SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Faculty of Science and Engineering THE UNIVERSIT Y OF OPPORTUNIT Y
SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Faculty of Science and Engineering As a Faculty within the University, we are pivotally positioned in the development of the technological and scientific capacity vital for the regeneration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) expertise, both in our country and globally. We aim to help meet national and global demand for STEM graduates and postgraduates, of paramount importance for growing the UK economy. We are a strong vocational university that supports the cutting-edge of Black Country industry, home to a significant
manufacturing base. We have built on our rich history of technology, teaching and local skills provision to become a significant player in the high-tech re-skilling that is of national importance. Leading companies such as Logicalis, Lenovo, Dell, HP, Cap Gemini and UTC Aerospace Systems work closely with us because we provide the skilled graduates necessary in the science/technology/engineering resurgence. Mathematics and Computer Science are disciplines central to almost everything we do, from everyday finance to scientific discovery. We have developed excellent specialist facilities, including the Computer Games and Computer Networking labs, to support you in your studies. Full details of all courses and entry requirements can be found at: wlv.ac.uk/postgraduate
COURSES • Computational Lexicography / Computational Linguistics / Natural Language Processing (MPhil / PhD) • Computer Science (MSc, PG Cert) • Computer Science (MPhil / PhD) • Computing and Mathematics (MPhil / PhD) • Cyber Security (MSc) • Information Technology Management (MSc, PG Cert) • Mathematics (MSc, PG Cert) • Web and Mobile Application Development (MSc, PG Cert)
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COMPUTATIONAL LEXICOGRAPHY / COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS / NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING MPhil / PhD The Research Group of Computational Linguistics is an internationally recognised and leading centre in Natural Language Processing (NLP). It was founded by Professor Ruslan Mitkov in 1998 and is one of the leading research institutes in the UK. The group is well known for its high-level research with strong international and inter-sector collaboration, and is renowned for innovative research and development of various NLP tools and resources.
PHD APPLICATIONS
As part of your PhD application, we ask you to submit a PhD proposal outlining your intended area of research. This could be based on one of the topics on this page, although the proposal itself needs to be much more detailed. You are also very welcome to suggest your own topics. In both cases, you should contact a potential supervisor through our website before submitting an application. Please note that there is no specific funding attached to any of the suggested topics. However, students in receipt of scholarships or self-funded students with a strong academic background and programming skills are eligible to apply.
We offer a vast range of possible PhD topics which give an idea of the scope of the work in the Institute: • Applying authorship attribution techniques to the problem of plagiarism • Author profiling in social networks • Automated content-based scoring of essays • Automatic question generation from multimedia sources • Computational analysis of figurative language and other exploitations • Computational analysis of syntactic alternations • Computational lexicography • Corpus-based translation studies (CBTS) • Corpus-driven meaning analysis: norms and exploitations • Cross-lingual information access to web content • Identifying and reasoning with temporal information • (Multilingual) Text simplification and text summarisation • (Multilingual) Cyber-terrorism detection • (Multilingual) Cyberbullying detection in social networks
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FULL-TIME: MPhil: Up to 2 years PhD: Up to 4 years
PART-TIME: MPhil: Up to 4 years PhD: Up to 8 years
LOCATION: City Campus
START: Any time throughout the year
• Sarcasm detection in Twitter • Semantic search • Semantically enhanced translation memories • Sentiment analysis in social networks • Stylometry of Wittgenstein Current PhD projects include: • An investigation into morpho-syntactic simplification in the structure of Gulf pidgin Arabic in Saudi Arabia • Syntactic simplification for reading comprehension and language processing • Multiple choice question (MCQ) generation system enhancement through disambiguation of source documents • Use of language technology to improve matching and retrieval in translation memory • Building a relevance judgment list for test collections without human intervention • Readability assessment for people with autism spectrum disorder and other disorders affecting language.
COMPUTER SCIENCE MSc, PG Cert This course will develop your knowledge in depth across several specialised or applied areas of computer science. You will be encouraged to independently synthesise information and novel ideas in chosen areas of computer science and to evaluate or argue alternative approaches.
