Computer Science

Award

MSc

Location

University of Staffordshire London

University of Staffordshire London

Start dates available

  • January 2027
  • January 2028

Start dates available

  • September 2027
University of Staffordshire Courses

Industry aligned

Aligned with British Computer Society (BCS) standards

Study industry technologies

Learn AWS, XRY, Encase, Google, and Cisco technologies

Study advanced modules

Study modules related to Networking, Software Development, Cyber Security, and Computing

Our Computer Science MSc is a blend of cutting-edge theory and practical experience with industry-standard technology. It encompasses a wide range of subjects, including Cybersecurity concepts, Advanced Project Management & Entrepreneurship, Ambient Intelligence and Context-Aware Systems as core or mandatory subjects i.e. modules and you can choose one option module from Software Engineering for Multi-Platform Systems, AI-Driven Network Management and Automation, Cloud Computing and Virtualisation, Digital Forensics and Penetration Testing, Quantum Computing and Cryptography.

We’ve designed this course based on the current industry demands and to take your understanding of computer science to the next level. You can tailor your course to your career aspirations, and use the core modules to meet the challenges of employer-driven needs, emerging markets, research etc.

Throughout the course, you’ll explore the ins and outs of the latest technology and feel confident applying your skills within the industry and commerce.

If you choose to leave before completing the full 180 credit MSc course, you are entitled to a lower award if you have achieved pass grades for the necessary credits. This would be 60 taught module credits for a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) or 120 taught module credits for a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip). 

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MSc Computer Science

Duration

University of Staffordshire postgraduate courses are usually 1 academic year duration when studying full-time and 2-3 academic years duration for part-time. 

Part-time study

Computer Science MSc can be studied in three modes: full-time on-campus, part-time, or Distance Learning (DL). The full-time on-campus mode takes three semesters. The DL mode normally takes longer e.g. six semesters.

Blended learning

In part-time DL mode, students can take two modules per semester. The DL mode can be suitable for the students who are working, have other commitments e.g. family, unable to travel to the UK etc. 

Work placements

Throughout your course there will be opportunities for you to network with our contacts and guest speakers from our industry partners and collaborators. Many of these offer work shadowing or short work experience opportunities where you will be able to enhance your employability, which may lead to further graduate prospects. Our Computer Science graduates have gone on to work for a range of top companies such as Infiniti-Red Bull Racing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, British Oceanographic Data Centre, Thomson Reuters etc. 

Our Computer Science MSc is a blend of cutting-edge theory and practical experience with industry-standard technology. It encompasses a wide range of subjects, including Cybersecurity concepts, Advanced Project Management & Entrepreneurship, Ambient Intelligence and Context-Aware Systems as core or mandatory subjects i.e. modules and you can choose one option module from Software Engineering for Multi-Platform Systems, AI-Driven Network Management and Automation, Cloud Computing and Virtualisation, Digital Forensics and Penetration Testing, Quantum Computing and Cryptography.

We’ve designed this course based on the current industry demands and to take your understanding of computer science to the next level. You can tailor your course to your career aspirations, and use the core modules to meet the challenges of employer-driven needs, emerging markets, research etc.

Throughout the course, you’ll explore the ins and outs of the latest technology and feel confident applying your skills within the industry and commerce.

If you choose to leave before completing the full 180 credit MSc course, you are entitled to a lower award if you have achieved pass grades for the necessary credits. This would be 60 taught module credits for a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) or 120 taught module credits for a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip). 

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MSc Computer Science

Duration

University of Staffordshire postgraduate courses are usually 1 academic year duration when studying full-time and 2-3 academic years duration for part-time. 

Part-time study

Computer Science MSc can be studied in three modes: full-time on-campus, part-time, or Distance Learning (DL). The full-time on-campus mode takes three semesters. The DL mode normally takes longer e.g. six semesters.

Blended learning

In part-time DL mode, students can take two modules per semester. The DL mode can be suitable for the students who are working, have other commitments e.g. family, unable to travel to the UK etc. 

