Master of Science by Coursework in Advanced Computer Science

1. The Divisional Board of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences, in consultation with the Faculty of Computer Science, shall elect for the supervision of the course an Organising Committee which shall have power to arrange lectures and other instruction.

2. Candidates must follow a course of instruction in Computer Science for at least three terms and a substantial part of the three subsequent vacations, as determined by the course timetable.

3. The examination shall be in three parts, as follows:

• (i) Candidates shall be assessed on six courses, including at most two from Schedule I and at least four from Schedule II, as specified in the Course Handbook. The list of courses will be published on the website of the Department of Computer Science, by the beginning of Michaelmas Full Term. The mode of assessment shall be as detailed in the Course Handbook.

• (ii) Candidates shall submit a dissertation of not more than 30,000 words, plus not more than 30 pages of diagrams, tables, listing etc., and (where applicable) the source code, on a subject selected by the candidate in consultation with the supervisor and approved by the director of the course. The associated source code is neither included in the word count nor the 30-page limit of additional material.

• (iii) There shall be an examination viva voce, unless the candidate shall have been individually dispensed by the examiners, on the dissertation and on any of the topics for which the candidate has submitted a written assignment or written examination, to take place in week minus 1 of Michaelmas Term of the following academic year. The exact date will be given in the Course Handbook.

4. Every candidate must submit to the director of the course no later than the first Monday in Trinity Full Term the title and a brief statement of the form and scope of his or her dissertation, together with an essay of not more than 3,000 words, describing the background of the project, its objectives and its plan of work. The submission must be approved by the person who has agreed to act as supervisor during the preparation of the dissertation.

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate in their dissertation an understanding of the topics studied in the course.

5. An electronic copy of the dissertation and, where applicable, associated source code, must be submitted as specified in the Course Handbook by not later than the date given in the Course Handbook.

6. No candidate is permitted to choose any topics which substantially overlap the candidate's undergraduate degree or other recent academic study. Candidates are allowed to take examinations in a maximum of four courses per term. 

7. For each topic, the lecturer on the course of instruction shall prescribe a schedule of practical work, tutorial exercises and a written assignment or written examination, and shall make available to the Chair of Examiners evidence showing the extent to which each candidate has pursued an adequate course of practical and class work.

8. By not later than noon on the date given in the Course Handbook, practicals for all topics must be submitted as described in the Course Handbook.

9. No candidate shall attend classes or receive any form of individual tuition in the subject of an assignment between the time when the assignment is made available to the candidate and the time fixed for the delivery of the assignment to the examiners.

10. If a candidate receives a failing mark for any of the summative assessments, they may retake the assessment (or equivalent) in the year following the initial attempt as set out in the Examination Conventions.