MSc Advanced Computer Science

• Artificial Intelligence MSc (1 year)
• Cyber Security MSc (1 year)
• Machine Learning MSc (1 year)

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Computer Science

We operate a selective staged admissions process. We give preference to students with the strongest grades from high-ranking institutions.

Successful applicants typically hold a First-class honours degree (70% average) from a UK university, or the overseas equivalent, in a Computer Science degree with a minimum of 50% Computer Science content.

We require that all applicants have a strong background in Computer Science reflected, for example, in solid programming and software development skills

We accept a range of qualifications, and welcome applications from overseas applicants. A typical successful offer-holder will evidence:

• China : a minimum of 87% in a 4-year bachelor's degree from a well ranked institution.
• India : a minimum of 65% (First Class with Distinction) in a BSc Eng, BEng or BTech degree, depending on the institution.

For further information on international entry requirements, please contact pgt.compsci@manchester.ac.uk

In order to be accepted onto an MSc programme in the Department of Computer Science, applicants need toprovide evidence of having achieved the required level in a recognised English language qualification.

• IELTS : overall score of 7.0 with no sub-test below 6.5.
• TOEFL iBT : at least 100 overall with no sub-test less than 22. We do not accept 'MyBestScore'. We do not accept TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
• Pearson PTE : at least 76 overall with no sub-test below 70.
• Pre-sessional English run by the University Language Centre.
  

We also accept many other English language qualifications from overseas, depending on the qualification, the scores obtained and the University's assessment of its academic suitability.

Please contact pgt.compsci@manchester.ac.uk and we will be able to advise further.

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £15,300
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £39,400

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and awards to outstanding UK and international students each year.

The University of Manchester is committed to widening participation in master's study, and allocates £300,000 in funding each year. Our Manchester Master's Bursaries are aimed at widening access to master's courses by removing barriers to postgraduate education for students from underrepresented groups.

We also welcome the best and brightest international students each year and reward excellence with a number of merit-based scholarships. See our range of master’s scholarships for international students .

And, if you have completed an undergraduate degree at The University of Manchester, or are currently in your final year of an undergraduate degree with us, you may be eligible for a discount of 10% on tuition fees if you choose to study on a taught postgraduate course here. Find out if you're eligible and how to apply .

For more information on master's tuition fees and studying costs, visit the University of Manchester funding for master's courses website to help you plan your finances.

Applications to this course are considered through a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high-ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.

Applications for 2026 entry:

Stage 1 : Application received by 7 November 2025; Decision by 9 January 2026.
Stage 2 : Application received by 2 January 2026; Decision by 6 March 2026.
Stage 3 : Application received by 27 Feb 2026; Decision by 1 May 2026.
Stage 4 : Application received by 22 May 2026; Decision by 19 June 2026.

Applications received after 22 May 2026 will be considered depending on course availability.

Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date. If this is the case, we will let you know after the deadline date.

Please note: all places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.

If we make you an offer, you will be given a deadline by which to accept. This is typically 4-6 weeks but may be shorter. Offers that are not accepted by the deadline will be withdrawn.

Applicants who are made a conditional offer of a place must provide evidence that they have met all the conditions of their offer by 31 July 2026.

We consider your full academic history including which course units you have taken and the marks obtained. Even if you have met our minimum entry requirements, we will take into account your marks in relevant course units in our final decision making.

If you graduated more than three years ago, we will also consider the information contained on your CV and any relevant work experience you have to assess if you are still able to fulfil the entry criteria.

CAS information

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Please upload a copy of your current valid passport with your application showing the photograph page with your application. For CAS purposes, this must show your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and the date the passport is valid until, which must be later than the date of your planned arrival in the UK, and the start date of your course.

If you have previously studied in the UK on a Tier 4 visa as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, please send a copy of your previous CAS statement to us as it will assist with the issue of your new CAS statement. This includes study in the UK on study abroad programmes and any study that you did not complete.

You cannot use your CAS to apply for a visa more than three months before the start date of your course. The Admissions Team will contact you at the appropriate time.

Your CAS number is only valid for one Tier 4 application.

Applications for deferred entry are not accepted for this course. If you receive an offer and wish to be considered for the following year of entry, you will need to place a new application. Please be aware there is no guarantee of receiving another offer, and offer conditions are subject to change in line with entry requirements.

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

This course aims to impart advanced knowledge across a broad range of Computer Science, offering training in advanced skills. It is suitable for those who wish to enhance their computing skills to improve their contribution to IT-related industry or to pursue R&D in academia or industry.

As this course is designed specifically to give you freedom and flexibility to tailor your learning, there are no compulsory units, leaving you to build your year as you choose – with the exception of your Master’s Project. You will choose four from ten themes, each of which combines two related course units that build on each other.

Masters Project (60 credits)

The masters project enables students to carry out a substantial technical task of relevance to their programme. The project is supported by taught material that equips students to conduct the project, relating to project planning, ethical and legal issues, technical writing, and quantitative and qualitative methods for evaluating research outcomes.

Optional Modules:

• Logics for Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
• Advanced Topics in Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
• Cognitive Robotics and Computer Vision
• Transforming Text Into Meaning
• Topics in Machine Learning
• Advanced Topics in Machine Learning
• Uncertain Reasoning and Learning
• Reinforcement Learning
• Introduction to Cryptography
• Network Security
• Formal Methods for Software Verification, Security and Computer Science
• Software Security
• Secure Computer Architecture and Systems
• Security and Privacy in Artificial Intelligence
• Data Engineering Concepts
• Data Engineering Technologies

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Computer Science at Manchester has a distinguished history of world-changing research contributions. In the most recent national review of university research, 99% of our return was rated world leading or internationally excellent, and we received the highest possible score for our research environment. Our MSc programmes are designed and delivered by subject specialist, whose research is at the cutting edge of the areas in which they teach.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk