Advanced Computer Science
MSc or PGDip or PGCert
Key facts
Start dates
September 2023 / September 2024
Location
Course length
Full time: MSc - 1 year (12 months); PG Dip - 6 months; PG Cert - 3 months
Part time: MSc - 2 years (24 months); PG Dip - 18 months (12 months study time); PG Cert - 6 months
Accreditation(s)
The British Computer Society
Overview
Our Advanced Computer Science course has been designed in response to the growing need from industry for graduates that are equipped with the skills to manage and solve complex projects.
This course is for recent graduates and those with substantial experience in the computing industry. You will gain a qualification which develops your expertise and prepares you for career advancement. Our modules are designed to introduce you to important evolving trends in Advanced Computer Science, such as:
- Distributed Computing,
- Networking,
- Cyber Security
- and Machine Learning.
By studying this course at Oxford Brookes, you will be part of a diverse and truly international postgraduate community.
The course is accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
You should normally hold a first degree equivalent to at least a British lower second class bachelor's degree in a computer-related subject. If your first degree is not in computing but you have worked in the computing industry you can also be considered. If you have no experience or degree in a computing related discipline then you should consider our MSc in Computing Science.
For entry onto the Postgraduate Certificate Research Project you should be able to provide evidence of experience in research and study methods at an appropriate level.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English you will require a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 with 6.0 in all components.
OR
An equivalent English language qualification acceptable to the University.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Optional costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
| You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £8 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Learning and assessment
You will have maximum flexibility and choice in your studies with our modular course-unit design.
You can update your skills as a computing industry professional with our Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Advanced Computer Science. You will concentrate on the taught element of our degree.
There is also the option of completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Computer Science research project.
Study modules
The modules listed below are for the master's award. For the PGDip and PGCert awards your module choices may be different. Please contact us for more details.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
Your understanding will be strengthened with a combination of lectures and practical sessions.
The modules you study will be enriched by our teaching staff's research expertise. We also invite visiting lecturers from research organisations and industry.
To qualify you will need to pass modules amounting to the following levels of credit:
- master’s degree - 180 credits
- postgraduate diploma - 120 credits
- postgraduate certificate - 60 credits.
As a part-time student you can distribute your work over a two-year period.
Research
We have a vibrant and growing research community with a wide range of activities:
- model-driven system design
- empirical software engineering
- web technologies
- cloud computing and big data
- digital forensics
- computer vision.
Staff and students collaborate on projects supported by the EPSRC, the EU, the DTI, and several major UK companies. Our course design is informed by state-of-the-art research undertaken in the school.
Students on this course can be involved with research in the following research groups:
After you graduate
Career prospects
Graduates of this course are employed across a whole range of careers from development roles in small software houses, to the activities of IT departments in large, multinational corporations, to more specialist roles for providers of IT and telecommunications services.
These include:
- technical roles, including software design and development
- specialist product support
- infrastructure and security management roles.
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.