staff to give feedback.
The Department of Informatics at Leicester is a thriving academic community with extensive experience in delivering high quality courses and undertaking pioneering research.
The compulsory 'Personal and Group Skills' module combines seminars, group discussions and collective essay writing on selected topics, as well as a series of workshops on transferable skills and career planning.
Your project and, where relevant, industry placement will be assessed separately.
"My course has really broadened my knowledge of computer science and technologies. I was able to successfully apply the skills and techniques taught in the course during my placement year."