Computer Science MSc/PGDip

Dubai Campus

Start date
Full-time: September. Part-time: January or September.
Duration
1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Campus
Dubai
Course Type
Postgraduate, Taught
Fees
Annual tuition fee for 2024:

MSc - AED 148,138 for 1 year full-time or AED 74,069 per year over 2 years, part-time.

Your tuition fee can be paid in 3 instalments per year. Scholarships are available.

Designed to open the door to exciting new career opportunities in computer science and information technology, our MSc/PGDip Computer Science course is suitable for graduates from diverse subject backgrounds.

University sponsorships are not available for part-time applicants. If you are a part-time applicant who requires visa sponsorship, please refer to our visa categories for further information.

MSc/PGDip Computer Science is accredited by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education

The MSc/PGDip Computer Science Course (Dubai) is a Masters degree course generally for students who have a first degree in a subject other than computing, but we consider students with a background in computing on a case-by-case basis.

To enrich your learning experience on our programmes, our teaching is delivered jointly by staff from both our campuses (Dubai and the UK), by utilising modern digital technology. Typically, for each module, the teaching team consists of colleagues across the campuses with at least one member based in the Dubai campus. You will receive the same high-quality teaching materials (lecture slides and notes, for example) and rigorous assessments (assignments and exams, for example) as our UK campus. You will also have the opportunity to interact with staff & students across both campuses to support and enhance your learning experience. Furthermore, there is also the opportunity to conduct projects under the supervision of staff from either of our campuses which significantly boosts the pool of project topics accessible to our students.

The MSc/PGDip Computer Science programme is different to IT programmes, in that it is a technical degree with a significant programming component. You will learn about the computational languages, software engineering, artificial intelligence, human computer interaction, databases, and machine learning. It focuses on analytical methods and technical skills, and offers the opportunity to combine knowledge and personal skills to solve society's problems by developing software solutions. 

The core components of this degree course are a software workshop, taught modules and a summer project. The software workshop involves two terms of intensive training in Java programming, including lectures, supervised laboratory work and small-group tutorials.

At the same time students enrol in a variety of modules, including: Computing Systems; Building Usable Software; Data Structures, Algorithms, and Databases; and Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. In the summer term, students engage in developing a substantial software project under the supervision of a faculty member. Teaching is joint between academics on our Dubai campus, and our Edgbaston Campus. You will also have the opportunity to interact and work alongside students in our Edgbaston campus in the UK whilst you study at our Dubai campus.

Graduates of this MSc/PGDip Computer Science degree are highly sought after by employers due to the special knowledge, expertise and skills acquired. You could become anything from a Software Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Developer, Robotics Engineer, Financial Computing Analyst, Applications Developer, or inspire the next generation of computer scientists academically. 

Why study Computer Science at Birmingham Dubai?

  • Global recognition - We offer the same world-class education as in our UK campus by delivering the same high quality curriculum and meticulously similar quality assurance processes.
  • International reputation - The School of Computer Science is a truly international place, and our academics specialise in subjects including artificial intelligence and cyber security, which the modern world is built upon. You will be obtaining a first-class education in real-world issues, and will become the person that can develop and lead society and our future.
  • Research focused teaching - Our research feeds directly into your teaching ensuring your programme includes the latest developments in Computer Science, such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Cyber Security.
  • Excellent career prospects - The broad range of skills you will gain mean you could choose to work in technology consultancy, IT, investment and banking, software development, finance, or join on of the many emerging start-up companies.
  • Connections across the world - You will become part of our global community of computer science students across the world meaning you will be connected wherever you go in the world.

Student Profile - Kaixin Fan (Kyle)kaixin fan

"I studied engineering for my bachelor degree and had worked in a state-owned company in Beijing for one year. However, I’ve been driven to study computer science and participate in the exciting era of technological innovation, and Dubai is an international and dynamic cosmopolitan to live in. Therefore, I chose to study Computer Science at UoB Dubai."

Read Kaixin's profile >> 

Why Study Intensive Programming (for the connected world)?

Programming plays an important role in this modern age. Imagine you walk into your house and your lighting automatically changed according to your mood, your sofa was set to your favourable seating position, your favourite TV channel switched on, and the coffee machine had already prepared your favourite coffee. How could all of this happen? Programming can give life to any computing device. A programming language powers computing devices to collect, control, store and process data accordingly.

There is a continuously increasing number of businesses and industries relying on computer programming. Programming languages, such as Java, JavaScript, C#, C++. PHP, Python, SQL, Perl etc, evidently are the driving force behind the advances in Robots, Voice Recognition, Artificial Intelligence, Block Chain, Virtual Reality, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, and Big Data, to name a few.

