Digital Communication Systems with Business Management (2014 entry)

MSc, 1 year full time/2 years part time

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Sussex is ranked among the top 20 universities in the UK for mechanical engineering in The Sunday Times University Guide 2012 and among the top 30 in the UK in The Complete University Guide 2014. 

Sussex is ranked among the top 20 universities in the UK for electrical and electronic engineering in The Times Good University Guide 2013 and The Sunday Times University Guide 2012, and among the top 25 in the UK in The Complete University Guide 2014. 

Rated 14th in the UK for ‘General Engineering and Mineral and Mining Engineering’ research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 95 per cent of our research was rated as internationally recognised or higher, and 60 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher. 

The Department of Engineering and Design has strong links with industry, which are used to benefit both Masters-level and PhD research projects and enhance the employment opportunities for our graduates. 

Our internationally renowned research groups offer MPhil/PhD research degree opportunities for well-qualified applicants and graduates of our MSc degrees. 

The Department has well-equipped research laboratories and teaching laboratories dedicated to Masters-level degrees. 

Our research students benefit from direct supervision by research-active staff, along with training and professional development opportunities provided by the School of Engineering and Informatics and the University’s Doctoral School. 

We have a vibrant international community within the Department, with students and faculty from all over the world. 

Programme outline

This MSc is a variant of the MSc in Digital Communication Systems, above, and includes modules delivered by management specialists, allowing you to develop your skills in this area with a view to a career in engineering management. 

Assessment 

Modules are assessed by a range of methods, including laboratory reports, essays and unseen examinations. The MSc project is assessed by an interim report, a presentation and a substantial dissertation. The project is designed for you to excel in your personal and professional development and to consolidate the material covered in your modules. It will expose you to issues of project management, resourcing, planning, scheduling, documentation and communication, and will demand individual responsibility, critical awareness and creative thinking. 

Some projects are undertaken in groups and replicate the type of professional teamwork expected in industry. Topics are generated from the academic research and industrial collaborations in the Department, and the project will be supervised by a member of faculty. 

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2014 entry to ensure you have the best student experience.In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.

The aim of our taught degrees is to develop academic and professional excellence both for newly qualified and practising engineers who wish to extend their professional expertise in specialist areas. Each degree comprises eight taught modules, typically four core modules and four options, plus an MSc project accounting for a maximum of one third of the degree. The options allow you to choose a pathway that suits your personal interests. Taught modules are delivered in the autumn and spring terms, with examination periods in January and May. The MSc project is a substantial practical exercise undertaken over the spring term and the summer up to the end of August. 

You study four core modules in advanced networks, mobile communications, marketing analysis and financial strategic management, and strategic management, and choose a further four modules from a range of options in advanced electronics, and signal and image processing. 

In addition, you undertake a substantial individual MSc project. Projects are assigned in the spring term and begin with preliminary research and project planning. Following the summer examinations, you are expected to work on the project full time until the end of August, leading to submission of your dissertation and project presentation. 

Back to module list

Advanced Digital Communications

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

The aim of the module is to introduce advanced topics in digital communications and provide you with up-to-date knowledge and skills required in the design and performance evaluation of wireless digital communication systems.

The following topics will be covered:

  • overview of digital communications
  • aims and constraints of the digital communication system designer
  • wireless communication fading channels
  • digital modulation
  • probability of error performance
  • bandwidth efficiency
  • adaptive modulation
  • error control coding
  • block coding
  • convolutional coding
  • interleaving
  • trellis coded modulation
  • spread spectrum
  • orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
  • multiuser communications
  • research project and simulation work using MATLAB software tools.

Advanced Digital Signal Processing

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This module will provide an overview of the applications of digital signal processing techniques.


