City

What you'll study

The programme combines core research-training modules with advanced options and a substantial supervised research dissertation. You will develop research skills in experimental design, statistical analysis, scholarly communication and project management alongside technical depth in your chosen specialism.

• Research methods and professional skills: quantitative and qualitative methods, reproducibility, scientific writing, ethics and research governance.
• Advanced computing topics (examples): machine learning and deep learning, data analytics and visualisation, cybersecurity principles and applied security, distributed and cloud computing, high-performance and parallel computing, databases and information retrieval, formal methods and verification, human-centred computing and interaction design.
• Project work: a major independent research project (dissertation) supervised by a faculty member, often including literature review, experimental implementation, evaluation and a written thesis. Projects may be theoretical, experimental, or applied in partnership with industry.
• Optional short modules or workshops: academic publishing, research impact and knowledge exchange, entrepreneurship and technology transfer, and specialised labs in areas such as computer vision, natural language processing or IoT.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to have a good honours degree (equivalent to a UK upper second class) in computer science, software engineering, information technology, mathematics, electronics or a closely related discipline. Applicants with significant relevant professional experience or an appropriate postgraduate qualification may also be considered.

Typical application materials include academic transcripts, a personal statement describing research interests, and two references (academic or professional). International applicants will need to meet the University's English language requirement; evidence of an appropriate qualification in English is required where the first language is not English.

Career prospects

Graduates leave the MRes prepared for further research (PhD) or for research-oriented roles in industry. Common career paths include:

• Doctoral researcher / PhD candidate in computing and related disciplines.
• R&D engineer or research scientist in sectors such as AI, data analytics, cybersecurity and software engineering.
• Data scientist, machine learning engineer or data engineer in finance, healthcare, retail and technology firms.
• Technical consultant, systems architect or specialist roles in large organisations and technology consultancies.
• Roles in policy, standards or technology transfer where strong research and analytical skills are required.

Why study at City

City's Department of Computer Science offers an academically rigorous environment with strong emphasis on research methodology and applied projects. Students benefit from research-active staff working across AI, security, networks, software systems and human-centred computing, and from well-equipped computing labs and specialised research groups.

Located in central London, City provides proximity to a wide range of potential industry partners and employers across finance, technology and public sectors, supporting project collaborations and networking. The programme's combination of taught modules and a major research project makes it particularly suitable for those aiming to progress to doctoral study or research-driven careers in industry.