WHY WOLVERHAMPTON?
WHAT WILL I STUDY?
The course focuses on distributed and mobile computing, database server management, software tools, web technologies and group-based software development – areas our staff are actively researching or in which they have national or international reputations. Specialist laboratories support the teaching for networking and mobile computing.
This degree builds upon some of the fundamental undergraduate areas to give you an in-depth knowledge and understanding in those areas. This course has a strong practical element, enhancing the underpinning knowledge with a range of practical skills designed to enhance your career prospects.
• Distributed Computing
HOW WILL THIS COURSE IMPROVE MY EMPLOYABILITY?
FULL-TIME: MSc: 1 year
PART-TIME: MSc: 2 years PG Cert: 1 year
LOCATION: City Campus
START:
Typical modules include: • Mobile App Development • Research Methods
You will be able to approach a variety of high-level roles with confidence, in areas such as the creative industries, product design, the games industry, education, public bodies and environmental monitoring. Many students have gone on to complete a PhD while others have moved into the IT industry in companies such as Cap Gemini. If you are already in employment, the programme will enhance your academic and professional skills, enabling you to accelerate your career within the organisation, or seek employment in another organisation at an equivalent or higher management level.
• Web Technologies • Database Technology
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? You will typically be assessed through various methods, including research-based reports which give solutions to real-world problems.
OTHER COURSES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: • MSc, PG Cert Web and Mobile Application Development • MSc , PG Cert Information Technology Management
Semester 1
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COMPUTER SCIENCE MPhil / PhD The research areas in which we offer MPhil and PhD supervision include: • application to the development of innovative technologies of games technology and computer science to the realisation of tangible and virtual systems or system parts • sensor networks, RFID and ambient intelligence to provide original solutions to real-world problems, particularly in the areas of sustainability, food and agriculture • the Internet of Things • Wireless Sensor Networks • massively mobile and parallel systems • the theory of concurrency • mixed reality pervasive systems • digital game and interactive media • AI and Games Simulation for Learning (GSL).
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FULL-TIME: MPhil: Up to 2 years PhD: Up to 4 years
PART-TIME: MPhil: Up to 4 years PhD: Up to 8 years Our Engineering and Computer Science Research Centre researches aspects of engineering and computer science pertaining to their application to the development of innovative technologies through application of aspects of material science, engineering, games technology and computer science to the realisation of tangible and virtual systems or system parts. Contexts include concept valuation, design, visualisation, simulation, interaction, scenario consideration, realisation, control/cybermetrics, evaluation or application, as well as other leadingedge applications, as they emerge. The Centre includes the Interactive Digital Media and Games Research Group and Pervasive Computing Research Group.
LOCATION: City Campus
START: Any time throughout the year
COMPUTING AND MATHEMATICS MPhil / PhD Our research attained an average score of 3.37 out of 4 in the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) assessment, which is higher than the institution-wide average score of every single British university. Almost all of our research was rated “world leading” or “internationally excellent”. Research areas available for MPhil and PhD study include: • Cybermetrics • Statistics • Statistical Modelling • Computational Algebra • Computational Group Theory • Solar Physics. We have a number of research centres, institutes and groups within the areas of computing and mathematics. Our Engineering and Computer Science Research Centre includes the Interactive Digital Media and Games Research Group and Pervasive Computing Research Group. The Centre undertakes research in aspects
FULL-TIME: MPhil: Up to 2 years PhD: Up to 4 years
of engineering and computer science pertaining to their application to the development of innovative technologies through application of aspects of material science, engineering, games technology and computer science to the realisation of tangible and virtual systems or system parts. Contexts include concept valuation, design, visualisation, simulation, interaction, scenario consideration, realisation, control/cybermetrics, evaluation or application, as well as other leading edge applications, as they emerge. We have a Research Institute in Information and Language Processing (RILLP) which brings together two complementary and interdisciplinary research teams, the Statistical Cybermetrics Research Group and the Research Group in Computational Linguistics.
