Communications and Signal Processing MSc

Overview

This is a unique degree where you'll benefit from our research strengths in communications, and digital signal processing.

Course highlights include:

• all major disciplines in communications engineering and signal analysis methodology
• the comprehensive treatment of advanced communication systems from theoretical and practical approaches
• innovative educational techniques designed to equip you with practical knowledge
• design skills and research methodologies
• you will develop transferable skills in research and knowledge acquisition

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

What you'll learn

Through compulsory modules you'll learn:

• the fundamentals of multimedia systems and image processing
• the main elements of the imaging and vision hierarchy. These include image acquisition, enhancement, analysis, compression and coding standards
• advanced topics in wired and wireless communications networks and security, their evolution and impacts on modern society
• modern communication networks and technologies, transmission and switching
• issues relating to modern telecommunications systems, protocols, flow and error control
• security and encryption and their importance in modern communication systems
• the principles of wireless and broadband communication networks
• recent developments in cellular mobile systems and access technology through consideration of the main international standards and multiple access systems currently in service world-wide
• fundamental concepts of multimodality sensing, data acquisition and their applications including data fusion and visualisation
• detailed knowledge of the simulation techniques for communications systems and other signal processing problems
• in-depth knowledge of the architecture of DSP devices and communications hardware
• emerging methods for the manipulation and analysis of single, multi-dimensional and random signals. You'll also learn how to conduct case studies in biomedical and healthcare applications
• discrete-time signal processing algorithms and approaches to measure deterministic and random signals in frequency domain. You'll also learn how to apply this knowledge to the design appropriate digital filters according to the application

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Course content changes

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

 

Communications and Signal Processing MSc modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Individual Project	60
Wired and Wireless Communication Networks and Security	20
Internet of Things and Wireless Sensor Networks (Coursework)	20
Communications and Signal Processing (Coursework)	20
Intelligent Signal Processing	20
Machine Learning for Engineering Applications	20
Research Skills and Development for Engineers	20

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

The course is delivered by the School of Engineering. The Communications and Signal Processing MSc programme uses a blend of teaching methods, including:

• lectures and tutorials
• visits to local and regional industry
• computer workshops
• laboratory work
• seminars
• research projects
• case studies

Our industry leading academics are at the cutting edge of the subject. You'll learn from experts that produce high quality research.

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Computer assessment
• Oral examination
• Oral presentation
• Practical lab report
• Report
• Written examination
• Written exercise

Student Support

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Our staff

Jeffrey Neasham
Professor of Acoustic Signal Processing
Areas of expertise:

• biomedical instrumentation
• underwater acoustics
• ultrasound, analog and digital circuit design, and embedded software

Professor Gui Yun Tian
Professor of Sensor Technologies
Areas of expertise:

• electromagnetic sensors
• sensor array and sensor network electromagnetic non-destructive evaluations
• advanced signal processing monitoring systems and applications

Professor Said Boussakta
Professor of Communications and Signal Processing
Areas of Expertise:

• Wired and wireless communications networks
• Cryptography and security
• Fast algorithms and transforms for communications
• Communication systems
• Digital signal and image processing
• Digital signal processing in the encrypted domain 

Dr Mohsen Naqvi
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Signal and Information Processing
Areas of Expertise:

• Multimodal (multi-sensor) information processing based artificial intelligence for applications in homeland security and smart healthcare systems.
  • Video: Multimodal signal and information processing
• Multi-target tracking for security and surveillance
  • Video: Multiple human tracking
  • Video: Online multiple human tracking
• Multimodal processing for human behaviour analysis
  • Video: Pose-driven human action recognition and anomaly detection
  • Video: Multimodal behaviour analysis
  • Video: AnomalyXPose demo
• Multimodal Speech Source Separation
  • Video: Multimodal speech separation

Dr Kabita Adhikari
Lecturer in Signal Processing and Machine Learning
Areas of expertise:

• Machine Learning and AI for predicting disease prevalence, recurrance and survival
• Intelligent signal processing for biomedical data
• Machine learning for complex medical data modelling
• Machine learning for financial risk modelling

 

Your development

The course is delivered by the School of Engineering. The School has an established programme of research seminars. These are delivered by guest speakers from academia and industry. They provide excellent insights into a wide variety of engineering research. This course will enable you to:

• access world leading research in signal processing and communications
• gain more experience of industrial context with applications
• have more flexibility and choice in your future career
• receive an enhanced educational experience

Professional skills

Effective communication is an important skill for the modern professional engineer. This course includes sessions to help develop your ability, through:

• formal guidance sessions dedicated to good practice in report writing
• through oral/poster presentations of project work

Practical skills

On completion of the course, you will have developed intellectual and practical skills relevant to industry including the ability to:

• apply image processing and machine vision algorithms to the processing of images
• analyse and plan telecommunications systems
• implement and simulate encryption and communications algorithms and protocols using software platforms
• design cellular mobile phones from the systemic point of view
• mathematically analyse the performance of a cellular mobile system
• methodically compute the Bit Error Rate for a given modulation scheme in AWGN and frequency- selective multipath fading channels
• setup a simulation test-bench in MATLAB that evaluates the performance of a wireless communication link
• map and efficiently implement in software signal processing algorithms required for wireless communications
• analyse deterministic and random signals in time and frequency domain, and will also be able to evaluate and compare the computational cost of different transform methods
• work independently on Matlab/Simulink signal and analysis tool, and also classify the information and noise from given discrete signals

Your future

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

The School of Engineering has a suite of world-class research and teaching laboratories. These have the latest electronic instruments and computer aided design software for Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices.

The facilities are among the most advanced of their type. This enables us to join the global race to develop ambient intelligence systems involving tiny sensors and computing devices embedded in much of what we use.

Stephenson Building

The Stephenson Building is a £110 million investment in world-class education, research and collaboration across Engineering. It’s a place for future engineers, researchers and designers to collaborate and tackle global challenges, together.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

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How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

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