MSc Advanced Communication Systems

This module provides a mathematical foundation for the study of communication systems and understanding their operation. It covers at depth the relevant mathematical concepts, such as Fourier transforms, theory of probability and stochastic processes and noise, as well as fundamentals of information theory and coding. The key feature of the module is that all relevant mathematical concepts are considered together with practical demonstration of their direct applications to the related area of electronic engineering and communication. In order to provide both good theoretical knowledge and strong applied skills, in addition to the lectures the module is supported by the problem solving classes. The module uses these theoretical tools to examine the operation of modern communication systems, such as analogue and digital signal processing and applications of information theory to data coding. The module also covers analysis of fundamental performance bounds, and identifies how close commercially important systems are to these bounds.

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In modern digital communications voice, image and data are integrated. The module will provide an understanding of the principles and practices of modern digital transmission systems. After covering the essentials of electronic communications, the module examines and compares cable, broadcast, satellite and mobile communications systems.

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This module provides an introduction to the architecture and services of modern telecommunication networks. A general introduction illustrates the major features of a network, how they interact and introduce the concept of an intelligent network. Switching is an essential requirement and the ideas behind circuit, packet and cell switching are presented. The basics of the TCP/IP protocol suite are described. Optical transmission and networking, key features for future networks, are discussed. To present the main concepts involved in current and future telecommunication and information networks, the concepts presented will be supported by the other core courses.

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What are the main challenges when using wireless connections? And what are the higher-layer techniques for exploiting wireless physical links? Study the technology underlying current and future wireless communications systems. Understand the concepts of radio transmissions and the different types of multiple access techniques.

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Mathematics is a tool used in many fields of research, and this module introduces students to techniques and ways of thinking designed to enable them to carry out their own mathematical investigations, or to apply mathematical ideas to an investigation of their own (typically for most students on this module, this will be their Dissertation project). We use the industry standard mathematical software Matlab, although the techniques introduced can also be applied using other software, and we study a range of techniques for numerical computation and processing of data.

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What fascinates you? Apply your learning in computer science or engineering to solve a problem. Design, implement and evaluate a solution, producing a dissertation on your investigation and giving an oral presentation of your work. Test your knowledge, while gaining practical experience and building your project management skills.

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This module aims to prepare students for conducting an independent research project leading to a dissertation and to provide them with an appreciation of research and business skills related to their professional career. As a precursor to their project students, individually select an area of Computer Science, or Electronic Engineering, or Computational Finance and perform the necessary background research to define a topic and prepare a project proposal under the guidance of a supervisor. The module guides them by a) introducing common research methods b) creating an understanding of basic statistics for describing and making conclusions from data c) helping to write a strong proposal including learning how to perform literature search and evaluation and d) giving an in-depth view into the business enterprise, financial and management accounting and investment appraisal.

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We are living in a world of multiple networking technologies, either wired or wireless. There is a need for these network technologies to converge in order to provide seamless services to end users. This course is to look into the fundamentals towards this goal. This course will begin with the motivation behind network and service convergence and then introduce the network architectures that are being deployed today. Then quality of service (QoS) metrics such as delay, jitter, packet loss, etc. and QoS mechanisms will be introduced. The course will go on into various types of service and network convergences covering wireless + wireless convergence and wired + wireless convergence. The course will then describe fundamentals of a key issue that is common for any type of convergence: mobility. Finally the course will finish by introducing a clean-slate future Internet technology called ICN (Information Centric Networking).

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Acquire critical and transferable skills associated with the creation and growth of new business ventures. You focus on the development process from start up to early stage growth of new ventures, new small businesses spin offs from large firms, and especially innovative, technology-based firms. You study opportunity identification, self-efficacy, ideas generation, bricolage and bootstrapping, developing business models, networking, marketing, and finance.

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The aim of this module is to familiarise students with the whole pipeline of processing, analysing, presenting and making decision using data. This module blends data analysis, decision making and visualisation with practical python programming.Students will need a reasonable programming background as they will be expected to develop a complete end-to-end data science application.

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This module introduces the Internet and computer networking from both a theoretical and practical perspective. It is the module where computers are merging with communications to create a fundamentally new system  - the World Wide Web. The design, organisation, and operation of networks and the Internet are the subject of this module. The areas which are covered in the module are at the heart of modern network-connected world. In brief - the module will provide you as a future computer network specialist with a comprehensive knowledge of design, organisation, and operating principles of modern computer networks. The module first examines the architecture and operation of the Internet protocols (IPs), and shows how information is processed and routed across the Internet. The operation and configuration of routers is discussed alongside the details of protocol operation. The module then discusses the rationale behind the next generation internet protocol IPv6, in particular regarding addressing architecture, header functions, and novel protocol concepts. A comparison between the current IPv4 and the future IPv6 protocols and transition to the next generation protocol are discussed in depth. The function and implementation of its main support protocols are also covered. The application of these new networking ideas is illustrated by the application of IPv6 to problems in network layer services, especially security, and the Internet of Things (IoTs).  In order to provide both good theoretical knowledge and strong applied skills, in addition to the lectures the module is supported by the problem solving classes.

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