Integrated PhD Computer Science

University of Essex

An Integrated PhD provides a route into research study if you do not have a Master’s degree, or have very little research training. It enables you to spend your first year completing a Masters-level qualification, followed by a full-time PhD studied over 3-4 years. We also offer a ‘standard’ PhD in this subject which can be studied either full-time (3-4 years) or part-time (6-7 years).

In your first year, this course provides you with the flexibility to master the areas of computing that interest and excite you most. You choose from a range of topics including:

• Intelligent systems and robotics
• Machine learning and data mining
• Human language understanding and text processing
• Computer game development
• Cloud and web technologies
• Computer security
• Evolutionary computation

In your second year you move into the PhD element of the course. Our research activity and supervision for the research part of this degree is concentrated in the following principal research areas: artificial intelligence, biologically inspired architectures, educational technology, e-learning, natural and evolutionary computation, natural language engineering, software agents and software engineering. Our cross-disciplinary projects draw on the expertise of our electronic engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians, physicists, and psychologists.

Our work is supported by extensive networked computer facilities and software aids, together with a wide range of test and instrumentation equipment. Our research covers a range of topics, from the theory of computation and the philosophy of computer science, computational intelligence and computer games to artificial intelligence and robotics, with most of our research groups based around laboratories offering world-class facilities. Our impressive external research funding stands at multi-million pounds per year, and we participate in several EU initiatives and undertake projects under contract to many outside bodies, including government and industrial organisations.

Our School is a community of scholars leading the way in technological research and development. Today’s computer scientists are creative people who are focused and committed, yet restless and experimental. We are home to many of the world’s top scientists, and our work is driven by creativity and imagination as well as technical excellence. More than two-thirds of our research is rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent' (REF 2014).

Your future

Studying within our School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering provides both the recent graduate and the practising computer scientist with the opportunity to gain new skills or enhance existing ones.

Our graduates have achieved success in a variety of professions. Many have pursued careers in computing and information technology, while others have gone on to work in research organisations or become university academics.

Our recent graduates have progressed to a variety of senior positions in industry and academia. Some of the companies and organisations where our former graduates are now employed include:

• Electronic Data Systems
• Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
• Bank of Mexico
• Visa International
• Hyper knowledge (Cambridge)
• Hellenic Air Force
• ICSS (Beijing)
• United Microelectronic Corporation (Taiwan)

We also work with the university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.