Program Overview

MSc Advanced Computer Science with Software Engineering

The MSc Advanced Computer Science with Software Engineering is an advanced master's degree designed for graduates with a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related discipline, with significant software development skills. The course aims to enhance existing practical software engineering skills and provide the techniques needed for creating large, reliable, secure software systems.

Key Facts

• Start date: September
• Study mode and duration: 12 months full-time

Course Description

The course is designed to develop the skills necessary to design and deploy sophisticated modern software systems in a range of application areas. Students will improve their practical software engineering skills and learn new theories of software development. This course gives students the necessary qualifications to get a skilled position in the computing industry.

What You'll Study

On the Advanced Computer Science with Software Engineering Masters, students will study two 11-week semesters, each with three or four modules. Each module typically has:

• Four hours of lectures
• Laboratory practicals and/or tutorials

Additional study time is required to enhance and apply understanding of the topics covered, through further reading, self-directed study, and assignments. In the summer, between June and August, students will undertake an in-depth three-month research project.

Research Project

The project supervision programme ensures a named academic is attached to every MSc student during their project study between May and August each year. Regular meetings are scheduled during the period of the project work, and where an external organisation is involved, meetings between supervisor, student, and external body are standard.

Facilities

The course will involve some extensive laboratory-based instruction and student work. The Department of Computer and Information Science utilises its own specialist laboratories to provide practical student tuition on large-scale advanced applications. The University library also has a sufficient body of resources to support this course.

Learning & Teaching

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, tutorials, laboratory practicals, and combinations of individual and group work. These will not only develop expertise in computer science but also in communication, team-working, and analytical skills, which are all essential skills for future careers.

Assessment

Assessment is through a combination of individual work, group work, exams, and practical work in laboratories. Around half the classes are assessed entirely by coursework, the others are a combination of coursework and examination.

Entry Requirements

• Academic requirements: Minimum second-class (2:2) Honours degree, or overseas equivalent, in computer science, software engineering, or a closely-related discipline. Significant software development skills, ideally in Java or another object-oriented language, are essential.
• English language requirements: Students must have an English language minimum score of IELTS 6.0 (with no component below 5.5).

Fees & Funding

• Scotland: £11,900
• England, Wales & Northern Ireland: £11,900
• Republic of Ireland: If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status.
• International: £30,250
• Available scholarships: Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities.

Careers

There will be opportunities for students to meet industry employers and take part in recruitment events, in addition to taking advantage of a wealth of support offered by the award-winning careers service. As a graduate of the Advanced Computer Science with Software Engineering, students could be an analyst, architect, or developer. There's a demand for advanced practitioners and researchers in the growing area of embedded systems development.

Job Roles and Salaries

• Systems analyst: Junior analysts can expect to earn between £20,000 and £25,000, while more experienced analysts earn, on average, in excess of £40,000.
• Applications developer: Graduate salaries for applications developers start at around £20,000. Once established, you can expect to earn £34,000 to £40,000. As a senior applications developer, your salary will be in the region of £45,000 to £70,000.
• Data scientist: Salaries for junior data scientists tend to start at around £25,000 to £30,000, rising to £40,000 depending on your experience. With a few years' experience, you can expect to earn between £40,000 and £60,000. Lead and chief data scientists can earn upwards of £60,000, in some cases reaching more than £100,000.
• Software engineer: Typical graduate software engineer salaries start from £18,000 a year. The average annual salary for a software engineer is between £25,000 and £50,000. At senior or management level, software engineers can earn £45,000 to £70,000 or more per annum. Bonus schemes may be available.