Networking & Data Communications / with Management Studies Masters (MSc)

Program Overview

This MSc program in Networking & Data Communications provides comprehensive knowledge and skills in designing, developing, and operating secure IP-based networks. It covers topics such as data communications, wireless networks, network security, and multimedia communications. Students can also combine this course with management studies to prepare for leadership roles in the industry. The program offers practical experience through hands-on labs and project work, ensuring graduates are industry-ready.

Program Outline

This course offers the knowledge and skills for designing, developing and operating secure IP-based networks. It offers practical skills in the specification, design, modelling and implementation of software and hardware. You will gain specialist knowledge of digital communications, multimedia communications, wireless networks and security issues. You can combine this course with management studies. The Management Studies pathway is ideal if you aspire to a management position in the industry.

• Provide knowledge, skills and a critical appreciation of the principles of data communications.
• Develop subject-related practical skills.
Students will be supported by our dedicated placement team in securing this opportunity.

Networking & Data Communications MSc

Core modules

• Data Communications (30 credits)
• Provides a working knowledge of data communications covering TCP/IP networks and digital communications.
• Topics include transport layer services, multiplexing, TCP congestion control, network layer – network service models, IP addressing and IP network design, routing principles, dynamic routing, digital transmission, modulation, multiplexing and channel coding.
• Compare computer network architectures.
• Define and calculate transmission performance over a communication link.
• Study and analyse characteristics of modulation methods.
• Wireless Communications and Networks (30 credits)
Characteristics and performance limits of wireless systems, techniques and tools to analyse them and methods for their design will also be covered. It will provide practical and useful knowledge that can be readily applied in the wireless industry.
• It covers the real-world, practical knowledge needed to understand, design, evaluate, deploy, test, validate and debug WLAN, WMAN and WPAN, as well as GPRS/ UMTS/ 3G and 4G and beyond networks and systems and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN).
Advanced technologies such as ultra-wideband communications and cognitive radio will also be addressed.
• It also covers Ethical and legal aspects of security and hence addresses the employability of the students in their future career.
• Finally, cutting-edge topics such as Web and Cloud security complete the picture.
• Multimedia Communications (30 credits)
• Project Dissertation (60 credits)
• Plan, manage and critically evaluate the project using the techniques and tools needed in order to bring it in successfully on time and within resourcing limits
• Identify and critically analyse real-world problems or knowledge gaps to which academic concepts and methods can be realistically applied to improve or resolve the problem situation
• Apply skills to show an ability to engage in academic and professional communication with others in their field through report and presentation
• Present critical awareness in applying appropriate legal, social or ethical obligations and when required, respond to the financial and other constraints of a corresponding business environment.

Networking & Data Communications with Management Studies MSc

Core modules

• Data Communications (30 credits)
• Provides a working knowledge of data communications covering TCP/IP networks and digital communications.
• Topics include transport layer services, multiplexing, TCP congestion control, network layer – network service models, IP addressing and IP network design, routing principles, dynamic routing, digital transmission, modulation, multiplexing and channel coding.
• Compare computer network architectures.
• Define and calculate transmission performance over a communication link.
• Study and analyse characteristics of modulation methods.
• Wireless Communications and Networks (30 credits)
Characteristics and performance limits of wireless systems, techniques and tools to analyse them and methods for their design will also be covered. It will provide practical and useful knowledge that can be readily applied in the wireless industry.
• It covers the real-world, practical knowledge needed to understand, design, evaluate, deploy, test, validate and debug WLAN, WMAN and WPAN, as well as GPRS/ UMTS/ 3G and 4G and beyond networks and systems and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN).
Advanced technologies such as ultra-wideband communications and cognitive radio will also be addressed.
• It also covers Ethical and legal aspects of security and hence addresses the employability of the students in their future career.
• Finally, cutting-edge topics such as Web and Cloud security complete the picture.
• Business in Practice (30 credits)
• Students will investigate business topics ranging from finance, accounting, budgeting, and marketing, to organisational management by developing the leadership skills to meet business challenges and to cope with their complexity.
• Project Dissertation (60 credits)
• Plan, manage and critically evaluate the project using the techniques and tools needed in order to bring it in successfully on time and within resourcing limits
• Identify and critically analyse real-world problems or knowledge gaps to which academic concepts and methods can be realistically applied to improve or resolve the problem situation
• Apply skills to show an ability to engage in academic and professional communication with others in their field through report and presentation
• Present critical awareness in applying appropriate legal, social or ethical obligations and when required, respond to the financial and other constraints of a corresponding business environment.

Assessment:

Assessment typically comprises exams (e.g. test or exam), practical (e.g. presentations, performance) and coursework (e.g. essays, reports, self-assessment, portfolios, dissertation).

Year 1 Core Pathway

• Coursework: 59%
• Exams: 40%
• Practical: 1%

Year 1 Management Pathway

• Coursework: 65%
• Exams: 30%
The School of Computer Science and Mathematics is driven by the philosophy of 'learning through making'; we focus strongly on facilitating a hands-on experience, student led and owned product portfolios and producing industry-ready graduates.

Careers:

Former students work in management, engineering and computing roles in companies such as British Telecom (BT), IBM, Spotify, Meta, Inify Labs, public organisations such as the NHS, Digital Catapult, Rail delivery group, work as IT managers or consultants, or have become academics in the UK or internationally.

Other:

• Laboratories include up-to-date computers, test Local Area Network (LAN) and several types of wireless networks and enterprise scale networking technologies, including equipment for testing Internet of Things communication and a mobile edge computing testbed.
• Access advanced software, both on campus and remotely.
• You will have the opportunity to take a one-year professional placement (on request).
• The Faculty has a specialist employability team.
It provides friendly and high-quality careers and recruitment guidance, including advice and sessions on job-seeking skills such as CV preparation, application forms and interview techniques. You will have access to a modern environment with the latest equipment, including:
• development software and tools, such as Linux, Microsoft.net, Dreamweaver MX, Flash 8, Eclipse, Java 2 Standard and Mobile Editions, tools for Motorola and Nokia phones, UML and CASE tools and NXP Processors Development Kits
• Digital Signal Processors (dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers)
• IP Set Top Box development environment (NXP's STB810)
• Electronics Laboratory
• a mix of wireless LAN technologies
• the learning resources centre, offering subject libraries, online database subscriptions and resource materials
• a postgraduate teaching suite
Invited speakers in the course are also often selected IET members. Students are encouraged to get involved in ACM activities.
• Kingston's research outputs often become part of international technical standards (e.g.
IEEE, ITU) and industry products. Students are encouraged to select their project topics in line with Kingston's ongoing research and as part of existing research projects and collaborations.
• Computing research activities are focused around two main research centres:
• Digital Information Research Centre – offering expertise in computer vision, medical imaging, visual surveillance, ambient intelligence, machine learning and computer graphics;
• In particular, research in the area of Networking and Data Communications is performed within the Wireless Multimedia and Networking (WMN) Research Group.
• How social media affects police operations
• Dimensionality issues in weighted differential entropy
• Link quality based routing framework for wireless sensor networks
• HTTP video streaming adaptation

Home 2025/26 MSc full time £11,400 MSc part time £6,270 International 2025/26 MSc full time £19,300 MSc part time £10,615 Home 2024/25 MSc full time £10,900 MSc part time £5,995 International 2024/25 MSc full time £18,500 MSc part time £10,175