MSc Specialist Areas
Our MSc degrees includes two semesters of
lecture-based teaching, between September and April, after which you will concentrate, full-time, on a
major individual project, leading to a dissertation in your chosen area of specialisation.
Your taught courses are selected from a range of around 50 course options, a reflection of the breadth of research in Edinburgh. The courses are grouped grouped into the following specialist areas:
A brief description of each area follows below.
Analytical and Scientific Databases
This specialism brings together topics in advanced database design and
optimisation theory and implementation that will be applicable to the
applied as well as the research fields. There are two central academic
outcomes to this programme. The first is to bring the students up to
speed with the latest technology in Database Science and in the
analysis of complex databases. The second aim is to introduce the
students to the active research areas in the field within the context
of a range of real example programs.
Courses currently offered for this specialism.
Bioinformatics, Systems and Synthetic Biology
The aim of the
bioinformatics specialism is to familiarise students with biological
data, its storage and analysis. In particular, students should
understand what information can be extracted from biological data
(e.g., information related to phylogenetic trees, metabolic networks,
protein structure and function, developmental processes, genetic
correlates of disease, etc.) and what techniques can be used for
extracting such information. Students who complete the course will be
prepared for employment in the bioinformatic sector of pharmaceutical
and biotech industries or for entry into a PhD programme in
Bioinformatics.
Courses currently offered in this area.
Computational Systems Biology
Systems biology is the application of computational modelling,
simulation and analysis to complex systems in biology. Examples include
biochemical pathways, metabolic processes, protein complexes and
information processing, genetic networks, self-organising systems,
neuronal networks and cell-cell communication. Courses currently offered in this area.
Computer Systems and Software Engineering
This specialism embraces both the theory and the practice of designing
programmable systems, with topics ranging from advanced programming
concepts to the design of computer systems and software engineering.
As with other specialisms, this specialism prepares students for
PhD study and for careers in the software industry.
Courses currently offered in this area.
Geoinformatics
Geographic information is increasingly pervasive in information
processing (e.g. Oracle Spatial or mashups with Google Maps), and its
ubiquitous nature poses new research challenges and provides new
opportunities for novel and interesting applications. The aim of
the Geoinformatics specialism is to introduce students to the unique
nature of geographic information and associated algorithms,
methodologies and software. The specialism is designed to benefit
from the growing synergies between Informatics and GeoSciences, and to
support students in mastering an emerging and exciting area of
research. Students who complete the specialism will be well equipped to
carry out further research or to pursue a career in a range of
industries that deal with geographic information.
Courses currently offered in this area.
Intelligent Robotics
The aim of the Intelligent Robotics specialism is to prepare students
for entry into PhD programmes or for employment as research workers in
Intelligent Robotics and related areas in higher education or
industrial/commercial research laboratories undertaking research and
development in robotics and intelligent control applications.
Courses currently offered in this area.
Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
The
modern knowledge economy, internet services and large scale software
engineering are relying increasingly upon explicitly represented
knowledge and automated reasoning. We show you how such systems
can be built, drawing upon formal theories of inference and multi-agent
coordination.
Courses currently offered in this area.
Learning from Data
Increasing
amounts of data are being captured, stored and made available
electronically. The aim of the Learning from Data specialism is to
train students in techniques to analyze, interpret and exploit such
data, and to understand when particular methods are suitable and/or
applicable. These techniques derive from disciplines such as machine
learning, probabilistic and statistical modelling, pattern recognition
and neural networks, and are sometimes collectively referred to as data
mining. The specialism will prepare students for entry into PhD
programmes or for employment in commercial environments and/or
scientific/engineering research.
Courses currently offered in this area.
music informatics
The
Music Informatics specialism gives an opportunity to study the
structure, behaviour and interactions of natural and engineered systems
engaged in musical activity. This can be done from the view of physical
modelling of musical sounds and insstruments; machines analysis of
music, in real time or otherwise; using computers in many ways in the
production of music and sound in general; and in studying musical
interaction between (natural or artificial) performers.
Courses currently offered in this area.
Natural Language and Language Engineering
The aim of the Natural Language and Language Engineering specialism
is to prepare students for entry into Ph.D. programmes or for
employment as research workers in artificial intelligence and related
areas in higher education, and in industrial or commercial research
laboratories, undertaking research and development in computational
linguistics, speech and natural language processing. Courses currently offered in this area.
Neural Computation and NeuroInformatics
This specialism prepares students for entry into Ph.D. programmes or
for employment as research workers at the intersection of the study of
the brain, cognitive science, and the study of its computation. It
ranges from the study of cellular and subcellular computational
processes, to software methodologies for brain research - the emerging
field of neuroinformatics. In particular, students will be
well prepared by this specialism to apply for entry to the
Doctoral Training Centre in Neuroinformatics in Edinburgh.
Courses currently offered in this area.
Theoretical Computer Science
This specialism will be of particular interest to students with a
strong mathematical background. It introduces students to core areas of
Theoretical Computer Science, and provides a link from theoretical
topics to their application in software and hardware systems
development.
In many courses the theory sgests the construction of tools to aid
software and hardware design and verification. The practical components
of these courses introduce the technologies through which theory-based
tools are implemented and provide experience of the practical
application of theory across a range of theory-based Systems
Engineering tools. Students meet a variety of these tools during the
course and develop skills in their use, as well as studying the
underlying theory and techniques used in their implementation. Courses currently offered in this area.
