About Distributed And Networked Systems Msc in Royal Holloway, University of London

The course

The digital revolution is increasing the power, scope and importance of computer systems at a rapid pace. Software-enabled systems are everywhere, with Distributed and Networked Systems underpinning the economy, society and infrastructure. Study Distributed and Networked Systems at Royal Holloway and you’ll gain detailed knowledge and of the principles, methods and techniques required for developing systems including sensor and actuator networks, cyber-physical systems, patient-centred healthcare and disaster recovery systems.

This course is aimed at graduates who already have a background in computer science or engineering and who wish to acquire the depth of knowledge and the skills required to help design, deploy and use the technologies through which systems can operate in networks and in a distributed way. You will be able to tailor your degree according to your interests, with optional modules available in cybersecurity, large-scale data storage and processing, and artificial intelligence.

Skills that you will acquire include the ability to:

• analyse complex distributed systems in terms of their performance, reliability, and correctness
• design and implement middleware services for reliable communication in unreliable networks
• design and implement reliable data communication and storage solutions for wireless, sensor, and ad-hoc networks
• work with open source and cloud tools for scalable data storage (DynamoDB) and coordination (Zookeeper)
• design custom-built application-driven networking topologies
• work with modern network management technologies (Software-Defined Networking) and standards (OpenFlow)
• work with relational databases (SQL), NoSQL databases (MongoDb), as well as with Hadoop/Pig scripting
• work with low-power wireless and mesh networking standards and technologies, such as IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee and XBee
• work with state-of-the-art microcontroller devices and kits, such as Arduino and Tessel, and miniature computing technologies, such as RaspberryPi

You will be taught by world-leading academics. We carry out research in all aspects of distributed computing and systems – including design and analysis of algorithms, large-scale and cloud-based systems, fault-tolerance, distributed storage, cloud computing, peer-to-peer, concurrency control, and multi-core computing – and in artificial intelligence, including cognitive and autonomous agents, automated planning, scheduling and domain-independent search control, and applications in surveillance operations, disaster response missions, space operations.

The skills you’ll develop as a student of Distributed and Networked Systems will make you a highly employable candidate in a number of different fields. You’ll graduate in a strong position to progress to PhD study, while Royal Holloway’s proximity to the M4 corridor – also known as ‘England’s Silicon Valley’ – offers excellent opportunities to enjoy a rewarding year in industry with one of the country's top tech organisations.

• Benefit from strong industry ties, with close proximity to ‘England’s Silicon Valley’.
• Graduate with a Master's degree with excellent graduate employability prospects.
• Tailor your learning with a wide range of engaging optional modules.

Your future career

Graduates in Distributed and Networked Systems with a Year in Industry at Royal Holloway can expect excellent employability prospects in a variety of expanding fields. You’ll gain a desirable Masters qualification from a highly-regarded department, and develop a range of transferable skills to take into the workplace.

You’ll develop a range of highly sought-after transferable skills, while our proximity to the M4 corridor technology hub – also known as ‘England’s Silicon Valley’ – will provide you with excellent placement and networking opportunities to pave the way for a rewarding future career. Our recent graduates have gone on to enjoy roles at organisations such as British Aerospace, Microsoft, Amazon, and American Express.

• Strong industry ties help to provide placement and networking opportunities with some of the country’s leading institutions.
• Together with our on-site Careers and Employability Service, we run one-to-one coaching sessions and workshops, helping you to find a placement or job and lead a successful career.

Academic qualification equivalents

• Bachelor degree with 60% to 65% overall or a CGPA of 6.0 to 6.5 out of 10 overall depending on the institution.

English language requirements (one of the below):

• IELTS   : 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 5.5.
• PTE     : 61 overall. Writing 54. No subscore lower than 51.

Royal Holloway, University of London Highlights

The cost of attendance for international students for 2020-21 sessions is tabulated below:Royal Holloway, University of London The Average Tuition Fees And Other Expenses

The tuition fee for undergraduate and graduate students varies from program to program. Some programs and respective tuition fee are tabulated below:

Undergraduate programs

Graduate programs