Postgraduate study
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Digital Communications MScR

Awards: MScR

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Digital Communications

The Institute for Digital Communications (IDCOM) is the UK's leading research institute in signal processing and communications and is home to the Li-Fi research and development centre. We have three major centres of activity; signal processing, communications systems and tomographic imaging. Our programme of research delivers world leading research in signal and image processing and communications from fundamental theoretical and algorithmic work through to its translation to specific audio, imaging, radar/sonar, and communications applications.

The Institute has excellent research facilities, including state-of-the-art computing systems and laboratories for agile tomography, and audio signal processing, as well as the Li-Fi research and development centre for visible light communications. Internationally recognised for our research on communications systems and signal processing, we offer research topics including: green radio; visible light communications; cognitive radio; compressive sensing; distributed sensor signal processing; and agile tomography.

IDCOM holds the only UK Research Council platform award in sensor signal processing, in collaboration with the joint research institute in signal and image processing and Heriot-Watt University, recognising our world leading research status.

The development of transferable skills is a vital part of postgraduate training and a vibrant, interdisciplinary training programme is offered to all research students by the University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD). The programme concentrates on the professional development of postgraduates, providing courses directly linked to postgraduate study.

Courses run by the IAD are free and have been designed to be as flexible as possible so that you can tailor the content and timing to your own requirements.

Our researchers are strongly encouraged to present their research at conferences and in journal during the course of their programme.

Every year, the Graduate School organises a Postgraduate Research Conference to showcase the research carried out by students across the Research Institutes

Our researchers are also encouraged and supported to attend transferable skills courses provided by organisations such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The Institute has excellent research facilities, including state-of-the-art computing systems and laboratories for usability engineering, audio signal processing and visible light communications.

Please also read our additional information on undertaking a research degree in Engineering.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in an appropriate subject, or relevant qualifications and experience.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss national, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate in order to study this programme.

Additional programme costs

In addition to tuition fees, your programme may be subject to additional programme costs.

This should be discussed with your proposed supervisor and the Engineering Graduate School on application.

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScREngineering and Electronics (Digital Communications)1 YearFull-timeTuition fees
MScREngineering and Electronics (Digital Communications)2 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments. The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on your programme, the duration of your studies, and your residency status. (Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.)

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Graduate School of Engineering
  • Sanderson Building
  • The King's Buildings Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH9 3FB

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit two references with your application.

References must be dated within the last year, signed and on on letterheaded paper.

Before you apply

We strongly recommend applicants find an academic that they are interested in working with before applying and contact them to discuss their research ideas. This initial contact can help when writing a research proposal and the application process.

See our website for a list of School research academics. Please be sure to include the name of your proposed supervisor in your online application.

Research proposal

When applying, applicants must provide a research proposal, even if for an advertised project. This helps evaluate your writing skills and research ideas and can help with both assessing your suitability for a research degree and whether we can offer supervision.

It should be no more than 2 x A4 pages and should indicate what areas of research interest you and the nature of the work you wish to undertake (experimental/theoretical/simulation).

CV and publications

When applying please provide a curriculum vitae and, if applicable, a list of your publications. If you have publications please provide your Researcher ID, ORCID ID, SCOPUS or Google Scholar address.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Graduate School of Engineering
  • Sanderson Building
  • The King's Buildings Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH9 3FB