It will include revision of:
Fourier series, complex notation, linear systems theory, discretisation, transform techniques, Fourier series to Fourier integral, Fourier transform properties
Complex frequency, Laplace transform, the Dirac delta functional, sampled data systems, z-transform, the inverse z-transform; the relationship between z and s planes, stability, poles and zero locations; Nyquist sampling theorem, aliasing, signal reconstruction from sampled data
Detailed discussion of:
System response and convolution
Correlation and convolution theorems, the matched filter
Digital filtering, system discrete transfer function, filter types: IIR and FIR, impulse response, methods of digital filter realisation.
IIR digital filter design: impulse invariant and bilinear transformation methods, designed from prototype normalised Butterworth and Chebychev analogue prototype filters.
FIR filters, the discrete Fourier transform and its properties.
FIR filter design, spectral leakage, window functions, sources of error in digital filter implementations, filter stability.
The fast Fourier transform.
Extension of discrete Fourier transform and convolution theorem to two dimensions. Numerical computation of two dimensional frequency spectrum as a sequence of one dimensional discrete Fourier transforms.
Two dimensional filtering and impulse response. Two dimensional convolution and correlation in the space and the frequency domains; applications to image and video processing.
Discrete cosine transform in two dimensions; applications to image compression.
Overview of the architecture of modern DSP hardware.
Matlab DSP Laboratory:
Overview of Matlab commands.
8 Matlab m-files given illustrating Matlab coding of important signal processing operations:
1) Generation of a complex exponential sequence
2) Use of a moving average filter to smooth signal corrupted by noise
3) Convolution and correlation of two sequences
4) Computation of 1-D DFT
5) Computation of DFT using decimation in time FFT
6) IIR filter design using Matlab DSP filter design toolbox
7) FIR filter design using Matlab DSP filter design toolbox
Problem Section:
Four problems of increasing difficulty (up-dated each year) solved by documented Matlab code for final report.

Advanced Microprocessor Systems

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Topics covered include: ­ microprocessors and their functional components; volatile and non­volatile memory; caching; I/O interfaces; DMA; communication interfaces (Ethernet, USB, Serial, Parallel); communication buses (PCI, PCMCIA, SCSI, I2C); instruction sets - assemblers, compilers and debuggers; microprocessors and their architectures; RISK and MIPS processors; MMX and DSP processors; and network processors with examples from Intel­32/64, Intel MMX, SUN Spark, and HP Max. ­
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Advanced Networks

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

Topics covered include: ISO reference layer model; physical and data link layers overview; further concepts for the other layers; service implementation and access methods; applications, connection and connectionless oriented services; networks and Higher Layer Protocols; wire LANs (Ethernet, ATM, CAN) and wireless LANs (IEEE802.11, Bluetooth); current and future advanced networks (B-ISDN, ATM, Gigabit Ethernet); access network (ISDN, xDSL) and backbone networks (ATM, Ethernet etc.); and internet-working and communication devices.

 

Cybernetics and Neural Networks

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

A cybernetic device responds and adapts to a changing environment in a sensible way. Neural network systems permit the construction of such devices exploiting information, feedback and control to achieve intelligent interaction and behaviour from autonomous devices such as robots. In this module the utilisation of artificial intelligence techniques and neural networks are explored in detail. Software implementation of theoretical concepts will solve genuine engineering problems in dynamic feedback control systems, pattern recognition and scheduling problems. In many instances solutions must be computed in response to data arriving in real-time (e.g. video data). The implications of high speed decision making will be explored.

The module will explore:

  • neuron models
  • network architectures
  • perceptron and perceptron learning rule
  • synaptic vector spaces
  • linear transformations for neural networks
  • supervised hebbian learning
  • performance optimisation
  • widrow-hoff learning
  • associative learning
  • competitive networks.

Learning will be supported by laboratories using the Matlab Neural Network Toolbox.

Fibre Optic Communications

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Topics covered in this module include: analysis of slab wave-guide; analysis of step index fibre; dispersion in the step index fibre; mono-mode fibre; propagation of light rays in multi-mode graded index fibres; dispersion in graded index fibres, light sources and detectors; modulation of semiconductor light sources; transfer characteristic and impulse response of fibre communication systems; power launching and coupling efficiency; receiver principles and signal-to noise ratio in analogue receivers; receivers for digital optical fibre communication systems; system noise; system components and aspects of system design; coherent optical fibre communication; and network systems.

