Computer Engineering

Our distinctive MEng Computer Engineering degree builds upon the BEng Computer Engineering. You'll learn to understand, design, and build complex computer systems that operate across the software and hardware domains. Key areas of specialist study aim to give you a robust, in-depth grounding in a wide gamut of modern approaches to creating and using computer systems, including CPU design and optimisation. Beyond modules specialising in core skills required for all software and digital hardware engineers, the programme offers you a broad range of optional modules that derive from world-leading research carried out by our academic staff in areas such as Parallel Programming and Advanced Computer Architecture.

Outstanding facilities and renowned teaching staff will prepare you for work in a wide variety of areas and fields. Southampton Computer Science graduates are in high demand and have a world-leading reputation for creative solutions based on cutting-edge knowledge and state-of-the-art technical skills. You’ll benefit from our strong relationships with employers, our Careers Hub who organise an annual careers fair and our dedicated startup incubator, Future Worlds - supporting student enterprise.

This four-year MEng programme will enable you to pursue a career in any area of the computer industry and has been designed to maximise student choice by allowing you to tailor the degree structure to suit your own interests.

During the first two years you will undertake a series of core modules, for example Algorithms and analysis; High- and Low-level Programming, Mathematics and Systematic design. In your second year, you will be taking the Interdisciplinary Group Project, to create a combined hardware + software robotic system, collaborating with AI students to give it intelligence. Also in your second year, you will be taking the Computer Architecture and Code Transformation modules; in this modules, students design and implement a full working CPU from the ground up, then use it to run programs compiled using their own compiler. In your third year you can choose from a wide range of optional modules that reflect the specialist areas of computer engineering and key technologies that will be critical in the future. The fourth year particularly emphasises engineering design, management and industrial collaboration.

A range of assessment methods are used on this programme to enable students to demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes. These include written examinations and assessments, in-class tests, design exercises, programming exercises, oral presentations, assessed laboratories and group work exercises.