Work placements

Throughout your course there will be opportunities for you to network with our contacts and guest speakers from our industry partners and collaborators. Many of these offer work shadowing or short work experience opportunities where you will be able to enhance your employability, which may lead to further graduate prospects. Our Computer Science graduates have gone on to work for a range of top companies such as Infiniti-Red Bull Racing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, British Oceanographic Data Centre, Thomson Reuters etc.

Course content

Professional body accreditation

Accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.

Accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Professional body accreditation

Accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.

Accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Professional body accreditation

We continuously update our course modules to ensure our curriculum reflects the latest industry trends and insights. Our module content is refined in collaboration with professional and regulatory bodies and partners. As such, this course is currently undergoing re-accreditation with British Computer Society (BCS), with confirmation expected before September 2027.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Ambient Intelligence And Context-Aware Systems 30 credits
Cybersecurity Concepts, Network Operations And Governance 30 credits

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module. 

Entry requirements

An Undergraduate Honours degree (grade 2.2 or above) in a related Computing discipline from a UK University or the international equivalent. Applicants with appropriate experience will also be considered provided you satisfy the University that you can respond to the challenge of postgraduate study.

All programmes are subject to Staffordshire University’s Admissions Policy:

https://www.staffs.ac.uk/legal/policies/Staffs-admissions-policy.jsp

An Undergraduate Honours degree (grade 2.2 or above) in a related Computing discipline from a UK University or the international equivalent. Applicants with appropriate experience will also be considered provided you satisfy the University that you can respond to the challenge of postgraduate study.

All programmes are subject to Staffordshire University’s Admissions Policy:

https://www.staffs.ac.uk/legal/policies/Staffs-admissions-policy.jsp

Careers

Our Computer Science postgraduates are snapped up by employers as their skills are in high demand. Some get offered jobs through their placements and join the firms full-time after they complete their degree.

With a need for thousands more Computer Science skilled graduates in the UK, it’s a specialist field with huge opportunities for our graduates.

Many of our postgraduates also go on to work for tech companies as programmers, software developers, cyber experts, or data engineers.

Possible careers including becoming a networking specialist, data administrator, computer hardware engineer, cyber security specialist, Ai Designer, or computer programmer.

All students have access to Career Connect, our dedicated careers team.

Students on this programme have the opportunity to enhance their studies with a placement year, gain valuable work experience, and take part in international activities—potentially supported by the Turing funding.

Our Computer Science postgraduates are snapped up by employers as their skills are in high demand. Some get offered jobs through their placements and join the firms full-time after they complete their degree.

With a need for thousands more Computer Science skilled graduates in the UK, it’s a specialist field with huge opportunities for our graduates.

Many of our postgraduates also go on to work for tech companies as programmers, software developers, cyber experts, or data engineers.

Possible careers including becoming a networking specialist, data administrator, computer hardware engineer, cyber security specialist, Ai Designer, or computer programmer.

All students have access to Career Connect, our dedicated careers team.

Students on this programme have the opportunity to enhance their studies with a placement year, gain valuable work experience, and take part in international activities—potentially supported by the Turing funding.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

We know that everyone learns differently. So, not only do we use traditional ways of teaching like lectures, we also use problem-based learning to help you apply your skills.

For this course, you will:

  • Work with others on group work
  • Delve deeper into subject areas in workshops
  • Be expected to study independently

Our teaching is supported through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Blackboard. This means you can access a range of materials to support your lectures wherever you are.

We’ll also assign you a supervisor to support you throughout your research project.

Assessment

There are two types of assessments: practice (also called formative) or formal (also called summative).

Practice assessments do not count towards your final mark. These are your chance to test your understanding – and learn how to improve for the real thing.

You’ll have formal assessments at the end of each module. These could include essays, exams, practical portfolios, presentations, group/individual report.

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

  • Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
  • Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
  • Academic writing (including how to reference)
  • Research skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Feedback

We know that it’s important for you to be able to gauge your progress. So your tutor will give you feedback on any practice assessments you do.

