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The Machine Learning MSc at UCL is a unique programme that provides an excellent environment to study the subject. The programme introduces the computational, mathematical and business views of machine learning.
Key information
Programme starts
September 2021
Modes and duration
Application dates
Tuition fees (2021/22)
Note on fees:
The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.
Fee deposit: All full-time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £2,000 for this programme. All part-time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £1,000.
Entry requirements
A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in a highly quantitative subject such as computer science, mathematics, electrical engineering or the physical sciences, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Relevant work experience may also be taken into account. Additionally, candidates must be comfortable with undergraduate mathematics in areas such as linear algebra and calculus.
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses
Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.
International students
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.
Select your country:
About this degree
Students develop an understanding of the principles underlying the development and application of new techniques in this area, alongside an awareness of, and ability to analyse the range and scope of algorithms and approaches available, and design, develop and evaluate appropriate algorithms and methods for new problems and applications.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of one core module (15 credits), two to seven optional modules (30 to 105 credits), which must include Graphical Models or Probabilistic and Unsupervised Learning, up to five elective modules (0 to 75 credits), and a research project (60 credits).
Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MSc in Machine Learning.
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.
Compulsory modules
- Supervised Learning (15 credits)
- MSc Machine Learning Project (60 credits)
Optional modules
Students must choose 75 to 90 credits from these optional modules. Students must take either Graphical Models or Probabilistic and Unsupervised Learning.
- Advanced Topics in Machine Learning (15 credits)
- Affective Computing and Human-Robot Interaction (15 credits)
- Applied Machine Learning (15 credits)
- Approximate Inference and Learning in Probabilistic Models (15 credits)
- Bioinformatics (15 credits)
- Graphical Models (15 credits)
- Introduction to Deep Learning (15 credits)
- Machine Learning Seminar (15 credits)
- Machine Vision (15 credits)
- Probabilistic and Unsupervised Learning (15 credits)
- Reinforcement Learning (15 credits)
- Statistical Natural Language Processing (15 credits)
- Electives (choose 15 to 30 credits)
- Computational Modelling for Biomedical Imaging (15 credits)
- Information Retrieval and Data Mining (15 credits)
- Inverse Problems in Imaging (15 credits)
- Multi-agent Artificial Intelligence (15 credits)
- Numerical Optimisation (15 credits)
- Robot Vision and Navigation (15 credits)
- Robotic Control Theory and Systems (15 credits)
Please note: the availability and delivery of optional modules may vary, depending on your selection.
- Further information about these modules is available on the department website.
Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000-12,000 words in the form of a project report.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, class discussions and project supervision. Student performance is assessed though a combination of unseen written examination, coursework (much of which involves programming and/or data analysis), and the research project.
Additional costs
Students will require a modern laptop (PC or Mac). The minimum specifications should be 8GB RAM and 500GB SSD storage. The recommended specification is 16GB RAM, 0.5/1TB SSD storage and a dedicated high end graphics card. A laptop with the stated specifications will cost approximately £500-£1000.
Some students run Linux on their PCs while others run Window’s with Linux Virtual Machines installed.
For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.
Funding
For more information about funding opportunities for Department of Computer Science postgraduate programmes, please see the departmental Scholarships page.
Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.
DeepMind Computer Science Scholarship
- Note:
- Deadline: 7 June 2021 at 9am (BST)
- Value:
- UK Home fees, maintenance grant, plus travel and equipment grants (1 year )
- Eligibility:
- UK
- Criteria:
- Based on both academic merit and financial need
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Careers
Graduates from this programme have an excellent employment record. Substantial sectors of UK industry, including leading, large companies already make extensive use of intelligent systems techniques in the course of their business activities, and the UK has a number of very successful developers and suppliers of the technology. Students also benefit from strong corporate and academic connections within the UCL Computer Science alumni network.
Graduates have taken machine learning research degrees in domains as diverse as robotics, music, psychology, and bioinformatics at the Universities of Basel, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Nairobi, Oxford and at UCL. Graduates have also found positions with multinational companies such as BAE Systems and BAE Detica.
Employability
Scientific experiments and companies now routinely generate vast databases and machine learning and statistical methodologies are core to their analysis. There is a considerable shortfall in the number of qualified graduates in this area internationally. Machine Learning graduates have been in high demand for PhD positions across the sciences. In London there are many companies looking to understand their customers better who have hired our graduates. Similarly graduates now work in companies in Germany, Iceland, France and the US, amongst other places, in large-scale data analysis. The finance sector has also hired several graduates recently.
Why study this degree at UCL?
UCL Computer Science is recognised as a world leader in teaching and research, and our Master's programmes have some of the highest employment rates and starting salaries.
We take an experimental approach to our subject, enjoy the challenge and opportunity of entrepreneurial partnerships and place a high value on our extensive range of industrial collaborations.
This MSc is one of the few leading Master's programmes entirely dedicated to machine learning. It combines a rigorous theoretical academic framework along with specific knowledge of a variety of application fields to fast-track your commercial career or to prepare for PhD research.
Department: Computer Science
Application and next steps
Applications
Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.
This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found in our How to apply section.
There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at: ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.
Who can apply?
The programme provides a sound basis for those embarking on a career in research or development or taking up positions within industry where machine learning is currently applied or will be applied in the future; such as finance, banking and insurance, retail and web-commerce, pharmaceuticals, computer security and web search.
Application deadlines
- All applicants
- 31 May 2021
Due to competition for places on this programme, no late applications will be considered. Students with visa requirements or applying for scholarships are advised to apply early.
For more information see our Applications page.
Apply nowWhat are we looking for?
When we assess your application we would like to learn:
- why you want to study Machine Learning at graduate level
- why you want to study Machine Learning at UCL
- what particularly attracts you to this programme
- how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
- what programming experience you have
- where you would like to go professionally with your degree
Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.
UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.
Page last modified on 11 June 2021
