University of Birmingham

Related courses

Contact

If you would like further information about the course, please contact:

Dr Shan He
Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4281
Email: msc-admissions@cs.bham.ac.uk

School of Computer Science

Course details

Details

You will study essential Research Skills, and you will carry out two mini-projects and a larger research project. In addition, you will choose 50 credits of optional modules from the following:

Introduction to Evolutionary Computation
Introduction to Neural Computation
Intelligent Data Analysis (Extended)
Nature-Inspired Design
Integer Programming*
Nonlinear Programming 1*
Multi-Criteria Decision Making *
Heuristic Optimisation*
Combinatorial Optimisation*
Conic Programming*

*these modules are taught by the School of Mathematics

This distinct programme covers the field of optimisation from a highly mutil-disciplinary point of view. It includes mathematical programming methods, heuristic optimisation as well as meta-heuristic optimisation. It treats optimisation holistically and provides students with a unique set of skills that neither computer science nor mathematics could provide easily.

Related links
School of Computer Science

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Tuition fees for 2013/2014 are as follows:

£5,130 for home/EU students
£16,770 for international students

Part-time programmes

Most part-time programmes run for two years and their fees are one half of the standard full-time programme fees. A small number of part-time programmes run for three years and in these cases the annual fees are one third of the total full-time cost. Contact us for further information.

UK student visa regulations mean that students classed as overseas for fees purposes may normally only register on a full-time basis.

Further funding information

Standard fees apply
Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships and studentships
For information about scholarships for students on our postgraduate taught programmes visit www.cs.bham.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate-taught/scholarships.php. International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government.

For further information contact the School directly or email sfo@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Entry requirements

At least an Upper Second Class (2.1) degree or an international equivalent in a science or engineering subject with sufficiently high marks in fundamental mathematics and computing. Students who have not studied in English must pass a recognised English test.

Learn more about entry requirements

International students

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries – learn more about international entry requirements.

Standard English language requirements apply.

How to apply

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the How to apply pages

Apply now

Key Information Set (KIS)

Key Information Sets (KIS) are comparable sets of information about full or part time undergraduate courses and are designed to meet the information needs of prospective students.

From September 2012 all KIS information will be published on the Unistats website and can also be accessed via the small advert, or ‘widget’, below. On the Unistats website you will be able to compare all the KIS data for each course with data for other courses.

The development of Key Information Sets (KIS) forms part of HEFCE’s work to enhance the information that is available about higher education. It will give you access to robust, reliable and comparable information in order to help you make informed decisions about what and where to study.

The KIS contains information which prospective students have identified as useful, such as student satisfaction, graduate outcomes, learning and teaching activities, assessment methods, tuition fees and student finance, accommodation and professional accreditation.

Contact

If you would like further information about the course, please contact:

Dr Shan He
Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4281
Email: msc-admissions@cs.bham.ac.uk

School of Computer Science

Overview

Learning and teaching

The course will be taught through a variety of methods. There will be some small lecture classes, problem-based workshops and also one-to-one supervision.

There will be group work as part of the taught modules. Each mini project and project is assessed by the supervisor and a moderator.

Taught modules are assessed in a variety of ways; summer written examination, practical assessment or a mixture of both.

Contact

If you would like further information about the course, please contact:

Dr Shan He
Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4281
Email: msc-admissions@cs.bham.ac.uk

School of Computer Science

Course details

Employability

Optimisation is ubiquitous in the real world. This MSc will arm you with skills in innovative thinking, complex problem solving as well as specific optimization algorithms.

The graduates can take on many different career roles: in management where they will be better informed in decision-making, in consulting where they will be able to employ the best problem-solving strategies for a complex problem, in technical and engineering jobs where they will solve real-world problems first hand, and in research where they provide innovative solutions to their business partners.

University Careers Network

Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team (in each of the five academic colleges) who can give you expert advice. Our team source exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, with mentoring, global internships and placements available to you. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge.

If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.

Contact us

Sophie Miller - Careers consultant (s.a.miller@bham.ac.uk)
Richard Newman- Careers consultant (r.j.newman@bham.ac.uk)
Caroline Egan - Careers adviser (c.egan@bham.ac.uk)
Brendan Bacon - Internship officer (b.bacon@bham.ac.uk)
Carl Jukes - Applications support adviser (c.jukes@bham.ac.uk)

Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) 2010/11 (postgraduate taught graduates)

The DLHE survey is conducted 6 months after graduation.

Range of Employers for Birmingham's Computer Science Graduates

Accenture
BT
Capgemini
Detica
Goldman Sachs International
HSBC
Logica
Morgan Stanley
Opengi
University of Birmingham

Range of Courses of Further Study for Birmingham's Computer Science Graduates

MPhil Computational Biology
MSc Computer Science
MSc Artificial Intelligence
MSc Computer Security
MSc Intelligent Systems Engineering
MSc Internet Software Systems
MSc Natural Computation
PGCE ICT
PhD Computer Science
PhD Software Engineering

Range of Occupations for Birmingham's Computer Science Graduates

Computer Programmer
IT Consultant
Project Manager
Research Fellow
Research Scientist
Software Consultant
Software Developer
Software Engineer
Web Developer
Web Programmer

Visit the Careers section of the University website for further information.