Cranfield University

MSc Computational & Software Techniques in Engineering

Dr. Mark StillwellLecturer, MSc option leader

MSc Computational & Software Techniques in Engineering

• With specialist options in

• Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)– “using software to produce and evaluate engineering solutions”

• Digital Signal and Image Processing (DSIP)– “processing signals / images to extract information”

• Software Engineering for Technical Computing (SETC)– “parallel architectures for quality software”

• Distributed Computing and e-Science (DceS)– “technologies for the business and research infrastructure of tomorrow”

How?

• Lectures

• Practical lab-based training

• Group project

• Individual thesis projects

Distributed Computing

• Large scale computing platforms• Clusters• Supercomputers• Cloud Computing environments

Build applications to solve • complex engineering problems

• Using MPI to create distributed applications

• Traditional ‘supercomputer’ application development

Cloud Computing

• Learn to build and manage Cloud based applications• New programming environments and techniques• Commercial and scientific applications

• Range of programming disciplines needed • Low and high level application development• Distributed computing and communications• Shell scripting, systems programming & security• Virtualisation

MSc Course Structure

Software Engineering modules:

Advanced Software EngineeringSmall Scale Parallel ProgrammingHigh Performance Tech. Comp.Applications in HPCComputing Cluster ManagementCloud Computing

• Core modules:– Software Development (C++) & Engineering

– Advanced Graphics & Visualisation

– Computational Methods

– Management for Technology

• Options :

• Emphasis – developing practical engineering skills for industry

Signal / Image modules:

Signal AnalysisDigital Signal ProcessingImage ProcessingImage AnalysisApplications of Computer VisionMachine Learning

MSc Thesis Project

• MSc = 50% taught modules + 50% thesis project– thesis project can be industry sponsored, industry supported, contract

research or pure research related

• Past company sponsors includeIn UK: In France:

Sony Turbomeca

Honda Research Dassault Systemes

Delcam Alstom

GKN Technology Renault Trucks

FKI Logistex EADS Astrium

AspenTech Cap Gemini

BAe Systems Snecma Moteurs

Asystem Airbus

Excelian Eurocopter

Thesis ProjectsExamples

• Multi-threaded / stream computing applications• GPGPU implementations - Poisson, N-body, etc• Optimising computational algorithms for GPU/threaded

applications• Search, sort, heuristics

• Distributed Computing• Cloud based applications (AppEngine, AWS)• MPI hybrid implementations

• Static Analysis & Testing• Test Automation & Fault Diagnosis• Source code visualisation• Code coverage analysis & Software testability• Stress testing applications in virtualised• environment

Graduate Employment

• Employment prospects are very good• Cranfield : 93% of students within 6 months

– demand for software engineers strong

• MSc provides many transferable skills– software development, project management (thesis), presenting

skills, engineering design, technical writing, …..

• Past students currently employed with:– BAe Systems Nortel Networks Logica

– EDS Unigraphics Oracle Consulting ….

– Sony Lucent Technologies Cap Gemini

– Matra Datavision Flow3D Delcam

– Earth Observaion Sciences GKN Technology

An recent employer’s view .....

• “Recent graduates were considered to be highly competitive during interview selection due to their keen knowledge and application in meeting the environmental challenges that business and industry face today.”

– Katherine Hyde of the Taylor Woodrow Group

on Cranfield University Graduates