We usually give you feedback on formal assessments within 20 working days. The format e.g. verbal feedback, written feedback, audio feedback etc. will vary for each module.

Teaching

We know that everyone learns differently. So, not only do we use traditional ways of teaching like lectures, we also use problem-based learning to help you apply your skills.

For this course, you will:

  • Work with others on group work
  • Delve deeper into subject areas in workshops
  • Be expected to study independently

Our teaching is supported through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Blackboard. This means you can access a range of materials to support your lectures wherever you are.

We’ll also assign you a supervisor to support you throughout your research project.

Assessment

There are two types of assessments: practice (also called formative) or formal (also called summative).

Practice assessments do not count towards your final mark. These are your chance to test your understanding – and learn how to improve for the real thing.

You’ll have formal assessments at the end of each module. These could include essays, exams, practical portfolios, presentations, group/individual report.

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

  • Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
  • Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
  • Academic writing (including how to reference)
  • Research skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way. 

Feedback

We know that it’s important for you to be able to gauge your progress. So your tutor will give you feedback on any practice assessments you do.

We usually give you feedback on formal assessments within 20 working days. The format e.g. verbal feedback, written feedback, audio feedback etc. will vary for each module.

Staff

You'll be taught by staff who have a range of academic and industry experience. They are engaged in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) e.g. technical and teaching qualifications as well. The course leader for MSc Computer Science is shown below. 

Please note, teaching team staff members may change during your studies.

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Dr Vahid Heydari Fami Tafreshi

Course Director - Computer Science

Vahid is a passionate researcher and course director specialising in Computing courses at the London campus. He leads the BSc and MSc Cyber Security courses, focusing on Internet Protocols, Architectures, Cybersecurity, and IoT Security.

Vahid's profile
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Dr Maryam Shahpasand

Senior Lecturer

Maryam is a lecturer with over 15 years of intensive experience in cyber security teaching and research, professional training, security consultation, forensics investigation, malware analysis, penetration testing, and incident handling.

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Dr Mahsa Zolfaghari

Lecturer

Mahsa is a lecturer in Computer Science and Cyber Security. Her research interests are Systems Design enhancements by Artificial Intelligence (AI), NET ZERO Technologies’ applications and IoT.

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Dr Viraj Dawarka

Lecturer

Viraj is a lecturer in computer science/cyber security as well as an active researcher in cloud robotics. His main area of interest is towards the energy efficiency of cloud robotics using educational robots.

Fees

For the course starting on 25 January 2027 the tuition fees are:

Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £10,925 per course £17,500 per course

For the course starting on 24 January 2028 the tuition fees are:

Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £11,250 per course £17,700 per course

For the course starting on 20 September 2027 the tuition fees are:

Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £11,250 per course £17,700 per course

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

Alumni discount

If you've previously completed a University Staffordshire undergraduate degree (excluding HND and foundation degrees) you may be entitled to a discount of 25% off your course fees for any subsequent postgraduate taught course (terms apply, see the alumni discount page for details). If you have any questions about how this relates to you, please contact feesandbursaries@staffs.ac.uk.

Not included in the fees:

It is recommended students purchase a laptop.

It is recommended students purchase a laptop.
Accommodation and living costs

Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. Student loans are available for many of our postgraduate degrees and are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The loan can cover a wide range of postgraduate study options; part-time, full-time and distance learning. 

For more information and how to apply visit masters loan.

Apply now to Computer Science

Location Award Study option Start date
Staffordshire University London MSc Full-time, January start 25 January 2027 Apply now
Staffordshire University London MSc Full-time, January start 24 January 2028 Apply now

Apply now to Computer Science

Location Award Study option Start date
Staffordshire University London MSc Full-time, September start 20 September 2027 Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.

University of the year

Academic Employability Awards 2026, Graduate Futures Institute

for overall student positivity

National Student Survey 2026

for Social Inclusion

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026

for First Generation Students

The Mail University Guide 2026

in the UK for Games Education

Rookies Games Design and Development 2023, 2025

TIGA Best Games Institution 2024, 2025

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021