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    MSc
    2024 start September 

    Computer Science With Speech and Language Processing

    Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering

    Learn skills that will change lives from experts in the fields of speech technology and natural language processing.
    Three Computer Science postgraduates at table

    Course description

    Speech and language technology is being transformed by exciting developments in artificial intelligence, including deep learning and generative models such as ChatGPT.

    Our world-leading speech and language research staff will help you to understand these technologies and develop the skills needed to apply them to real-world problems.

    Applying for this course

    We use a staged admissions process to assess applications for this course. You'll still apply for this course in the usual way, using our Postgraduate Online Application Form.

    Accreditation

    This course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS). The course partially meets the requirements for Chartered Information Technology Professional (CITP) and partially meets the requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng).

    Modules

    A selection of modules are available each year - some examples are below. There may be changes before you start your course. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.

    Core modules:

    Text Processing

    This module introduces fundamental concepts and ideas in natural language text processing, covers techniques for handling text corpora, and examines representative systems that require the automated processing of large volumes of text. The module focuses on modern quantitative techniques for text analysis and explores important models for representing and acquiring information from texts. You should be aware that there are limited places available on this course. 

    15 credits
    Speech Processing

    This module aims to demonstrate why computer speech processing is an important and difficult problem, to investigate the representation of speech in the articulatory, acoustic and auditory domains, and to illustrate computational approaches to speech parameter extraction. It examines both the production and perception of speech, taking a multi-disciplinary approach (drawing on linguistics, phonetics, psychoacoustics, etc.). It introduces sufficient digital signal processing (linear systems theory, Fourier transforms) to motivate speech parameter extraction techniques (e.g. pitch and formant tracking). You should be aware that there are limited places available on this course. 

    15 credits
    Machine Learning and Adaptive Intelligence

    The module is about core technologies underpinning modern artificial intelligence. The module will introduce statistical machine learning and probabilistic modelling and their application to describing real-world phenomena. The module will give students a grounding in modern state-of-the-art algorithms that allow modern computer systems to learn from data. It has a considerable focus on the mathematical underpinnings of key ML approaches, requiring some knowledge of linear algebra, differentiation and probability.

    Students should be aware that there are limited places available on this module.

    15 credits
    Professional Issues

    This module aims to enable students to recognise the legal, social, ethical and professional issues involved in the exploitation of computer technology and be guided by the adoption of appropriate professional, ethical and legal practices. It describes the relationship between technological change, society and the law, including the powerful role that computers and computer professionals play in a technological society. It introduces key legal areas which are specific and relevant to the discipline of computing (e.g., intellectual property, liability for defective software, computer misuse, etc) and aims to provide an understanding of ethical and societal concepts that are important to computer professionals, and experience of considering ethical dilemmas.

    15 credits
    Scalable Machine Learning

    This module will focus on technologies and algorithms that can be applied to data at a very large scale (e.g. population level). From a theoretical perspective it will focus on parallelisation of algorithms and algorithmic approaches such as stochastic gradient descent. There will also be a significant practical element to the module that will focus on approaches to deploying scalable ML in practice such as SPARK, programming languages such as Python/Scala and deployment on high performance computing platforms/clusters.

    15 credits
    Team Software Project

    This team project aims to provide insights and wider context for the more practical aspects of the taught modules, and to provide students with experience of working in teams to develop a substantial piece of software.

    15 credits
    Speech Technology

    This module introduces the principles of the emergent field of speech technology, studies typical applications of these principles and assesses the state of the art in this area. You will learn the prevailing techniques of automatic speech recognition (based on statistical modelling); will see how speech synthesis and text-to-speech methods are deployed in spoken language systems; and will discuss the current limitations of such devices. The module will include project work involving the implementation and assessment of a speech technology device. You should be aware that there are limited places available on this module.

    15 credits
    Natural Language Processing

    This module provides an introduction to the field of computer processing of written natural language, known as Natural Language Processing (NLP). We will cover standard theories, models and algorithms, discuss competing solutions to problems, describe example systems and applications, and highlight areas of open research. You should be aware that there are limited places available on this module.

    15 credits
    Dissertation Project

    This is a research-led project that is supervised by a member of staff. In order to ensure best use of the summer study period, project preparation and planning is carried out in semester 2, which is separately assessed. Project activities take place during the summer period using Departmental facilities and you are exposed to the latest methods and ideas in the area of your project. There is scope for you to demonstrate your critical skills and topic-related knowledge to a high level.

    60 credits

    The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

    Open days

    An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.

    Find out what makes us special at our next online open day on Wednesday 17 April 2024.

    You may also be able to pre-book a department visit as part of a campus tour.Open days and campus tours

    Duration

    1 year full-time

    Teaching

    We use lectures, tutorials and group work.

    Assessment

    Assessment is by formal examinations, coursework assignments and a dissertation.

    Department

    Department of Computer Science

    Our masters courses at the University of Sheffield cover both the strong theoretical foundations and the practical issues involved in developing software systems in a business or industrial context.

    Our graduates are highly prized by industry, and provide the opportunity for you to gain an advantage in the job market, whether in the UK or overseas.

    Although it is possible to discuss many of the practical issues involved in industrial applications in lectures and seminars, there is no substitute for first-hand experience.

    We have a unique track record in developing innovative project-based courses that provide real experience for computing students, and this experience is embodied in our MSc courses.

    Our MSc programmes last 12 months, and begin in late September. You will study taught modules during two 15-week semesters. Your work is assessed either by coursework or by formal examination. During the summer you complete an individual dissertation project, which may be based within the University or at the premises of an industrial client.

    Entry requirements

    Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject, such as computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics or psychology.

    We also consider a wide range of international qualifications:

    Entry requirements for international students

    Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.

    Pathway programme for international students

    If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield International College. This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.

    If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.

    Apply

    We use a staged admissions process to assess applications for this course. You'll still apply for this course in the usual way, using our Postgraduate Online Application Form.

    Apply now

    Contact

    msc-compsci@sheffield.ac.uk
    +44 114 222 1800

    Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.

    Our student protection plan

    Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.