High Level IC Design

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

This module focuses on the high level, or top down design of digital circuits implemented in field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The methodology used takes a design entry in VHDL (a popular industry standard hardware description language), functional and gate level simulation, logic synthesis, optimisation and technology mapping, to ‘final place and route’ in an FPGA. You will design a reasonable complex digital circuit using state-of-the-art industrial electronic design automation (EDA) tools.

Prerequisite: to take this module, you must have a knowledge of digital electronics.

Image Processing

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

 You will study: introduction to machine vision and relation to image processing; importance of scene constraints and methods of achieving these in the industrial environment; lighting techniques; ;radiometric and photometric units; camera technologies; lenses for machine vision; image formation and resolution; display technologies; image acquisition hardware and hardware implemented point operations; histogram manipulations; linear invariant systems theory in two dimensions; the convolution operation and its discrete implementation as mask operators; first and second differential edge detection operators; edge filling techniques; Hough transform; the 2-D Fourier transform and frequency domain filters; 2-D correlation. Scene segmentation methods and region filling; pattern recognition techniques: shape descriptors; Fourier descriptors; template matching; and examples of machine vision systems in industry.

MSc Individual Project

60 credits
All year teaching, year 1

The Masters Individual Project is designed to expose you to a real-life engineering problem to which you apply the skills and knowledge acquired in the area of your degree. The work must be completed within budget, using available resources, by a specified deadline, and presented to an audience not necessarily directly familiar with the work you have done. The project is designed to expose you to issues of project management, resourcing, planning, scheduling, documentation, and communication and will demand individual responsibility, critical awareness and creative thinking.

The project will involve you as an individual working on a particular area of activity relevant to your degree, with the goal of meeting a specific set of objectives. Your project will be supervised by a single member of faculty, who takes on the role of technical director. A second (minor) supervisor is also assigned to provide occasional guidance. The specific objectives will depend on the nature of the project. It is however typical for a project to involve you in developing competency in project management, specification, development of concepts, detailed design, hardware and/or software implementation, testing, analysis, evaluation and communication.

Marketing Analysis and Financial Strategic Planning

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This module will cover:

Developing marketing strategy, market planning and control.
Marketing research.
Behavioural concepts, marketing decision making.
Marketing communication and sales strategy.
Environmental consideration.
Marketing ethics.
Legal control and European/International influences costs of funds.
Source of funds.
Capital structures and CAPM.
Business expansion.
Working capital management including cash management.
Dividends and dividend decisions.
Corporate planning and financial control.
Investment appraisal.
The stock exchange and its efficiency.
Preparing a project and being able to persuade company managers of how marketing and financial planning assist strategic decisions.

Mobile Communications

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

Topics include: mobile communication technologies; overview of mobile communication systems; cellular communications concepts; multiple access technologies; fading and mitigation techniques; mobile wireless systems (GSM, WLAN, 3G); satellite communication systems; satellite systems architecture; orbital and geostationary satellite types; satellite multiple access techniques; satellite system link models and analysis; mobile satellite systems; and global positioning systems.

RF Circuit Design

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This module aims to provide an advanced knowledge of design techniques and current applications in RF Circuit Design. It covers the principles and tools used in the design, construction and testing of radio frequency circuits. Emphasis will be given to practical concepts through demonstrations and example. The module includes; RF transmitters and receivers, two port networks and scattering parameters, the design of impedance matching networks, noise and noise figure matching, low noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, classes and linearity techniques, receiver circuit systems, IF amplifiers, selectivity and RF filters, power combining techniques, wafer probing techniques, RF measuring equipment - spectrum analysers, network analysers.

Real Time Embedded Systems

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

The module covers: microcontroller-based real-time systems; architectures and structures; task structures and synchronisation; real-time, deterministic applications; multitasking management; communications between tasks; examples of 8-bit and 16-bit controllers; and examples and case study of CAN/FlexRay/TTP.

Satellite and Space Systems

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Fundamentals of Space Missions: Evolution of space activities; Launch vehicles; orbital dynamics.

Spacecraft Systems: Attitude control of spacecraft; Telemetry and telecommand; Spacecraft thermal control; Spacecraft power systems.

