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Communications and Signal Processing MSc

The Communications and Signal Processing MSc equips you with the theory and practice necessary to begin a career as a design or development engineer in this exciting field.

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Start date(s):

  • September 2025
Is PG right for me? Join our webinar. Wednesday 23 October, 14:00-15:00 BST

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

This course is designed for both practising professionals and graduates in:

  • electrical and electronic engineering
  • computer engineering
  • mechanical engineering
  • physics
  • communications, information and control engineering
  • electronics
  • information and science technology

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Important information

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

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.

How you'll learn

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

Graduate destinations

On completing the course, many students progress into employment as design and development engineers in telecommunications and digital signal processing areas or onto a higher research degree.

Industry links

Our close links with industry and graduates provide you with a network allowing you to enhance your employability.

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

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)

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:

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Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Admissions policy

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

University Admissions Policy and related policies and procedures

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

How to apply


Using the application portal

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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.


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Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

School of Engineering
School Admissions Team
Email: soe.admissions@ncl.ac.uk

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