Postgraduate Prospectus

Computer Science | www.essex.ac.uk/csee
Although you will become an expert in a
specific area, your PhD will also develop
your appreciation of the research
methodology and experimental skills
appropriate to your topic, and develop the
high-level research skills listed below:
n the ability to recognise and validate
problems;
n original, independent and critical
thinking, and the ability to develop
theoretical concepts;
n knowledge of recent advances within
your field and in related areas;
n an understanding of relevant research
methodologies and techniques and
their appropriate application within
your research field;
n the ability to critically analyse and
evaluate you findings and those of
others; and
n an ability to summarise, document,
report and reflect on progress.
We have a number of studentships and
bursaries available, however these are
highly competitive, and the total number
is limited. You should state very clearly on
your application form whether you have
your own private funding, funding from
a sponsor (such as your government), or
whether you wish to apply for a scholarship
from our University. We also employ a
number of our PhD students as Graduate
Teaching Assistants and Laboratory
Assistants on a part-time basis. As well
as earning extra income, you gain valuable
experience of communicating your subject
in a learning environment.
Research areas
Research in our School covers a range
of topics, from materials science and
semiconductor device physics, to the
theory of computation and the philosophy
of computer science. Most of our groups
are based around research laboratories,
many of which offer world-class facilities.
Research supervision is available in
the following fields:
n
Analogue and digital systems
architectures
Swathi Kantharaja,
Bangalore, India –
MSc Computer Science ’11
Graduate
profile
n Artificial intelligence
n Brain computer interfaces
n Computational intelligence
n Data communications and networking
n Design and construction of ultrafast
systems for Terahertz studies
n Educational technology
n E-learning
n Embedded systems
n Human-computer interfaces
n Intelligent inhabited environments
n Mathematics, statistics and numerical
methods
n Mixed reality
n Natural and evolutionary computation
n Natural language engineering
I decided to study at Essex
because of the University’s
reputation for being
internationally diverse, as well
as being a forerunner in the field
of computer science offering numerous
combinations of modules. I wanted to
study computer science to further my
prior knowledge and experience, as
it is an extremely innovative topic.
I really enjoyed living as part of a
community on campus; there was a
vibrant and friendly atmosphere. The
facilities on offer, especially in the library,
are state-of-the-art and helped immensely
with my learning. I also loved the
surrounding areas, including the lake,
as this is very beautiful. Finally, having
a place such as the Happy Days diner,
which gave us somewhere to congregate
and eat together, allowed me to see all of
my friends.
I feel that the modules I studied have
prepared me extremely well for working
as a software developer, as they are all
relevant to the present world. I really
enjoyed my time at Essex and I would
definitely recommend it to
prospective students,
especially those considering
studying abroad.
n Optical and semiconductor devices
n Optimisation and constraint satisfaction
n Radio, radar and electromagnetics
n Robotics
n Semiconductors: theory and experiment
n Signal processing
n Software agents
n Software engineering
n Theoretical computer science
n THz spectroscopy of molecules
n Video, image processing and
computer vision
86 | Postgraduate Prospectus 2012