Mission Environmental and Engineering Requirements: Hostile environment; System reliability; Space and Ground segments.

Applications of Satellite Space Technology: Communication satellites; Navigation satellites; GPS and tracking systems; Remote sensing from space for environmental security. The role of satellite imagery for monitoring international arms control treaties. The role of satellite imagery in the control of nuclear proliferation. The role of space systems for border security and systems.

Strategic Management - Engineering Course

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

This module explores various aspects of the strategic planning process, including environmental scanning, strategy formulation and implementation, and strategy evaluation and control. Through case study analysis, you will explore how leading firms use strategy to gain competitive advantage, and how they relate strategy with technological and engineering projects and operations.

Back to module list

Entry requirements

UK entrance requirements

A first- or second-class undergraduate honours degree in engineering, mathematics or an applied science. The undergraduate honours degree should normally be in the fields of electronics, communications or computing.

Overseas entrance requirements

Overseas qualifications

If your country is not listed below, please contact the University at E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

CountryOverseas qualification
Australia Bachelor (Honours) degree with second-class lower division
Brazil Bacharel, Licenciado or professional title with a final mark of at least 7
Canada Bachelor degree with CGPA 3.0/4.0 (grade B)
China Bachelor degree from a leading university with overall mark of 65%-85% depending on your university
Cyprus Bachelor degree or Ptychion with a final mark of at least 6.5
France Licence with mention assez bien or Maîtrise with final mark of at least 12
Germany Bachelor degree or Magister Artium with a final mark of 2.7 or better
Ghana Bachelor degree from a public university with second-class lower division
Greece Ptychion from an AEI with a final mark of at least 6.5
Hong Kong Bachelor (Honours) degree with second-class lower division
India Bachelor degree from a leading institution with overall mark of at least 60% or equivalent
Iran Bachelor degree (Licence or Karshenasi) with a final mark of at least 14
Italy Diploma di Laurea with an overall mark of at least 100
Japan Bachelor degree from a leading university with a minumum of B or equivalent
Malaysia Bachelor degree with class 2 division 2
Mexico Licenciado with a final mark of at least 7
Nigeria Bachelor degree with second-class lower division or CGPA of at least 2.8/4.0
Pakistan Four-year bachelor degree, normally with a GPA of at least 3.3
Russia Magistr or Specialist Diploma with a minimum average mark of at least 4
South Africa Bachelor (Honours) degree or Bachelor degree in Technology with an overall mark of at least 60%
Saudi Arabia Bachelor degree with an overall mark of at least 65% or CGPA 3.0/5.0 or equivalent
South Korea Bachelor degree from a leading university with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or equivalent
Spain Licenciado with a final mark of at least 2/4
Taiwan Bachelor degree with overall mark of 70%-85% depending on your university
Thailand Bachelor degree with CGPA of at least 2.8/4.0 or equivalent
Turkey Lisans Diplomasi with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or equivalent depending on your university
United Arab Emirates Bachelor degree with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or equivalent
USA Bachelor degree with CGPA 3.3-3.5/4.0 depending on your university
Vietnam Masters degree with CGPA 3.0/4.0 or equivalent

If you have any questions about your qualifications after consulting our overseas qualifications, contact the University at E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in the other sections. Internet TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 20 in Reading, 22 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.

For more information, refer to English language requirements.

Visas and immigration

Find out more about Visas and immigration.

For more information about the admissions process at Sussex

For pre-application enquiries:

Student Recruitment Services
T +44 (0)1273 876787
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

For post-application enquiries:

Postgraduate Admissions,
University of Sussex,
Sussex House, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 877773
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk 

Fees and funding

Fees

Home UK/EU students: £5,5001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £5,5002
Overseas students: £16,2003

1 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.

Funding

The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.

To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 1 May 2014

25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver

Fulbright-Sussex University Award (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 15 October 2013

Each year, one award is offered to a US citizen for the first year of a postgraduate degree in any field at the University of Sussex.

Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for Postgraduate Study (2014)

Region: UK
Level: PG (taught), PG (research)
Application deadline: 1 October 2013

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust are offering bursaries to Postgraduate students following any postgraduate degree courses in any subject.

