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Computer Science and Applied Maths
Computer Science The MSc by Coursework and Research Report in Computer Science offers advanced courses in specialised topics within Computer Science. The variety of topics on offer allows you to customise your curriculum to your interests.
Computer Science The MSc by Coursework and Research Report in Computer Science offers advanced courses in specialised topics within Computer Science. The variety of topics on offer allows you to customise your curriculum to your interests.

Qualification: MSc

Faculty: Science

Duration: 1 year

School: Computer Science and Applied Mathematics

Study mode: Full-time

Overview

Computer Science is fundamentally the science of problem solving. The discipline is best characterised as a search for general, efficient solutions to problems, which will most commonly be implemented as software. These problems can be real-world, tangible problems such as speech recognition, or abstract problems such as determining what types of problems can be solved with computers.

Principle domains within computer science include artificial intelligence, data science, robotics, database systems, human computer interaction, vision and graphics, formal languages, logic and the theory of computing.

Why study Computer Science?

The research report component of the programme requires you to conduct research under the guidance of a supervisor.  The topic that you will focus on will be formulated by you and your chosen supervisor. The wide variety of research interests in the school allows you to work on problems that you find interesting and which the broader community considers important.

Why study Computer Science at Wits?

Each topic is taught by a published researcher in the field, ensuring that the coursework is relevant and of a high standard. The primary value of any educational institution is the group of people that it places you with. The researchers which Wits affords you the opportunity to work with are leading figures in their respective fields. The students within the programme are drawn from both academic and industry backgrounds, and are a diverse group drawn from across the continent.

Software engineering, Machine Learning, Data Science, Academia, Robotics, Information Technology, Finance.

Applicants complete 6 courses and a research report.

Compulsory courses 

  • COMS7009A Research Report: Computer Science

Elective courses

  • COMS7041A Applications of Algorithms
  • COMS7044A Artificial Intelligence
  • COMS7045A High Performance Computing and Scientific Data Management
  • COMS7047A Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning
  • COMS7048A Multi-agent Systems
  • COMS7049A Robotics
  • COMS7050A Computer Vision
  • COMS7054A Human Computer Interaction
  • COMS7053A Special Topics in Computer Science
  • COMS7238A Advanced Digital Image Processing

Applicants are required to have a Bachelor of Science with Honours degree from a relevant discipline in Science (Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics) or a relevant NQF level 8 qualification or a relevant Professional Engineering Degree with demonstrable knowledge of basic principles of Algorithms, Computing, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics.

Applicants require a minimum average of 65 percent.

This is a highly competitive programme and therefore this minimum requirement allows your application to be considered and does not guarantee admission.

Programme CodeProgramme TitlePlan DescriptionSA Cutoff DateInternational Cutoff Date
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Interdisciplinary Global Change Studies 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Resource Conservation Biology 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Chemistry 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Chemistry 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Chemistry 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Computational and Applied Mathematics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Mathematical Sciences 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Artificial Intelligence 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Computer Science 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Data Science 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) eScience 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Robotics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Computational and Applied Mathematics 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Computer Science 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Big Data Analytics 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Computational and Applied Mathematics 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Computer Science 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Mathematical Sciences 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Computational and Applied Mathematics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Computer Science 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Archaeological Heritage Management 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Archaeology 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Geography 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Archaeology 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Economic Geology 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Hydrogeology 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Geology, Palaentology and Geophysics 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Geochemistry 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Geology 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Geophysics 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Palaeontology 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Palaeontology and Geology 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Geology 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Geophysics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Palaeontology 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Mathematics 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Mathematics 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Mathematics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Molecular and Cell Biology 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Applied Bioinformatics 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Biochemistry and Cell Biology 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Genetics and Developmental Biology 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Microbiology and Biotechnology 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Molecular and Cell Biology 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Medical Physics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Radiation Protection 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Physics 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Physics 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Physics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SCA00 Master of Science (Coursework and Research Report) Mathematical Statistics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SDA00 Doctor of Philosophy Statistics and Actuarial Science 31/12/2022 31/12/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Actuarial Science 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SHA00 Bachelor of Science Honours Mathematical Statistics 30/11/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Actuarial Science 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
SRA00 Master of Science (Dissertation) Statistics 31/12/2022 30/11/2022
  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.