PART-TIME: MPhil: Up to 4 years PhD: Up to 8 years
LOCATION: City Campus
START: Any time throughout the year
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CYBER SECURITY MSc
FULL-TIME: 1 year
PART-TIME: 2 years
LOCATION: City Campus
The course has been designed by a team of leading experts, researchers and trainers in the field and exposes you to cutting-edge technologies, tools and techniques in cyber exploitation and defence.
START: Semester 1
WHY WOLVERHAMPTON?
WHAT WILL I STUDY?
As a student on this course, you will have access to a Virtual Security Operations Centre (VSoC) established in collaboration with industry in a blended programme that amalgamates Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and technical skills required by cyber security professionals. The MSc in Cyber Security is one of the few courses in the UK to host such a platform available to students as part of their course.
The course covers cyber defence and state-of-the-art exploitation techniques, security risks, threat modelling and attack analysis. You will learn to identify and mitigate security violations across the cyberspace with an emphasis on GRC frameworks and standards, and to understand the importance of automation and orchestration of security operations in highly volatile and sensitive environments to develop better and more efficient security controls.
HOW WILL THIS COURSE IMPROVE MY EMPLOYABILITY? The course has been designed in close consultation with information security industry experts and utilises unique tools and platforms to deliver its core elements, skills and capabilities required in the field. After the completion of this course, you will be more likely to progress in roles including: information security analyst; penetration tester; information systems manager; security architect; and security auditor.
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HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? You will be assessed via a range of reports, exams, literature reviews and more.
OTHER COURSES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: • MSc, PG Cert Computer Science • MSc, PG Cert Information Technology Management • MSc, PG Cert Web and Mobile Application Development
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT MSc, PG Cert On this course, you will develop both a depth of knowledge and understanding of the management of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) and skills to reflect a high level of professional competency and leadership.
WHY WOLVERHAMPTON? The course is delivered by highly qualified and experienced staff, and taught in our dedicated newly furnished laboratories containing up-to-date facilities to support every aspect of the course.
HOW WILL THIS COURSE IMPROVE MY EMPLOYABILITY? The IT industry needs management professionals who can leverage the IT system in such a way as to make them a front-office, rather than backoffice expense – financially viable, competitive and adding value to the organisation. There is a great need for such skills in the current marketplace.
FULL-TIME: 1 year
PART-TIME: 2 years
LOCATION: City Campus
START: Semester 1
You will develop academic and professional skills to effectively manage, research and problem-solve. You will be able to demonstrate critical reflective analysis through continuous evaluation, analysis and synthesis of concepts and contexts – key skills for a successful IS/ IT manager. Employment opportunities include business analyst, IT manager, e-business manager, technical business advisor, and sustainability coordinator.
table debates, team-working exercises, applied coursework, blended learning environments, and independent study. You will be encouraged to gain knowledge in your field through extensive reading, and to apply this research in a more formal way. The completion of a dissertation demonstrates the range of academic and professional skills gained. You will have support within classroom time and dedicated workshops, small working groups, and a personal tutor. Typical modules include: • Research Methods and Study Skills • Project and Programme Management • Systems Acquisition Management • Business Analysis and Consultancy Skills or e-Business Design Management
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? You will typically be assessed through various methods, including research-based reports which give solutions to real-world problems.
OTHER COURSES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: • MSc, PG Cert Computer Science
WHAT WILL I STUDY? Practical topics will emphasise application of knowledge gained and include the use of case studies, live round-
• MSc Cyber Security
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MATHEMATICS MSc, PG Cert
FULL-TIME: 1 year
PART-TIME: 2 years
LOCATION: City Campus
START:
This course provides you with a sound general knowledge of advanced mathematics through study in several pure and applied areas of the subject.
Semester 1 or Semester 2
WHY WOLVERHAMPTON?
WHAT WILL I STUDY?
Our mathematics department includes leading researchers in the field of cybermetrics, led by a professor who has been recognised as an international authority on the subject and achieved a very high rating in the latest Research Excellence Framework.
