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    KEY FACTS

    • Title
      MRes Communications Engineering and Signal Processing
    • Award
      Master of Research - MRes
    • Study mode
      Full-time (Part-time route available)
    • Duration
      1 year
    • Start date
       September 2013
    • Fees
       See fees information above
Skip Navigation LinksPlymouth University > courses > postgraduate > MRes Communications Engineering and Signal Processing

communicationsAim of the programme

The full-time modular masters programme links classical communications engineering practice with state-of-the-art DSP techniques.
This programme is well suited to graduate design engineers, as well as managers working in the modern communications and electronics industries.

The advancement in telecommunications and information technology allows people to share information and improve their life in entertainment, health, and commerce. A whole range of new multimedia services underpins the colossal growth in all these areas. The rapid growth in mobile phone and internet has caused the huge demand for the 3rd generation wireless wideband (UMTS), due to be in operation this year in the most of the EU, and the evolutionary research into broadband (data bit rate > 2 Mbps) wireless communications with optical communication as a backbone network.

computer networkingThe programme is tailored to provide an up-to-date engineering educational experience and specialist skills to meet the increasing worldwide demand for high calibre R&D and design engineers in modern telecommunications and information industries. The contents cover a wide range of technologies of modern communication systems including wireless terrestrial and satellite communications supported by advanced DSP and Multimedia wideband networks and compression techniques.

The programme is aimed at new graduates who want to have a good start in their professional life and to train them for work in the telecommunications industry. It is also aimed at engineers working in the telecommunication industry who want to update their knowledge of the technology or change their career emphasis to telecommunications.

The programme aims to:
  • meet relevant national and international postgraduate education needs of the telecommunication industry
  • develop research skills in a leading edge technology
  • develop a high level awareness of the technical and economic issues associated with the modern communications industry
  • develop an in-depth understanding of the theory and practice of key specialist topics in digital communication engineering and associated signal processing techniques
  • provide the ability to apply the programme knowledge in an industrial or research setting to a variety of problems

Programme highlights

  • Smeaton laboratoryRegularly updated to keep it at the forefront of employer requirements and excellent career prospects
  • System-oriented analytical skill in communications theory
  • Hands-on experience in signal processing
  • September/January start
  • The school has gained national and international recognition for its research in satellite communications, data storage, and digital signal processing.
  • The programme is particularly underpinned by research from the Centre for Security, Communications and Network Research.
  • Resources available include a DSP laboratory allowing hands on experience, a new Networks laboratory funded in part by CISCO, a separate postgraduate study room with full Internet and specialist software, and a dedicated communications laboratory
  • Strong collaboration with BT's Goonhilly satellite earth station and other companies eg Orange (France Telecom).
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​Photo of Vamshi ManchikantiWhat our students say

After successfully finishing my undergraduate degree in India I wanted to further my studies in signal processing and wireless communication.  Compared to all the other universities I looked at the modules of the Plymouth University course best matched my career interests and previous educational background. 

At the end of the course I felt I had a complete and thoroughly professional look both technically and mentally.  I also came away with a lot of nice memories of my time in Plymouth; it is a nice peaceful city for international students.

Vamshi Manchikanti
MSc Communications Engineering and Signal Processing
Software Engineer, HLA Infotech, Chennai, India

What our students say

Photo of Romain RousseauI was looking to work in telecommunications and this masters degree, which was part of an exchange between Plymouth and ESIEA (Ecole Superieure d’Informatique Electronique Automatique, France), was a perfect opportunity for me. 

It proved to be a really great year that literally changed my way of working and considerably improved my English, as well as my international working knowledge.

Romain Rousseau
MSc Communications Engineering and Signal Processing
Test and Integration Engineer, Alcatel-Lucent
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Photo of Minh Chu HongWhat our students say

I had worked for a mobile communication service provider in my home country of Vietnam and wanted to undertake further study in this area to effectively improve my knowledge and open up my future career. Plymouth University has a high ranking for electrical engineering and also offered the area of expertise that I was interested in – mobile communication. Now I am responsible for setting up an entire mobile phone network in Vietnam.  

Minh Chu Hong
MSc Communications Engineering and Signal Processing
I & C Project Manager, Beeline, Vietnam​