MEng Computer Science with Industrial Experience / Course details

Through the development of new applications in science, engineering, and business, Computer Science is radically changing the way in which we experience our world. This programme equips students with the skills needed to contribute to this exciting and rapidly evolving field.

Computer Science is our most flexible programme, allowing you to chose course units to reflect your developing and changing interests. Furthermore, a wide range of themes from across the discipline allow you to specialise in the second and third years.

You will gain not only knowledge and practical experience of the latest technologies, but also a grounding in the underlying principles of the subject. It is this combination of skills that enable our graduates to keep pace with this fast moving subject, and secure rewarding careers that can be pursued almost anywhere in the world.

This is a five year programme and involves a one year work placement in industry between the third and fourth years of your study at Manchester. Besides the money that you earn during this year, you also gain practical experience that can be invaluable both in your final year project and when competing for graduate jobs. Students with industrial experience not only tend to improve their final degree performance but also tend to develop clearer ideas about their future career path.

The final year of the MEng programme enhances the contents of the equivalent three-year BSc programme by enabling you to study specialised topics to a greater depth and broaden your skills gained from your industrial experience, with enterprise related courses and industrially-focused project work. The enhancements enable you to develop an in depth specialist knowledge across a range of computing subjects, including some covered by the MSc in Advanced Computer Science. They also allow you to understand the business skills needed to develop and manage a successful business exploiting computing technology.

Detailed programme and course unit information is available  here.

• A broad and flexible programme that provides the freedom to choose from an extremely wide range of Computer Science topics.
• Equips students with skills that are in high demand from industry
• Emphasis on industrial relevance through industrially related group project.

At Manchester we aim to provide a unique experience. Studying Computer Science with us will give you the chance to follow your academic curiosity and explore a fascinating subject.

A significant amount of your work will be project-based team work, tackling real problems. You will see how computer science is directly applicable to solving problems, across a broad range of areas.

The emphasis throughout is on independent learning, supported by regular meetings in small groups with personal tutors. You receive practical help and support from experienced staff and postgraduates, with leading experts guiding your learning and stimulating your interest. This approach is supported by conventional lectures and comprehensive on-line learning resources. We also provide excellent facilities, including specialist laboratories to support areas such as engineering and robotics.

Unseen examinations account for about 60% of the assessment. These assess your abilities in the selection and application of knowledge, problem solving, and the design and evaluation of software or electronics. Other assessment is mainly through laboratory-based coursework that provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of computer science of electronic principles by tackling specific problems on a more realistic scale, both individually and in groups.

The remaining assessment is through presentations and essays where, in particular, you demonstrate the transferable skills you have acquired. In the third and final year, the non-examination assessment is mainly made up of the practical project.

Ben London: MEng Computer Science, current student

'The course has allowed me to study a subject that I enjoy and offers a wide range of modules meaning that I can select the areas that interest me most. During various modules we have heard from external lecturers representing a range of companies and organisations. This has provided me with a wider prospective of industry and even a few inside tips!'

As you would expect from leaders in the field, we offer some of the most up to date facilities in the world. Amongst the wide range of facilities available to you are:

• Newly refurbished computing labs furnished with modern desktop computers, available with Linux and Windows
• Access to world leading academic staff
• Collaborative working labs complete with specialist computing and audio visual equipment to support group working.
• Over 300 Computers in the Department dedicated exclusively for the use of our students.
• Access to a hardware library, with top of the range equipment, including drones, robots and oculus rifts.