Master's in Computing & Information Technology

A master's in computing builds on a first degree, either deepening an area you already studied or retraining you for a technical career. Taught degrees are the most common. A UK MSc usually lasts one year and a US MS one and a half to two years. In Canada, course-based degrees can take about a year and thesis routes nearer two, while Australian and German master's usually run for one and a half to two years. Research master's, such as an MRes or a thesis-based MS, give more weight to an independent project and are a common step towards a PhD.

Programmes broadly fall into two groups. Specialist master's courses expect a bachelor's in computing or a closely related subject and move straight into advanced material in areas such as machine learning, distributed systems, security or cloud architecture. Conversion master's courses, common in the UK, are designed for graduates from other disciplines and cover programming, databases and software development intensively, so that someone with a degree in, say, economics or biology can move into technology.

This is the level at which several specializations on Universta are most often studied, including data science, artificial intelligence, cyber security and cloud computing. Most taught master's degrees end with a dissertation or industry project, which can be a chance to work on a real problem with a company or research group. Germany stands out for its many English-taught master's programmes in computer science, often at public universities that charge low or no tuition, although some states and universities charge fees to students from outside the EU.

Most specialist programmes ask for a bachelor's in computer science, IT, engineering, mathematics or a related subject, with a minimum grade that varies by university, and Indian applicants are usually assessed on their overall percentage or CGPA. Conversion programmes accept graduates from any discipline but may look for evidence of numerical ability. Some US universities ask for GRE scores while many no longer require them, and German universities may check that your earlier modules match the course closely.

Applications usually go directly to each university, or through uni-assist for some German universities, and typically include transcripts, a statement of purpose, two references, a CV and an English test result. Most programmes start in the autumn, although Australian universities usually start in February and July, and some UK, US and Canadian programmes also offer a January intake. Popular programmes can close early, so apply well before the deadline.