MSc Advanced Computer Science with Advanced Practice 2 Years

If you're looking to truly differentiate yourself in the competitive tech landscape, the two-year MSc Advanced Computer Science with Advanced Practice at Northumbria University is specifically designed to give you an unparalleled depth of practical experience. This unique programme goes beyond a standard master's by incorporating a dedicated block of advanced practice—either an industry internship or a rigorous research project—ensuring you graduate with a substantial portfolio of real-world work. You'll be based in our state-of-the-art Computer and Information Sciences building, which is packed with specialist labs and designed to mirror a professional tech environment.

Your learning is built around immersive, hands-on application from day one:

• Specialist Research and Development Labs: You will have access to our suite of specialist laboratories, including our Cyber Security Lab with its isolated network for ethical hacking and forensics work, and our Networking Lab equipped with Cisco routing and switching hardware for practical network design and management.

• Industry-Standard Software & Development Tools: Throughout your studies, you'll gain practical proficiency with the tools that drive innovation, including data analytics platforms like SAS, machine learning environments like TensorFlow, and professional development suites.

• The Advanced Practice Block: This is the cornerstone of the programme. You will undertake a substantial internship with an industry partner or an academic research project within one of our research groups, such as the Northumbria Social Computing (NorSC) lab. This provides a crucial bridge between your studies and professional employment, giving you months of direct experience.

• Collaborative Team Projects: The curriculum emphasises team-based learning through collaborative projects that simulate a commercial R&D environment, developing your technical and agile project management skills alongside your coding abilities.

• MSc Project: In your final year, you will complete a significant individual MSc project, allowing you to specialise deeply in an area like AI, data science, or cybersecurity, often building directly on the experience gained during your advanced practice.

• Extensive University Resources: You will have full access to Northumbria’s University Library, awarded for its excellence, which provides an extensive collection of computing databases, e-journals, and dedicated academic support, alongside 24/7 access to computing facilities.

This two-year structure with advanced practice is your strategic investment in a leading tech career. It's meticulously designed to transform you into a highly experienced and confident professional, equipped not just with a degree, but with a proven track record of applying advanced computing solutions in a real-world setting.

Here are the specifics of how this degree supports your career and what you can expect:

• University Services that Help Students to Employ:

  • The Careers and Employment Service offers 1-to-1 guidance, workshops (CV, interviews), employer talks, and access to graduate job listings. 

  • For Advanced Practice students there is support to find internships/work placements as part of the programme (including employer-led events). 

  • Placement scheme managed by the Department of Computer & Information Sciences: helps with sourcing vacancies, managing tutor visits, monitoring learning outcomes. 

• Employment Stats & Salary Figures:

  • For all full-time Computing graduates from Northumbria, about £27,500 is the average earning 15 months after graduation, with a typical range of £24,000-£32,000 depending on role and location.

  • After 3 years, earnings tend to still be around that or slightly higher, and after 5 years many are earning in the £30,000-£44,000 range (again depending on experience, specialism, and location). 

• University–Industry Partnerships:

  • Northumbria collaborates with major companies such as Accenture, Hewlett Packard, Sage for its Advanced Computer Science Study Abroad programme. 

  • The programme is designed in consultation with industry partners, so the modules, tools and skills taught map closely to employer needs. 

• Long-Term Accreditation Value:

  • The programme is accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, which means the degree helps meet part of the academic requirements for professional certification (e.g. Chartered IT Professional). 

  • Because of this accreditation, your degree not only looks good to employers now, but it also supports your eligibility for professional recognition over time.

• Graduation Outcomes:

  • Graduates often find work in a variety of computing specialisms: software engineering, network design & management, database development, AI, and consultancy. 

  • Some even set up their own consultancy firms or take roles that require both technical and management/communication skills. 

Further Academic Progression:

If after completing this MSc you feel like pushing forward academically, here are paths you could take:

• PhD / Doctoral Study: You could move into research in areas like AI, machine learning, data science, networks, cybersecurity, or human-computer interaction. Northumbria has active research groups in these areas.

• Specialised Postgraduate Certifications or Professional Qualifications: Given the BCS accreditation, you might aim for Chartered IT Professional status. You might also take certifications in cloud providers (AWS, Azure), cybersecurity, data engineering etc.

• Post-Master’s Research Fellowships or Teaching: If you enjoy academic work, you could apply for teaching assistant roles, lab instruction, or research fellow positions.