More Information

For further enquiries about the MSc in Artificial Intelligence, email:
doc-mscadmissions@imperial.ac.uk

The MSc Artificial Intelligence is a taught postgraduate course aimed at graduates in disciplines with a large mathematics component.  These include, but are not limited to: mathematics; physics; some types of engineering; or mathematical economics.  To apply, it is not necessary to have studied computer science previously.

The programme includes specialised, intensive training in programming and AI, with a wide choice of elective modules, a group project and a large individual project.  There are opportunities to do both the group and individual projects with leading companies working on applications of AI.

The course will enable graduates to acquire the mathematical skills for understanding and implementing modern statistical machine learning methods, to master the logical foundations of AI, to become well-versed in a variety of current AI and machine learning techniques and develop insight into problems involved in their application, to develop the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of particular implementations, to develop the ability to deal with real-world data and scenarios, and to apply and adjust techniques to realistic applications.  Through an intensive module on Python programming with a focus on AI applications, and the use of Python in other modules on machine learning, the degree will also enable students to graduate as skilled AI programmers.

If you have further questions regarding the degree which are not answered here or elsewhere on the website, please contact the admissions team for the MSc in Artificial Intelligence at doc-mscadmissions@imperial.ac.uk.

Graduate destinations

The MSc Artificial Intelligence prepares you for both a career in industry, and a PhD in AI and machine learning.

Our graduates have moved into a wide variety of positions in industry—whether in London's vibrant AI and ML economy, or further afield.  MSc Artificial Intelligence students have gone on to work at companies or institutions such as Amazon, Google, Wayve, the Alan Turing Institute, Huawei, InstaDeep, the UK government—as well as joining AI-focused startups in areas such autonomous driving, AI in healthcare, AI in finance, computer vision, AI in space, applied reinforcement learning.  MSc AI students have also founded their own successful startups, attracting funding through YCombinator and CreatorFund.  The introduction of our internship programme to the MSc Artificial Intelligence—see below for more about this—will also gives those students following it a wealth of industrial experience while on the MSc itself.

The degree is also a suitable preparation for PhD studies.  Previous MSc Artificial Intelligence students have progressed to a PhD at world-leading universities, including Imperial College, Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, LSE, and Columbia.  The combination of in-depth training in fundamental methods of modern AI and machine learning, acquired in the various taught modules, with the possibility of an individual research project with world-leading academics, offers rigorous training in AI as a scientific discipline.

Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Computing

A student with Professor Murray ShanahanThe Department of Computing at Imperial College London has active research groups in Artificial IntelligenceData Science, and Visual Computing. Many other groups and members of our research staff also work on theory, methods and applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and there are many collaborations with other departments at Imperial, as well as with industry.

We also house dedicated research centres, including the Dyson Robotics Lab, the Data Science Institute, the Centre for Integrative Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, the Hamlyn Centre for Medical Image Computing and Robotics, and more. Also, see the Imperial AI network for coordinated AI activity and collaboration throughout the college.

Graduates of the department with a focus on AI have gone on to work in the AI sections of such leading companies as DeepMind, Facebook, Google, and Twitter; many also progress to PhD research at Imperial and elsewhere. A graduate of the department recently had an AI company he co-founded valued at $1 billion, and two other graduates sold their AI startup to Twitter for $150 million.

Throughout the year, leading companies visit the department to give presentations on the Applications of Computing in Industry.  Many of these are on AI, and are a great opportunity to learn about the relevance and application of what you are studying, and speak directly with people working on industrial applications.  We also have dedicated extracurricular tutorials on Machine Learning from guest lecturers, and a seminar series on Applications of AI which has included talks on subjects ranging from state-of-the combinations of machine learning with symbolic AI, to the ethical implications of using AI to extend human cognition.

Applying

Applicants for this degree must possess a degree in mathematics, physics, or branches of engineering, economics or other disciplines with a substantial mathematics content.  See MSc AI detailed entry requirements for more details.

Applications for October 2024 entry are open; the deadline is 31st July, 2024.  However, please be advised that we reserve the right to close applications before this date if sufficient offers have been made.  We therefore strongly recommend applying sooner rather than later.

You can apply for the MSc in Artificial Intelligence here.

Degree structure

Queens TowerThe MSc in Artificial Intelligence consists of six compulsory modules (inculding the individual project or internship) and five chosen modules.  For the chosen modules, students select at least four from the list of selective modules, at most one from the list of optional modules, summing to five in total.  The group project mostly runs in the spring term; the individual project or internship runs over the summer.

Individual project or internship

From mid-May to mid-September, you work on the Individual Project.  This gives the opportunity to work on a larger, in-depth project—putting into practice the knowledge, programming techniques, and other skills that have been taught throughout the degree.

The Individual Project can be done in two ways, either:

  1.  as an individual research project, based at Imperial College; or
  2.  as an internship, based in industry or at a research institution (including Imperial).

In the first case, (1), supervision is led by an academic in the Department of Computing, or by a member of staff in another department at Imperial College.  There may be significant industrial involvement, and these projects can range from embracing applications of AI and machine learning in industry, to cutting-edge research, whether theoretical or more practically applied.  You work closely with experienced researchers, on scientifically and industrially important problems.

In the second case, (2), the internship is supervised by the industrial partner or research institution.  In order to secure an internship, students must pass through screening held by the internship supervisor.  You are based within the company or research institution.  These internships can be research-focused, or devoted to applications of existing and recent techniques in AI and machine learning.  The company you work with can be in a wide variety of spaces—bringing AI to healthcare, finance, engineering, etc., and using techniques in vision, NLP, deep learning, reinforcement learning, on real-world data and problems.

The internship is an excellent way of getting in-depth industrial experience as part of your degree.  It is a new feature of our MSc in Artificial Intelligence—one which is being enthusiastically welcomed by our existing industrial partners, by industrial partners who have a history of employing our graduates, and by new start-ups in AI eager to work with our students.

Module list

Please note that the following list of modules offered may be subject to change.  Click on a module name to be taken to a detailed syllabus for the module.

Scholarships

Scholarships for MSc degrees in the department can be searched for using the Imperial Scholarships Search Tool.

DeepMind scholarships

The department is the recipient of four generous MSc scholarships from DeepMind, available to those taking up an offer of a place on the MSc in AI (as well as on the MSc Computing (AI+ML) and the MRes in AI and ML).  Two scholarships are for students whose fee-status is home; and two are for overseas students.

The scholarships cover: full payment of tuition fees; a stipend for living expenses of £21,241; an equipment grant of £1,700; a travel grant of £2,200 for attendance at conferences.  In addition, the recipients of the overseas scholarships may qualify for a relocation allowance to help offset the costs of moving to the UK for their studies.

DeepMind scholars also receive invaluable guidance from personal mentors within DeepMind, and attend educational and career events organised by DeepMind.  Within the Department of Computing, we also put current DeepMind scholars in touch with the network of previous recipients.

To apply, a candidate must hold an offer for admission on a relevant degree by 31st May 2024. Eligible candidates are the contacted automatically and given an application form.  For more details see our page on the DeepMind scholarships.

Women in Computing scholarship

The department has available one scholarship for a home-fees candidate identifying as female, who will study a one-year MSc degree.  To apply, a candidate must hold an offer for admission on one of our MSc degrees by 31st May 2024. The total value of the award is £32,785.  For further details, please use the Imperial Scholarships Search Tool.

Student profiles

Student Profiles