Santander Scholarship (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 1 May 2014

Two scholarships of £5000 fee waiver for students studying any postgraduate taught course.

USA Friends Scholarships (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 3 April 2014

Two scholarships of an amount equivalent to $10,000 are available to nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Master's degree course.

Faculty interests

Research groups

Research is a core activity of the Department of Engineering and Design and is organised into four main groups. Our research often entails collaborations between the groups, as well as with other schools of studies at Sussex and external academic, institutional and commercial partners. For more detailed information, refer to the groups listed below and visit Department of Engineering: Research.

Dynamics, Control and Vehicle Research Group

This group is known internationally for its high-quality automotive research and fundamental work in dynamics and control. The group has a broad range of interests such as the convergence of control, non-linear dynamics, signal processing activities applied mainly to automotive engineering, and tribological research. It has attracted research grants from, and formed collaborations with, a variety of local, national and international public and industrial sources including EPSRC, Royal Society, Jaguar Landrover and SKF.

The primary focus is directed towards CO2 reduction in transport through energy conversion efficiency improvements in engines, and through ‘lightweighting’ and drag-reduction technologies. For dynamics and automotive engineering this means reducing vehicle CO2 emissions by improving powertrain and vehicle efficiencies particularly of internal combustion (IC) engines in conventional and hybrid electric vehicles, and by better understanding vehicle noise emissions to allow weight reduction.

This links directly to tribological research, which is at the forefront of the efforts to address the demands of the advances in material science, manufacturing, technology and the needs for better products, improved human life, and contributing to energy savings and a cleaner environment. The group researches areas including lubrication, dynamics of lubricated contacts, mechanical transmissions, contact mechanics and numerical modelling of lubricated contacts. 

Facilities include two engine-test cells, an engine-test laboratory, a full range of emissions measurement equipment, calibration equipment for engine control, and laser-based vibration measurement hardware. Specifically for tribological research, facilities include a PCS instruments optical interferometry test rig of EHD film measurement, an optical interferometry rig with a high-speed imaging system for dynamic testing of liquid films, impedance/gain-phase analyser, and a range of viscometers.

Faculty research interests include:

Dr Julian Dunne Engineering dynamics. Nonlinear system modelling and analysis; optimal control; vehicle, engine and rotor dynamics; noise, vibration and harshness applications in automotive and aerospace engineering.

Dr Romeo Glovnea Tribology, fundamentals of lubrication, experimental techniques in thin-film lubrication, mechanical transmissions (CVTs).

Dr Yevgen Petrov Modelling, numerical methods, analysis and optimisation of forced and self-excited vibration of jointed structures with friction, gaps and other non-linear interactions at contact interfaces.

Dr William Wang Machine condition monitoring, digital signal processing techniques, vibrational analysis and structural dynamics, wavelets and neural networks, measurement fault diagnosis.

Industrial Informatics and Signal Processing Research Group

Research in this group is focused on digital image processing; computer vision; optical computing, holography and communication; optical metrology; network and control theory; devices and computational techniques for medical and biological imaging and image processing, with a particular focus on cancer diagnosis and treatment.

These activities find application in a wide range of strategically important areas including product security, biometrics, automated face recognition, event detection and traffic monitoring. As an example, mobile-phone hardware and software has been developed to allow the phone to scan and recognise human irises using novel algorithms that have been patented and commercialised.

The Group is also engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations with the School of Life Sciences, the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), clinical practitioners and companies in the medical device and medical imaging sectors. The research provides imaging biomarkers in cancerous tissue by wavelet filtering in an apparently normal contrast-enhanced CT image of the liver. We are currently extending the technique to 3D-texture analysis of the whole liver and lung. This research is the subject of a patent and commercialisation of the software.

Faculty research interests include:

Professor Chris Chatwin Advanced manufacturing: manufacturing and enterprise simulation and modelling, integrated total quality management. Fibre-optic communications. 

Security and surveillance systems: machine vision and image-processing, neural networks, mobile image acquisition, biometrics, image processing for medical diagnosis.

