Computer Science – (M.Sc.)

Contents

An MSc by research is taken in one year as a full-time student or in two years as a part-time student. The degree is awarded following the successful completion of a period of research, including the submission of a thesis and its subsequent examination, together with a seminar. The thesis is expected to display a particular knowledge of some part or aspect of the field of study, and to make a contribution to knowledge or understanding.

The MSc by Research degree involves three formally required pieces of work, which are assessed by the research student's supervisor and their assigned assessor.

* Literature Review Seminar - after 3 months
* Thesis Proposal - after 4 months
* Thesis - after 12 months and no later than 15 months

The provided approximate timetable assumes full-time registration.

In the following, each assessment is discussed in turn. Please note that the statements on this page are for guidance only and do not fully reflect the University's and the Department's examination rules.

Literature Review Seminar

For all research students the first assessment is a literature review seminar given at a short Departmental conference about three months into the registration period. This seminar should be based on a fresh study of the Computer Science literature, carried out since the speaker's registration as a research student at York. The emphasis throughout should be on critical exposition of a clearly identified set of references.

MSc Thesis Proposal

Following the review seminar, each student is required to submit a concise thesis proposal by the end of the fourth month of registration. The proposal should describe the research to be undertaken for the remainder of the course, with a specific plan of work.

MSc Thesis

After the thesis proposal, the only remaining formal assessment is the MSc thesis itself. Students should aim to submit a thesis at the end of the 12 months registration period. The final deadline for submission falls three months later. No oral examination is held, unless either supervisor or assessor requests one.

Part-time MSc

Part-time students can take an MSc by research over a two-year period. Their literature seminar is given at the Departmental Conference held in their first year, and their research proposal must be submitted within their first eight months of study. They should aim to submit a thesis at the end of the two-year registration period. The deadline falls six months later.