Programming has become a necessity in our digital world, not only in the IT industry, but also in business, engineering, medicine, healthcare, fashion, marketing, gaming, mobiles, websites, multimedia to name only a few.

In our degree programme, we focus on intensive programming in order to develop strong programming skills in our students.

Why Strong Theoretical Foundations?

The digitally-driven world changes fast, with digital trends raising and fading away in the span of a few years. One example is today's popularity of artificial intelligence, which only 15 years ago was extremely unpopular not attracting much funding from the private and public sector.

At the same time, computing skills have a ubiquitous usefulness in society, finding applications much beyond IT, for instance in medicine, biology, finance, banking, businesses, fashion, gaming, and policymaking, among others. An education purely based on practical training would only train a professional that could cope with the current technologies, but unable to cope with changing landscapes (e.g. with the advent of another mainstream technology in 10 years) or unsuitable to cope with a domain that was not represented during training.

A strong theoretical foundation along with a balanced mix of practical training is therefore crucial to acquire lifelong cores skills of general applicability, but at the same time it offers the necessary practical skills to enhance employability prospects after graduation.

View the Computer Science MSc Dubai campus brochure (PDF, 493 KB).

My experience at the University of Birmingham Dubai was wonderful; this was a place I really experienced community. People here care about you and I've grown a lot thanks to the people I was surrounded by. Future students should not be afraid to ask questions and interact as much as possible with the class as they will be embraced.

Israel Ayokunnu, MSc Computer Science Alumni

Meet our academics

Our Computer Science academics are highly qualified and based in Dubai.

View their staff profiles

Learn about the Computer Science Department in Dubai

Modules

Core modules

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods

Fees

We charge an annual tuition fee for 2024 entry.

Masters/MSc 

  • AED 148,138 (1 year full-time)
  • AED 74,069/year (2 years part-time)

PG Diploma

  • AED 98,759 (1 year full-time)
  • AED 49,379/year (2 years part-time)

Scholarships

We have a number of scholarships available.

How To Apply

To find out more information about our application process please visit our 'How to apply page' before starting your application.

We will consider applications from applicants who already have a first degree in computer science on a case-by-case basis.

Our Standard Requirements

2:2 Honours degree in any subject other than 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.

International Requirements


Our highly regarded teaching on the MSc Computer Science course employs a mixture of lectures, tutorials, exercise classes, lab and study work, projects, online assignments, presentations and independent study. 

We want to prepare you for your graduate career by helping you gain skills and experience in many different ways, as roles in computer science often ask for individuals who have strong communication and team working skills. By keeping your learning varied, you will have the chance to learn and grow to allow you to communicate in different ways, and with different types of people.

Course delivery

We offer a combination of evening and weekend classes which are designed to accommodate working professionals and those who choose to study full-time.

Our draft timetable for full-time students is designed to deliver teaching on one or two evenings from 18:00-21:00 and on Saturday from 09:00-17:00 (day varies per module). Each module is block taught over 11 weeks in Semester 1 and 12 weeks in Semester 2. Part-time students will study during these hours as per the number of modules they choose to study.

Please note that the example timetable is to be used as a guide and is subject to change. Our term dates are also available online. For further information, please contact the Programme Director, M. Usman Ilyas (m.ilyas@bham.ac.uk).

View example timetable for MSc Computer Science (PDF 228 KB)

Assessment

All work will be assessed via exams, coursework, presentations and a dissertation.

A degree gained through completing our MSc Computer Science course provides the skills required for a wide range of careers.  It will give you a disciplined approach to analysing problems, with the ability to design creative solutions and critically evaluate the results. Employers are impressed by the combination of technical and transferable skills offered by computing graduates, and as such, you might find yourself in a variety of environments in academia, industry, research and commercial organisations.

These qualities, plus the prestige of a degree from a leading World Class University, make our graduates attractive  to companies in the engineering sector worldwide as well as those in finance, consultancy and commerce.

Examples of companies where our graduates have gone on to work include:

  • Microsoft
  • Google
  • Apple
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Sony
  • IBM
  • Siemens
  • Honda
  • JP Morgan
  • Morgan Stanley
  • The Bank of England

With the fast changing connected world, computer science is a key area for future careers across the world. Dubai, for example, is a truly exciting global city with a rapidly developing economy and extremely fast digitisation of Government services and actively embracing the artificial intelligence lead automation of various sectors. There is a vibrant start-up scene evident by the massive success of Careem and Amazon.ae formally souq.com. This is no doubt creating new jobs for computer science professionals.

Your Birmingham Degree

Your Birmingham degree is evidence of your ability to succeed in a demanding academic environment. Employers target Birmingham students for their drive, diversity, communication and problem-solving skills, their team-working abilities and cultural awareness, and our graduate employment statistics have continued to climb at a rate well above national trends.