Dr Phil Birch Fibre-optic communications: photo-refractive holography, holographic optical memory, four-wave mixing, spatial light modulators, dynamic light-shaping elements, optical pattern recognition, optical filtering, electro-optic systems design.

Machine vision and image processing: Wiener filtering, foveating systems, mobile image acquisition, autonomous mobile robots, biometrics, image processing for medical diagnosis.

Dr David Li Finite-element analysis of waveguide devices; numerical modelling of optical communication devices; imaging and sensing systems; mixed-signal circuits, imaging processors, and firmware design.

Dr Tai Yang Networks and control systems for power generation control applications and in-vehicle control systems, control of hybrid and electrical vehicles, wind power generation and energy storage.

Dr Rupert Young Advanced manufacturing, fibre-optic communications, photo-refractive holography, holographic optical memory, four-wave mixing, spatial light modulators, dynamic light-shaping elements, optical pattern recognition, optical filtering, and electro-optic systems design.

Machine vision and image-processing: neural networks, Wiener filtering, foveating systems, mobile image acquisition, biometrics, image processing for medical diagnosis.

Sensor Technology Research Centre (STRC)

The STRC is a world-leading centre focusing on electric and magnetic sensor technologies and their applications. The focus is on the acquisition of weak electrical signals in challenging environments. The research attracts funding from EPSRC, TSB, the EU and a number of industrial collaborators.

The Centre has pioneered a new class of device with generic measurement capability, the Electric Potential Sensor (EPS). This has attracted considerable attention, winning a number of prestigious awards and gaining wide publicity in the technical press. The first generation of the EPS has been licensed to industrial partners and is now being marketed as an integrated circuit device.

Research activity includes the fundamentals of sensor operation, modelling of measurement scenarios and application specific projects. These applications are very broad and include electrophysiological monitoring, such as cardiac imaging and wireless linked electroencephalogram arrays, muscle and eye signal detection for human-machine interfacing and assistive technologies, security, forensics, geophysical measurements in collaboration with the British Geological Survey, materials characterisation for the semiconductor industry, and electric field detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals. 

The research also covers the area of mobile and wireless communications focused on improving capacity, power and spectrum efficiency, reliability, quality of service, and low complexity implementations. Work involves theoretical studies, simulations, and implementations using advanced software tools and digital hardware. The research impacts a number of important areas in the communications industry and practical systems in different sectors such as health, transport, energy, security and environment.

The Centre is well resourced with electro-magnetically shielded rooms, clean rooms, electron beam lithography fabrication, electronic systems spanning dc-to-microwave, and surface mount fabrication facilities.

Faculty research interests include:

Dr Falah Ali Mobile communications: digital communication techniques, multiple access, multiple antenna/MIMO, channel coding, co-operative communications, distributed video coding.

Wireless networks: adhoc networks, wireless sensor networks, vehicular communications, real-time and high-reliability communications.

Embedded digital systems: advanced communication algorithms on embedded digital hardware, DSP and FPGA. Development of testbed demonstrators with integrated networks.

Dr Ahmet Aydin Non-invasive sensors, electric field sensors for geophysical measurements, electric field detection of NMR signals.

Dr Helen Prance Electric field sensors for assisted living, human-machine interfaces, remote detection of life signs and nuclear resonance detection.

Professor Robert Prance Sensors for electric and magnetic field imaging, charge fingerprint imaging, non-destructive testing of materials, and low-noise instrumentation.

Thermo-Fluid Mechanics Research Centre (TFMRC)

The TFMRC is a dedicated research laboratory specialising in flow and heat transfer, and has substantial experimental and computational facilities. It has a proven track record in research, particularly in relation to gas turbine engines, and has attracted significant funding over previous years from industry, the European Commission and the EPSRC to conduct cutting-edge research on a wide range of engineering problems. It is now engaged in a major collaboration with GE Aviation.

The Centre has a significant experimental research infrastructure including a number of high-pressure air supplies such as the Rolls-Royce DART engine-driven compressor. It also hosts the DANTEC Centre of Excellence in Non-Invasive Instrumentation and has an array of state-of-the-art flow instrumentation including laser anemometry, particle imaging velocimetry (PIV), phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) and hot wire anemometry.

