MRes in Visual Computing

Visual Computing MRes Admissions Tutor

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How To Apply

1. Fewer Tests: The MRes degree requires fewer taught modules, overall, than a regular (taught) MSc. degree. Therefore, there are fewer tests to write.
2. Interesting Projects: Because there are fewer taught modules, students are given the opportunity to devote more time and effort to a scientific project tailored to their interests. There are many different project opportunities available.
3. Great Modules: The MRes program allows students to take more advanced courses/modules that they normally don't have access to such as Advanced Programming APIs etc.
4. Great Research: Students learn how to undertake specialized, scientific research in visual computing. This is a perfect way to test the waters so-to-speak in order to find out if they're interested in a PhD afterwards.
5. Funding: There are often funding opportunities in the form of Bursaries for MRes students.
6. A Place to Work: MRes students become candidates for a desk on the fourth floor of Faraday Tower. This gives them the opportunity to network and interact with other MRes students as well as learn from the postgraduate students. For some students, this is the first time they've ever had their own work space.
7. Great Events: MRes students participate in The Visible Lunch, amongst other things.
8. Fame: A very successful MRes degree project can lead to publication opportunities. Just speak to MRes success story Edward Grundy for more on this topic. Ed Grundy submitted his MRes project as a research paper to the EuroVis 2009 conference. He won an all expenses paid trip to Berlin, Germany to present his findings to a world-wide audience. He then took home the Best Paper Award at EuroVis 2009! Ed will be featured the hall of fame in our department.
9. Great Team: The Visual and Interactive Computing Group in the Computer Science Department at Swansea University provides a lot of support, energy, and enthusiasm for your research. We have won best paper awards at both EuroVis 2008 and EuroVis 2009 conferences.
10. Higher Pay: Students with a masters degree generally receive higher pay when starting new employment than those without this qualification.

A brochure containing more detailed information about the MRes in Visual Computing degree can be found here.

The MRes in Visual Computing Degree consists of the following modules (180 credits are needed):

Edward Grundy-a former MRes in Visual Computing student, Mark W. Jones, Robert S. Laramee, Rory P. Wilson, and Emily L. C. Shepard received the Best Paper Award at the EuroVis 2009 Conference, June 10 - 12, 2009 in Berlin, Germany for the paper Visualisation of Sensor Data from Animal Movement, published in Computer Graphics Forum (CGF), Vol. 28, No. 3, 2009 pages 815-822. A total of 143 submissions were reviewed in a two-stage process that culminated with 41 papers accepted for an acceptance rate of 29%.

The best paper selection criteria are based on: (1) paper relevance, novelty and contribution to the field of visualization, (2) technical soundness and paper clarity, (3) usefulness of the results, and (4) quality and clarity of the paper presentation at the symposium. This work develops visualization techniques that help biologists understand the movement and behavior patterns of aquatic (deep sea) wildlife. Of particular importance are the methods that provide greater understanding of an animal's energy expenditure patterns and habits. The visualization techniques here are used by biologists with a special interest on preventing the extinction of endangered wildlife species. This work features a combination of spherical scatterplots and histograms, clustering methods and state diagrams, expressive visualization solutions that identify characteristic animal behaviours, and a tight collaboration with domain scientists. The work is even featured in the popular magazine, New Scientist. The results are also featured on a popular visualization news web site. See the EuroVis 2009 Conference Report for more information.