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Communications Engineering Masters/MSc

Start date
September
Duration
1 year full-time, 3-4 years part-time
Course Type
Postgraduate, Continuing professional development, Taught
Fees

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2024/25:
£11,340 (UK students)
£29,340 (International students)
Further fee information is available.

Our Communications Engineering Masters equips you for a rewarding career in a dynamic field that’s vital to global economic growth. Providing Masters-level specialist knowledge of the principles and advanced applications of communication systems, this programme prepares you perfectly for a career in the industry.

Scholarships for 2024 entry

The University of Birmingham is proud to offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate programmes. With a scholarship pot worth over £2 million, we are committed to alleviating financial barriers to support you in taking your next steps.

Each scholarship has its own specific deadlines and eligibility criteria. Please familiarise yourself with the information on individual scholarship webpages prior to submitting an application.

Explore our scholarships

The Communications Engineering MSc programme covers a wide range of topics in communication engineering and provides options from outside the core specialism.

You will study core modules covering advanced specialist topics, plus cross-programme modules allowing you to specialise in your chosen area, along with an individual research project – which is sometimes undertaken in collaboration with industry.

As well as acquiring specialist technical knowledge, you will develop generic skills such as: interpreting requirements and specifications to produce effective design solutions; making decisions on the basis of incomplete information; giving technical presentations, and working in a team. These are achieved through a combination of group and individual exercises. The course is designed for students with good mathematical skills.

Why study Communications Engineering Masters/MSc at Birmingham?

  • Study in our new state-of-the-art School of Engineering building which includes a 50-seat electronics and electrical focused projects space and a basement that houses a full-size set of railway points, the University’s pantograph test rig and a test track for the scaled hydrogen-powered train.
  • Postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham is a chance to learn from world leaders in their fields. This guarantees you a first-class learning experience, leading to a qualification that is respected the world over and making you an attractive prospect in a  very competitive job market.
  • The Department is recognised by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) for 86% of research impact ranked as world leading or internationally excellent.
  • Enjoy one of the broadest portfolios and most successful track records of collaborations with industry in the country, giving you real working knowledge and valuable experience for future employment.

Since I graduated I have been working in product and development and technical support for global telecoms companies such as Nortel and IBM. The MSc was everything I was hoping for in being both challenging and interesting. It gave me an edge over other candidates at interview and helped open doors to the large global leaders in the telecoms industry.

Luisa Zuluaga Gomez, MSc Communications Engineering and Networks

Modules

This course consists of 180 credits. As well as your core modules, you will choose three optional modules.

Core modules

The following must be taken:

Optional modules 

Select three optional modules, examples of optional modules are listed below.

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

Annual tuition fees for 2024/25 are as follows:

  • UK students: £11,340 full-time, £5,670 part-time (year 1)
  • International students: £29,340
 

Are you an international applicant?

All international applicants to this course will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of £2,000 on receipt of an offer, to secure their place.

Find out more about the deposit >>.

Postgraduate Loans (PGL) for Masters students

UK and EU students (with settled or pre-settled status) looking to pursue a Masters programme in the UK can apply for a non-means-tested loan from the British government via the Student Loans Company (SLC).

The loan will be paid directly to you, into a UK bank account. It is intended to provide a contribution towards the costs of Masters study and whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs is at your own discretion.

Learn more about applying for PGL 

 

Scholarships

We offer a range of postgraduate scholarships for taught programmes and research opportunities to ensure the very best talent is nurtured and supported at postgraduate level.

University scholarships

Birmingham Masters Scholarship

Our Birmingham Masters Scholarship offers £2,000 via a tuition fee discount, to support the brightest and best applicants from UK or Ireland undertaking Masters study at Birmingham during 2024-2025.

Global Masters Scholarship

This £2,000 Gloabl Masters Scholarship award is available to all international students from a selection of countries who are seeking to study a taught Masters degree at Birmingham in the 2024-25 academic year.

 

How To Apply

Application Fee

For international applicants this programme is subject to a £50 non-refundable application fee. At the end of the application form, before you can submit it to us, you will be required to pay, or indicate how you will pay the required fee in order for us to process your application. Please complete and submit your application before paying your application fee.

UK and non-Tier 4 applicants

Applications will close 31 August 2024. We will close applications as soon as the programme is full, early applications are encouraged.

International applicants requiring visas

Applications to this programme from students who are international for fees will close 07 May 2024. We will close applications as soon as the programme is full, early applications are encouraged.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Apply now

Our Standard Requirements

A 2:1 Honours degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering or a relevant subject. Industrial experience and CEng/IEng qualifications will also be taken into account.

Applicants with a 2.2 with high grades in relevant modules will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Learn more about entry requirements.

International Requirements



International Students

English language

For students whose first language is not English, one of the following English language qualifications is required:

 
  • IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band
  • TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) including online: PTE Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
  • Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced – minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component

There is a strong emphasis on course work to deepen understanding. While most students study the course full-time, it is also suitable for practising engineers wishing to study part-time or take a single module for CPD points.

The modules are completed in three-day sessions allowing you to focus one topic at a time. Assessment is by a combination of written examination and course work. 

This course will equip you for a rewarding career in this dynamic field. 

Companies in both mature and rapidly growing economies are keen to secure professionals with specialist knowledge of the underlying principles and advanced applications of communications systems, meaning that upon graduation your career prospects will be excellent.

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.

Professional Accreditation