Multimedia Signal Processing Systems

Entry standards

A good honours degree in electronic engineering, mathematics, computing or physical sciences.  Our normal entry level is a minimum of a good Lower Second from a good UK university, or overseas equivalent; however, with industrial experience, we can be flexible in our entry requirements.  

English language requirements

Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).

Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - structure and modules

Module Overview

This programme is taught over twelve months and split over three semesters. A dissertation project is carried out during the final semester. 

MSc Multimedia Signal Processing and Communications 

Compulsory Modules 

• Data and Internet Networking 

• Speech and Audio Processing and Coding 

• Image and Video Compression 

• Advanced Signal Processing 

Optional modules include: 

• Image Processing and Vision 

• Artificial Intelligence and AI Programming 

• Mathematics of Signal Processing 

• Speaker and Speech Recognition 

• Multimedia Systems and Component Technology 

MSc Multimedia Technology and Systems 

Compulsory Modules 

• Advanced Signal Processing 

• Multimedia Systems and Component Technology 

• Speech and Audio Processing and Coding 

• Image and Video Compression 

Optional modules include: 

• Mathematics of Signal Processing 

• Image Processing and Vision 

• Artificial Intelligence and AI Programming 

• Speaker and Speech Recognition 

• Data and Internet Networking 

MSc Signal Processing and Machine Intelligence 

Compulsory Modules 

• Image Processing and Vision 

• Speech and Audio Processing and Coding 

• Advanced Signal Processing 

• Artificial Intelligence and AI Programming 

Optional modules include: 

• Mathematics of Signal Processing 

• Image and Video Compression 

• Multimedia Systems and Component Technology 

• Data and Internet Networking 

• Speaker and Speech Recognition

Programme Timetable 

The table below shows when each module will take place. The modules that you take will depend on which of the three programmes you study, and the optional modules you select.

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - entry standards

Entry standards

A good honours degree in electronic engineering, mathematics, computing or physical sciences.  Our normal entry level is a minimum of a good Lower Second from a good UK university, or overseas equivalent; however, with industrial experience, we can be flexible in our entry requirements.  

English language requirements

Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).

Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.

Start date

September

Programme director

• Professor Josef Kittler

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - fees and funding

Fees

Multimedia Signal Processing & Communications (full time): 

UK/EU - £6,400 
Overseas - £15,015

Multimedia Signal Processing & Communications (part time per 15 credits): 

UK/EU - £535 
Overseas - £1,250

Multimedia Technology & Systems (full time): 

UK/EU - £6,400 
Overseas - £15,015

Multimedia Technology & Systems (part time per 15 credits):

UK/EU - £605 
Overseas - £1,250

Signal Processing & Machine Intelligence (full time):

UK/EU - £6,400 
Overseas - £15,015

Signal Processing & Machine Intelligence (part time per 15 credits):

UK/EU - £605 
Overseas - £1,250

www.surrey.ac.uk/pgfees/2012

Funding

A few scholarships are available from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and charitable trusts. There are also Commonwealth scholarships available within the University for overseas students, but these are very competitive and early application is vital. 

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - professional context

Professional recognition

As an IET-accredited institution, our programmes are countable under the continuing professional development (CPD) scheme. 

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and as such can be used in partial fulfilment of the requirements for gaining Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

Careers

Students graduating from these MSc pathways can expect to find employment in a diverse range of media-related and advanced technology industries. The demand for such graduate engineers reflects the UK’s status as a world leader in the media production business, with music and film post-production and games development recognised internationally and second only in size to the USA. 

Our location is perfectly placed to benefit from the high concentration in London and the South East of companies involved in media production, broadcast, post-production, games, defence systems, biometric and surveillance systems, computer vision, major international consumer electronics companies.

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - teaching

Teaching

Our taught programme structure provides a judicious mix of theoretical and applied topics delivered over two semesters through lectures, assignments and laboratory exercises. The assessment of these taught modules is through formal examinations at the end of Semesters 1 and 2. 

The pass mark is set at 50 per cent for each module, representing a combination of the formal examination and any associated coursework or lab marks. An overall average, aggregated over all of the assessed modules, in excess of 70 per cent achieves a Pass with Distinction. 

Projects are selected during the first semester from a broad list and are undertaken between June and September. Following the spring examinations, usually staggered over May and June, you will concentrate on your MSc project. 

You will usually meet with your project supervisor either weekly or fortnightly to discuss your project. There is a mid-term assessment based at the University where you will orally present your projects to an assessment panel. This provides you with feedback on your progress and suggestions for ongoing development. 

You will produce a formal MSc dissertation and will also be assessed at a viva voce examination in late August or early September.

Staff perspective

PRofessor Josef Kittler

The design of the suite of MSc programmes reflects the experience gained from our interaction and longstanding collaboration with high tech companies in the United Kingdom and abroad. These companies seek graduates with the specialist knowledge of the state-of-the-art techniques for multisensory signal and data analysis in various application domains. We offer both the knowledge and techniques as part of the postgraduate training in aspects of multimedia signal processing at the University of Surrey.

