MSc Communications and Signal Processing with Extended Research

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.

Across our institution, 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 Masters Bursaries are aimed at widening access to master's courses by removing barriers to postgraduate education for students from underrepresented groups.

For more information, see the Fees and funding page or visit the University of Manchester funding for masters courses  website.

We require an Upper Second class honours degree or international equivalent, in an electronic and electrical engineering discipline. This is a competitive application process and preference will be given to applicants with grades above our minimum entry requirements.

Applicants should have previously studied communication and signal processing engineering fundamentals, and also have good programming skills (i.e. C++, Java, MATLAB).

To progress to the second year of this course, we usually require performance at distinction level. Students who do not meet the criteria to progress to the second year will instead graduate with the one-year Communications & Signal Processing MSc or an alternative appropriate qualification.

When assessing your academic record, we take into account your grade average with particular emphasis on relevant course units and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is:

• IELTS at least 6.5 overall with no subtest below 6.0.
• TOEFL iBT : at least 90 overall with no subtest below 20. We do not accept 'MyBestScore'. We do not accept TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
• Pearson PTE : at least 70 overall with no subtest below 65.
• An acceptable equivalent English Language qualification .

Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here .

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.

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 2025 entry:

Stage 1 : Application received by 25 October 2024; Decision by 6 December 2024.

Stage 2 : Application received by 13 December 2024; Decision by 7 February 2025.

Stage 3 : Application received by 28 Feb 2025; Decision by 25 April 2025.

Stage 4 : Application received by 2 May 2025; Decision by 20 June 2025.

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.

Applications received after 2 May will be considered depending on course availability.

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 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 2025 .

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.

No interview is required for this course.

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.

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

This degree has been accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institute of Measurement and Control under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering council .

Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng). Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.