Master of Philosophy - Computer Science

The research activity and supervision for the standard two-year MPhil in Computer Science are concentrated in several principal research areas, including artificial intelligence, biologically inspired architectures, educational technology, e-learning, natural and evolutionary computation, natural language engineering, software agents, and software engineering. 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, along with a wide range of testing and instrumentation equipment. The research covers various topics, from the theory of computation and the philosophy of computer science to computational intelligence and computer games, as well as artificial intelligence and robotics. Most research groups are based in laboratories that offer world-class facilities. The impressive external research funding amounts to multi-million pounds per year, and the institution participates in several EU initiatives, undertaking projects under contract with numerous outside bodies, including government and industrial organizations.

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