A wide choice of topics is available for your dissertation, completed under the supervision of a member of the academic staff.
HOW WILL THIS COURSE IMPROVE MY EMPLOYABILITY? There is a shortage of mathematicsrelated skills both nationally and regionally, in particular a recognised severe shortage of qualified mathematics teachers. This course promotes a professional attitude to mathematics. You will develop advanced technical skills, together with an ability to critically analyse and evaluate complex problems. Mathematicians are warmly welcomed in industry, business and commerce for their analytical ability and logical approach to problem-solving. Excellent career opportunities include operational research, statistics, information analysis, financial advising, actuarial work and accountancy.
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Typical areas of study include: • Research Methods and Professional Skills • Mathematical Modelling • Cybermetrics • Statistics • Advanced Topics in Mathematics • Financial Mathematics
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? Modules on your course will be assessed through a mix of examinations and a portfolio containing samples of work that demonstrate what you have accomplished.
OTHER COURSES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: • MSc, PG Cert Computer Science • MSc Cyber Security • MSc, PG Cert Information Technology Management
WEB AND MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT MSc, PG Cert There has been a huge year-on-year growth in the IT sector – particularly in the area of the web and mobile devices. This has led to a corresponding rise in demand for skilled IT professionals in this area.
WHY WOLVERHAMPTON? Emphasis in this course is on obtaining real-world professional practice skills, with a large amount of the course being undertaken in workshops utilising real-world tools.
HOW WILL THIS COURSE IMPROVE MY EMPLOYABILITY? As one of the fastest growing areas of employability in the IT sector, there is a high demand for appropriately skilled and qualified staff in the areas of web and mobile app development. Small initial investment costs mean it’s an ideal area for establishing your own start-up company.
FULL-TIME: 1 year
PART-TIME: 2 years
LOCATION: City Campus
START:
WHAT WILL I STUDY? Focusing on the process from design of software through to deployment, this course is ideal for students with a degree in Computer Science or related field. The primary areas studied are web design and technologies, mobile technologies, and app development.
A combination of structured learning with problem-based scenarios and research will develop your capabilities for critical thinking, argument and creativity, and encourage your innovation. Your theoretical knowledge will be underpinned through case studies, lectures and seminars, as well as practical assignments. The underlying aim is to turn you into a professional who not only understands the theory of this technical area, but has real-life and up-to-date practical skills and experience. The primary areas studied are web design and technologies, mobile technologies, and app development.
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? Typical assessment strategies include research-based reports which give solutions to real-world problems.
OTHER COURSES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: • MSc, PG Cert Computer Science • MSc Cyber Security • MSc, PG Cert Information Technology Management
Semester 1
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School of Mathematics and Computer Science Alan Turing Building Wulfruna Street Wolverhampton WV1 1LY Tel: +44 (0)1902 321 000 sci.eng@wlv.ac.uk @WLVsci_eng /WLVsae wlv.ac.uk/fse
This Faculty booklet describes in outline the programmes offered by the University of Wolverhampton. These, as well as other details, are correct at the time of going to print. However, programmes and modules can be added or withdrawn without notice. Support offered and other details are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information and list of programmes currently offered, as well as campus tours, student case studies, and lots more useful information, please visit: wlv.ac.uk/postgraduate. We regularly review our courses to ensure they reflect the needs of students and employers. Courses advertised ‘subject to approval’ have successfully completed the first stage of the approval process. We welcome applications for these courses. However, their full academic detail is subject to final approval and may change – in rare instances a course may not run. If you have applied for a course that is subject to approval, our Admissions team will keep you informed of any changes to the advertised course. By accepting an offer from the University of Wolverhampton, a legal contract is formed between you and the University. The University’s terms and conditions and the course-specific information provided at the time of your offer form the basis of this contract. Admissions terms and conditions (found at: wlv.ac.uk/admissions-terms-and-conditions) contain important information you must carefully read before accepting your offer. The University’s Policies and Regulations webpages at: wlv.ac.uk/polsandregs also contain important information about rights and responsibilities, including complaints procedures.