Postgraduate Courses in Computer Science
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If you've already undertaken an undergraduate qualification in Computer Science, then chances are you have already experienced some portion of how diverse (and hopefully, if you're reading this, interesting) Computer Science can be. The discipline is extremely wide ranging from the formal aspects of correctness, algorithms and languages, embedded systems, computer vision, artificial intelligence, databases, data mining and information retrieval, operating systems, communications and networking, through to human and business processes (software and requirements engineering) to the sociology/ psychology of how people interact, appropriate and use computers (human computer interaction). A postgraduate course in Computer Science will deepen your knowledge and enhance your employment prospects. Read on to discver how a postgraduate course in Computer Science can benefit you.
Today Computers are a fact of life, from multi-billion pound government sponsored IT projects, embedded systems in everything from the car to the humble toaster, and, of course, not neglecting the mobile phone or iPod in your pocket. We're experiencing a revolution - computers are not just bulky items sitting in air conditioned rooms or on our desktops, but the stuff that enables new forms of interpersonal communication and interaction, pioneers distribution of digital music and video content, fosters new types of games, art installations and interactive entertainment - not to mention the machinery that makes many modern businesses and social communities function. There is no longer a choice for companies of whether to 'be online' and have a web presence - this is an essential prerequisite for business in the 21st century. To many people, social life is not just face to face interaction, but the sharing of thoughts, music and video through online communities.
What is clear is that computers are now indispensable - and being skilled in Computer Science is a key enabler in fully participating in the IT world of tomorrow. Computer Science is a vital discipline - bursting with opportunity for innovation and creativity: whether you wish to deepen your knowledge and move beyond undergraduate level, challenge yourself, differentiate your CV from your peers or give yourself a solid underpinning for beginning a research career, then there will be a course to suit you.
There are a bewildering array of courses available, however, there are some general rules that will help you to select the course that best fits your background and interests. At the most course-grained level, postgraduate taught courses fall into two main classes: 'the advanced MSc' and 'the conversion MSc'. Both courses are typically 1 year in duration. The former assumes an existing background in Computer Science (typically BSc or equivalent), the latter is for those who may have no prior qualification in computing and wish to deepen their IT knowledge (e.g. to pursue a career path in Computing). The conversion course normally has a broad syllabus and is limited as to the depth it is realistic to achieve, but should provide a solid foundation of the most important concepts in the discipline.
Advanced courses will normally move quickly from undergraduate level toward a deeper understanding and the state of the art. The exact syllabus offered varies considerably between institutions as the courses reflect the specialist research interests of the faculty at that University. These courses are easy to identify as they will clearly state the prerequisite for existing knowledge in the area, and would normally have titles reflecting the specialist modules available (e.g. MSc in Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing, Distributed Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Networking, Artificial Intelligence, Human Computer Interaction, etc.), in most cases Universities offer a 'generic' course title (such as MSc in Advanced Computer Science). These schemes are normally built up from a number of modular units, so there is flexibility to change the focus of the degree as you gain more experience, irrespective of your initial course registration. It is also worth noting that most courses include a significant dissertation component that may be research or industry led. The balance between taught and dissertation work will vary from institution to institution and in some cases this balance affects the final qualification awarded. The most research oriented courses are the 'masters by research', or MRes degrees, so you should broaden your search to include other degree designations if this path interests you.
Choosing a postgraduate course in Computer Science is always a matter of personal preference and requirements. You need to be happy that the course you choose will meet your development goals, but also that you'll be happy studying and working in the environment being offered. These days the course syllabus will be online, so I would also recommend doing some preliminary research - find out who teaches on the course (are the leading researchers at the institution teaching their specialisms?).
If you wish the Computer Science course to be industrial focused, do the department have a 
history of good relationships with industry (e.g. have past students been placed successfully with companies, do they receive industrial funding, or is the 'first destination' after graduation with the companies you'd like to be working for? - this information is normally available in the independent rankings in the educational supplements and University or department websites). If a research career is your goal, are the faculty teaching the course still actively publishing? What's the research ranking of the institution - are they well recognised and active in the area that interests you? Most departments offer 'open days' which allow you to visit the institution, see the facilities and meet some of the staff involved with the course. I strongly recommend that you attend one of these to 'get a feel' for the environment and seek answers to some of these questions.
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Good luck with choosing your postgraduate course in Computer Science: this is an exciting point in your lives and feel confident that whichever path you choose, you'll be embarking on a rewarding and challenging career in the future. A postgraduate course in Computer Science will help you to do this.
Dr. Adrian Friday
MSc Admissions Tutor
Department of Computing
Lancaster University.
