The programme combines a wide choice of advanced topics in computer science with specialist modules relating to cloud computing and big data. These include Google App Engine, Apache Spark, Software-as-a-Service, Data Centers Galaxy, Mobile Cloud, Hadoop, Bitcoin and MapReduce. This programme is available with an optional industrial placement or with the Kent IT Consultancy (KITC), which 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. We have strong links with industry including Cisco, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle and are among the top ten in the UK for graduate employment prospects. The Advanced Computer Science (Cloud Computing & Big Data) MSc is aimed at graduates considering a career in research and development. It would also provide an excellent foundation for PhD study. Our world-leading researchers, in key areas such as systems security, programming languages, communications, computational intelligence and memory management, and in interdisciplinary work with biosciences and psychology, earned us an outstanding result in the most recent national research assessment. In addition, two of our staff have been honoured as Distinguished Scientists by the ACM and we have also held Royal Society Industrial Fellowships. The School hosts the University's GCHQ/EPSRC accredited Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, one of only 13 in the country. As an internationally recognised Centre of Excellence for programming education, the School of Computing is a leader in computer science teaching. Two of our staff have received the ACM SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education. We are also home to two National Teaching Fellows, to authors of widely used textbooks and to award-winning teaching systems such as BlueJ.

Students can gain practical work experience as part of their degree through our industrial placements scheme and Kent IT Consultancy. Both of these opportunities consolidate academic skills with real world experience, giving our graduates a significant advantage in the jobs market. Our graduates go on to work for leading companies including Cisco, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Intel, Lilly, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Thomson Reuters and T-Mobile. Many have gone on to develop their careers as project leaders and managers.