The focus on intelligent multimedia signal analysis and interpretation in our programmes is considered particularly attractive by prospective employers, as it provides the knowledge skills needed by them for building next generation products, incorporating smart sensors and intelligent data analysis.

This focus is quite unique for the University of Surrey, and its maintenance is possible only because of the closely aligned research at the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing, conducted by me and my colleagues, which continuously informs the teaching programmes we offer and guarantees their relevance.

It gives me tremendous pleasure to meet graduates who benefited from these programmes, at various points on their career path, and hear them expressing their satisfaction in choosing multimedia signal processing as a specialisation.

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - learning

Facilities, Equipment and Support 

To support your learning, we hold regular MSc group meetings where any aspect of the programme, technical or non-technical, can be discussed in an informal atmosphere. This allows you to raise any problems that you would like to have addressed and encourages peer-based learning and general group discussion. 

We provide computing support with any specialised software required during the programme, for example, Matlab. The Department’s student common room is also covered by the University’s open-access wireless network, which makes it a very popular location for individual and group work using laptops and mobile devices. 

Specialist experimental and research facilities, for computationally demanding projects or those requiring specialist equipment, are provided by the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP).

Projects 

The summer dissertation projects provide an opportunity for you to apply material learnt during the previous two semesters and to develop a detailed knowledge of a particular area. 

The dissertation projects have strong industrial relevance by drawing on EU- or industry-funded research and development carried out in the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP). They will cover various applications areas, including 3D broadcast production, biometrics, video archive restoration, security and surveillance systems, image and video database retrieval, speech recognition, machine audio perception, biomedical image processing and robotics. 

The projects may be based at the University or in industry. There are also opportunities for carrying out the project work at collaborating academic institutions in the EU under the Socrates programme. 

Recent projects include: 

• Facial Expression Recognition 
• Fusion of Multimodal Biometrics 
• Illumination Invariant Face Recognition 
• Single Channel Speech Source Separation 
• Interactive User Interface to a Large-scale Image Collection 
• Face Recognition via Non-negative Sparse Coding 
• Auditory Morphing of Speech Signals 
• Hazard Detection and Obstacle Avoidance for Autonomous Mobile Rovers 
• Automatic Counting of People in Images of Crowds 
• Reading Writing for Robots 
• Scene Recognition 
• Real-time 3D Capture and Visualisation 
• Tamper-proof Audio Watermarking 
• Omnidirectional Vision

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - graduate profile

Graduate Profile: Fei Yan

MSc Multimedia Signal Processing and Communications

I did electronic engineering for my undergraduate programme in China. I considered several UK universities for pursuing a Masters degree and finally chose Surrey, because I liked the selection of courses they offered in my field. 

I enrolled onto the MSc programme in Multimedia Signal Processing and Communications, and I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It was well structured and had a balanced coverage of theory, tools and applications. In particular, I liked the modules on image processing and pattern recognition, and felt that these were areas in which I would like to pursue further research.

With this goal in mind, towards the end of my degree, I took up an MSc project on human face recognition in the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP), one of the UK’s leading research groups in the field of pattern recognition and computer vision. 

On successful completion of the MSc degree, I was accepted for a PhD programme at CVSSP, and was granted a scholarship for the entire duration of the programme. I found the PhD to be a way of not only acquiring in-depth knowledge of my field, but also learning to pursue independent research. I recently completed my PhD and am now a research fellow at CVSSP, enjoyably engaged in cutting-edge research in the area of image and video retrieval.

Graduate Profile: Ray Smith

MSc Signal Processing and Machine Intelligence

I took a first degree in physics and, during the course of this, discovered that I enjoyed the process of creating computer software. 

On graduating I embarked on a career in the computer manufacturing sector of industry where I was engaged in the development of system software. Whilst this was initially rewarding, I eventually found it to be insufficiently challenging and felt the need to work on more cutting-edge applications of the technology. I also wanted to make better use of my mathematical skills. 

The course in Signal Processing and Machine Intelligence at the University of Surrey was an ideal way to achieve these goals. It allowed me to gain knowledge about advanced machine learning algorithms together with their application to computer vision problems. From there I could have returned to industry to apply this knowledge, but chose instead to use the qualification as the springboard for an academic research career.

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - more

Multimedia Signal Processing Systems - apply

• MSc Multimedia Signal Processing and Communications - Full-time - starting Sep 2012
• MSc Multimedia Signal Processing and Communications - Part-time - starting Sep 2012
• MSc Multimedia Technology and Systems - Full-time - starting Sep 2012
• MSc Multimedia Technology and Systems - Part-time - starting Sep 2012
• MSc Signal Processing and Machine Intelligence - Full-time - starting Sep 2012
• MSc Signal Processing and Machine Intelligence - Part-time - starting Sep 2012