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.
Your course and study experience – disclaimers and terms and conditions
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
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.
Course content changes
Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.
To find out more please see our terms and conditions.
Optional modules availability
Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.
Communications and Signal Processing MSc modules
How you’ll learn
The course is delivered by the School of Engineering. The Communications and Signal Processing MSc programme uses a blend of teaching methods, including:
- lectures and tutorials
- visits to local and regional industry
- computer workshops
- laboratory work
- seminars
- research projects
- case studies
Our industry leading academics are at the cutting edge of the subject. You’ll learn from experts that produce high quality research.
Depending on your modules, you’ll be assessed through a combination of:
- Computer assessment
- Oral examination
- Oral presentation
- Practical lab report
- Report
- Written examination
- Written exercise
Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You’ll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:
- module handbooks
- course materials
- groups
- course announcements and notifications
- written feedback
Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:
- peers
- academics
- personal tutors
- our University Student Services Team
- student representatives
You’ll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.
Jeffrey Neasham
Professor of Acoustic Signal Processing
Areas of expertise:
- biomedical instrumentation
- underwater acoustics
- ultrasound, analog and digital circuit design, and embedded software
Professor Gui Yun Tian
Professor of Sensor Technologies
Areas of expertise:
- electromagnetic sensors
- sensor array and sensor network electromagnetic non-destructive evaluations
- advanced signal processing monitoring systems and applications
Professor Said Boussakta
Professor of Communications and Signal Processing
Areas of Expertise:
- Wired and wireless communications networks
- Cryptography and security
- Fast algorithms and transforms for communications
- Communication systems
- Digital signal and image processing
- Digital signal processing in the encrypted domainÂ
Dr Mohsen Naqvi
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Signal and Information Processing
Areas of Expertise:
- Multimodal (multi-sensor) information processing based artificial intelligence for applications in homeland security and smart healthcare systems.
- Multi-target tracking for security and surveillance
- Video:Â Multiple human tracking
- Video:Â Online multiple human tracking
- Multimodal processing for human behaviour analysis
- Video:Â Pose-driven human action recognition and anomaly detection
- Video:Â Multimodal behaviour analysis
- Video:Â AnomalyXPose demo
- Multimodal Speech Source Separation
- Video:Â Multimodal speech separation
Dr Kabita Adhikari
Lecturer in Signal Processing and Machine Learning
Areas of expertise:
- Machine Learning and AI for predicting disease prevalence, recurrance and survival
- Intelligent signal processing for biomedical data
- Machine learning for complex medical data modelling
- Machine learning for financial risk modelling
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.
Quality and ranking
- 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- Global Top 130 University – QS World University Rankings 2025
- Global Top 170 University – Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024
- Top 200 for Engineering – Electrical and Electronic – QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
- Top 25 in the UK and Top 100 in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024Â
Professional accreditation and recognition
Engineering CouncilÂ
This course is professionally accredited by the Engineering Council. The accreditation ensures you receive a good foundation for professional registration. The Engineering Council is the UK regulatory body for the engineering profession. It sets and maintains the internationally recognised standards of professional competence and ethics that govern and award and retention of these titles.
The accreditation gives you an additional benchmark of quality to your degree, making you more attractive to graduate employers. It can also open the door to higher-level jobs, most of which require Chartered Engineer status.
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
This course is professionally accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). The accreditation ensures you receive a good foundation for professional registration. IET is one of the world’s largest engineering and technology institutions. It is a global diverse home for over 168,000 engineering and technology professionals in 150 countries. It provides support at every stage of your career.
The accreditation gives you an additional benchmark of quality to your degree, making you more attractive to graduate employers. It can also open the door to higher-level jobs, most of which require Chartered Engineer status.
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
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.Â
Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.
Academic entry requirements
A 2:2 BEng honours degree, or international equivalent, in:
- electrical and electronic engineering
- computer engineering
- mechanical engineering
- physics communications, information and control engineering
- electronics information and science technology