The Centre has expertise in temperature measurements including thermal imaging and liquid crystal measurements, as well as an in-house computational fluid dynamics code, SURF, which is an unstructured general-purpose compressible flow and aeroelasticity solver. Current experimental projects funded by GE Aviation are focused on internal air systems of gas turbine engines.

Faculty research interests include:

Dr Vasudevan Kanjirakkad Experimental aerodynamics/heat transfer, turbomachinery aerodynamics, rotating disc and swirling flows, turbulence and boundary layer transition, flowinstrumentation, sustainable energy.

Dr Christopher Long Experimental heat transfer and fluid-flow measurements, turbulence, application of optically based measurements, and sustainable and renewable energy.

Dr Hao Xia Computational fluid dynamics, computational aeroacoustics, large-eddy simulation, turbomachinery heat transfer, level set method.

Dr Zhiyin Yang Large-eddy simulation, flow stability and transition, turbulent combustion, two phase flow, gas turbine combustion system, heat transfer, and turbine machinery flow.

Careers and profiles

The continued demand for highly qualified engineers worldwide ensures that our graduates are able to choose professional careers in industry and academia. 

Graduates of our degrees in digital systems and digital communication have established careers as professional engineers in the telecommunications, electronics, automotive, control and aerospace industries. Destinations of recent graduates include application consultant with LG Electronics UK Ltd, applications engineer with Edwards Modular Control, development engineer with Jaguar Land Rover, engineer with Astrium UK, and radio planning and optimisation engineer with MTN (Africa). Other graduates have gone on to research degrees, for example here at Sussex and at Imperial College London. 

Aysegul's career perspective

Aysegul Domez

‘During the final year of my undergraduate degree in Turkey I looked at many postgraduate programmes in the UK but I chose the MSc in Digital Communications Systems with Business Management at Sussex as it seemed best designed to enhance my career. I can tell you now that it was absolutely the right decision –  one year at Sussex greatly enriched my prospects and left with me with fantastic memories.

‘With my MSc I had the opportunity to study both technology and management courses, combining my engineering knowledge with management skills. Through practical projects involving real-life problems, I greatly improved my problem-solving and team-working skills. I also found working on my final project really exciting and rewarding, and all the hard work paid off when I was awarded a distinction for my MSc.

‘As well as the high-quality academic environment that Sussex provides, all of the academic and administrative staff are very friendly, considerate and keen to help and advise.

‘I now hold the position of Integration Engineer at Alcatel-Lucent, for which I need to travel constantly and work in an international environment. The skills and experiences that I gained at Sussex have really helped me to adapt to, and succeed in, my role.’

Aysegul Domez
Integration Engineer
Alcatel-Lucent

For more information, visit Careers and alumni.

School and contacts

School of Engineering and Informatics

The School of Engineering and Informatics brings together the areas of mechanical and electrical engineering with informatics, in particular computer science and artificial intelligence, and product design.

Department of Engineering and Design

The Department of Engineering and Design has expertise in electronic and mechanical engineering, with significant emphasis on design. It offers high-quality teaching and world-leading research in an exciting and supportive learning environment.

Engineering and Design,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9QT, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678048
F +44 (0)1273 877873
E msc@engineering.sussex.ac.uk
Department of Engineering and Design

Postgraduate Open Day 2013

4 December 2013, 1pm-4pm
Bramber House, University of Sussex

  • talk to academic faculty and current postgraduate students
  • subject talks and presentations on postgraduate study, research and funding
  • choose from our exciting range of taught Masters and research degrees
  • find out how postgraduate study can improve your career prospects
  • get details of our excellent funding schemes for taught postgraduate study.

To register your interest in attending, visit Postgraduate Open Day.

Can’t make it to our Postgraduate Open Day? You might be interested in attending one of our Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions.

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If you can’t make it to our Postgraduate Open Day, you’re welcome to attend one of our Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions. These are held in the spring and summer terms and enable you to find out more about postgraduate study and the opportunities Sussex has to offer.

Visit Discover Postgraduate study to book your place.

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