Computer Science

DPhil in Computer Science

Course Code | 002340

The department offers a vibrant research environment, supported by £30mn of research grants from UK Research Councils, the EU and industry. In the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), 80% of the department's research was judged 4* (world-leading) and 3* (internationally excellent). 

Applications are invited in the following research areas:

Algorithms

• Algorithmic game theory
• Computational complexity
• Algorithms and complexity in constraint satisfaction
• Core algorithms
  

Automated verification

• Software model checking
• Hardware verification
• Concurrency
• Real-time systems
• Probabilistic systems
• Hybrid systems
  
• Quantitative verification and synthesis
• Higher order model checking
• Infinite-state systems
• Logic in computer science and applications to verification

Computational biology

• Computational modelling of physiological systems
• Computational systems biology
• Mathematical modelling and analysis of biological and physiological systems 
• Scientific computing, including parallel scientific computing, and software engineering methodologies to support large-scale computational modelling within biology and physiology
• Statistical methods for computational biology
• Computational methods for image analysis

Information systems

• Computational linguistics
• Knowledge representation and reasoning
• Database systems and database theory
• Spatial reasoning
• Ontologies and the semantic web
• Web data extraction and processing
  

Foundations, logic and structures

• Quantum information and computation
• Game semantics and applications to verification
• Dynamic epistemic logic
• Constraints
• Categorical models of natural language meaning
• Automated reasoning for graphical theories
  

Programming languages

• Programming language design
  
• Program analysis
• Optimising compilers
• Programming language theory
  

Software engineering

• Information modelling
• Requirements engineering
• Model-based development
• Sensor networks
• Medical informatics
  • Model-driven engineering
  • Domain-specific languages
  • Software and systems modelling
  • Modelling languages and frameworks

Security

• Information hiding
• Cybersecurity
• Cryptographic protocols
• Formal modelling and analysis of systems
• Secure distributed systems
• Trusted computing
• Human factors in security
• Privacy and data security
• Systems security
• Wireless security
  

Applications are also encouraged in cross-disciplinary research areas such as linguistics, biology, medicine, quantum foundations and quantum computations. The department will shortly be able to offer supervision in the areas of algorithms and agent-based systems.

MSc in Computer Science

Course Code | 002330  

As in other branches of applied mathematics and engineering, improvements in the practice of programming require determined and meticulous application of methods of mathematical understanding, calculation and proof.

Recognising this, the MSc has been designed to teach the mathematical principles of specification, design and efficient implementation of both software and hardware. The course is intended for graduates in Computer Science as well graduates in other numerate disciplines who have some training and/or experience in programming or have been employed professionally in a related industry. The course presents knowledge, experience, reasoning methods and design and implementation techniques which are robust and forward-looking.

This course will provide a foundation appropriate to a professional career in computing-based industries, or to research into the theory and practice of programming and computer-based system design; it will also enhance the skills of a professional currently working in the computing-based industries, such as telecommunications, process control, business-, mission- and safety-critical fields.

• Length of programme: Twelve months
• Core and optional courses
• Programme specification

• Computer Science Library

• Radcliffe Science Library

• Hooke Library

• Computing resources

  A PC is provided for each DPhil student, and there is a teaching network of PCs for graduate taught students.

Information on academic staff profiles

Further research into computer science and/or mathematics, software industry, financial companies, Google, Facebook, Microsoft etc.

• MSc in Mathematics and the Foundations of Computer Science

(programme run jointly with the Mathematical Institute)

Part-time courses

• MSc in Software Engineering
• MSc in Software and Systems Security