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Postgraduate MSc

Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) with an Industrial Placement

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Course overview

This is a conversion course intended for graduates with little or no prior knowledge of computer science. For those with prior knowledge of computer science, see our specialist MSc Artificial Intelligence course.

Overview

This conversion course has been designed to provide graduates from any discipline with an introduction to computer science and artificial intelligence to develop skills to restart your career, get into technology and succeed within an evolving industry.

The Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) course prepares graduates for a career in computing, or a career involving the application of computing and artificial intelligence for problem solving in any professional field. Working with the latest technologies, you develop skills which will boost your career prospects as computer science is used for problem solving in every industry. You can explore a wide range of personal interests and career ambitions through a wide range of optional modules.

Graduates from our computer science conversion courses have successfully achieved careers with leading software, technology, and commercial global companies such as IBM, Cisco, Logica/CMG, Pfizer, Reuters, Shell and Zurich Financial.

Gain workplace experience

This course includes an industrial placement of between eight and 50 weeks. This provides an opportunity to work in real-world, technical and business roles, enhancing your study experience and having a dramatic impact on your choices after graduation. Our dedicated placement team can help you gain a suitable paid position and provide support throughout.

Accreditation

This degree has been partially accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

About the School of Computing

Our world-leading researchers, in key areas such as cyber securityprogramming languagescomputational intelligence and data science, earned us an outstanding result in the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF). Our submission was ranked 12th in the UK for research intensity, with an impressive 98% of our research judged to be of international quality.

Strong links with industry underpin all our work, notably with Cisco Systems Inc, Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Nvidia, Erlang Solutions, GCHQ and Google.

Our programmes are taught by leading researchers who are experts in their fields. The School of Computing at Kent is home to several authors of leading computer science textbooks. Kent was awarded gold, the highest rating, in the UK Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework*.

While studying with us, you can gain work experience through an industrial placement. Our dedicated placement team can help you gain a suitable paid position and provide support throughout your placement. 

We have a large range of equipment providing both Linux and PC-based systems. Our resources include a multicore enterprise server and a virtual machine server that supports computer security experiments. 

The School also has a makerspace, The Shed, which offers exciting teaching and collaboration opportunities. Among other equipment it contains a milling machine, 3D printers, laser cutter and extensive space for building and making digital artefacts.

Think Kent video series

Computers are good at mechanical tasks but can they be creative? In this talk, Dr Anna Jordanous looks at why we would want to study computers being creative and what we can learn from this work.

*The University of Kent's Statement of Findings can be found here

Your future

Graduate destinations

Our graduates have gone on to work in:

  • software engineering
  • mobile applications development
  • systems analysis
  • consultancy
  • networking
  • web design and e-commerce
  • finance and insurance
  • commerce
  • engineering
  • education
  • government
  • healthcare. 

Recent graduates have gone on to develop successful careers at leading companies such as:

  • BAE Systems
  • Cisco 
  • IBM
  • The Walt Disney Company
  • Citigroup 
  • BT.

Help finding a job

The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which can give you advice on how to:

  • apply for jobs
  • write a good CV
  • perform well in interviews.

You have access to a dedicated Employability Coordinator who is a useful contact for all student employability queries.

Industrial placements

You gain practical work experience as part of your degree through our industrial placements scheme. We have a dedicated Placement Team who can give advice and guidance. All our placements are in paid roles.

In previous years, students have worked at a wide range of large and small organisations, including well-known names such as:

  • Accenture
  • BT
  • GSK
  • IBM
  • Kent Police
  • Microsoft
  • Morgan Stanley
  • The Walt Disney Company.

You can take your work placement abroad. Previous destinations include Hong Kong and the US.

An industrial placement gives you invaluable workplace experience, which greatly enhances your employment prospects and also helps put your academic learning into a real-world context.

Career support
Whether you want to get ahead in your current career, change lanes, or kickstart a new one – we are here to help you realise your ambition.

Fees and funding

The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:

Full-time

  • UK
  • International

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

General additional costs

Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent. 

Scholarships

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

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Next steps

Ready to apply?

Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.

You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.

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Join our community

Stay connected with our postgraduate community.

Kent focus

Supporting your success

We are here to support your postgraduate journey.

Top 50

Kent ranked top 50 in The Complete University Guide 2024.

Fees and funding

Support for funding so you can focus on your studies.

Research excellence

Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.

Accommodation

It’s easy to study on or off campus at Kent – discover what is right for you.