The demand for engineers in both wide-area and local-area communication networks is currently flourishing, and is expected to continue growing as multimedia data transmissions find more applications in everyday life. The latest communications standards have been hugely influential in accelerating dissemination of mobile telephony, internet-on-the-move, video and audio streaming and mobile computing. They have achieved truly compatible international communications for everyone, and society is displaying a voracious appetite for communications on a scale that surpasses even the most optimistic projections of a few short years ago. The expansion of communications companies is prodigious. While most of the headlines focus on large corporate entities, there is a strong upsurge of small and medium enterprises devoted to niche products and services fuelling the communications machine. This has led to a colossal demand for engineers skilled in these emerging communications technologies, and has shaped this MSc. There is now a long-term and growing market for graduates possessing a clear overview of current communications capabilities in both cellular and broadband wireless networks. This course sets out to give you just such a breadth of view, and press home experience of implementation details via problem-solving, project and simulation work.

Course content

The core modules build on the fundamental methods in digital communications, to cover the latest technologies in cellular networks, high-speed wired networks and broadband local-area networks.

Option modules enable you to study further communication and networking topics, or the enabling technologies of embedded computer systems, microelectronic design and digital signal processing. Projects will be carefully chosen to integrate your interest either with the active research thrust within electronics, or with relevant activity in your own workplace.

Core modules

Broadband Wireless Networks • Cellular Wireless Networks • Communication and Computer Networks • Communication Principles • Communication Systems • Individual Project

Option modules, choose three from

DSP Design and Applications • Embedded System Design • Multirate Signal Processing • Network Modelling and Simulation • Network Security • Real-Time Environments • Wireless System Design We are comprehensively equipped with a wide range of computeraided design (CAD) facilities and hardware development laboratories. These include a network of powerful workstations for designing and simulating electronic systems and integrated circuits, and unique software for the design and analysis of DSP systems. We also have a network laboratory for the design and evaluation of computer network architectures, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) laboratory

for the latest chip creation technology, and an Embedded Systems laboratory for the development of systems using microcontrollers, digital signal processors and general-purpose microprocessors. These facilities are for the exclusive use of students and staff, providing resources that are among the best in the country.

Length of course

One-year, full-time or two to three years, part-time, block mode

Location

Central London (Cavendish)

Fee band

Fee band 1, see fees spreadsheet

Associated careers

The course is suitable for engineering and science graduates interested in specialising in this flourishing area. It has been particularly tailored to suit engineers from industry who are either already working in the field, or are likely to be involved in related projects in the future.

Entry requirements

You should have qualifications equivalent to a good Honours degree from a British university in electronic engineering or a good Honours degree in computer science, mathematics or other technological subject with a knowledge of mathematics and signal processing. Relevant work experience will be taken into account. If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent.

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