The research activity and supervision for the MPhil in Computing and Electronic Systems are concentrated in several principal research areas: biometrics, evolutionary-fuzzy systems, neuro-genetic systems, computational intelligence and games, embedded systems, intelligent inhabited environments, and robotics. The cross-disciplinary projects draw on the expertise of electronic engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians, physicists, and psychologists.

University of Essex is one of the largest and best-resourced schools in the UK. Its work is supported by extensive networked computer facilities and software aids, as well as a wide range of test and instrumentation equipment. The research encompasses various topics, including semiconductor device physics, the theory of computation, the philosophy of computer science, computational intelligence and computer games, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Most research groups are based in laboratories that offer world-class facilities. The impressive external research funding reaches multi-million pounds per year, with participation in several EU initiatives and projects contracted to various external bodies, including government and industrial organizations.

Studying within this School provides both recent graduates and practicing engineers with opportunities to acquire new skills or enhance existing ones. Graduates have advanced to a variety of senior positions in industry and academia. Some of the companies and organizations where former graduates are now employed include Alcatel Submarine, BT Group, QinetiQ, Dolby Laboratories, Fujitsu, Royal Air Forces, as well as within the University and Imperial College London.