The mobile communications sector is experiencing phenomenal growth, creating exciting new opportunities for suitably qualified high-calibre engineers and scientists. Our course is designed for graduate engineers who are interested in joining this challenging and innovative sector of the telecommunications industry.

Mobile communication technology has come a long way in the last fifteen years. Presently, we are at the stage of second-generation (2G) mobile communication systems, epitomised by the Global System for Mobile Communications, widely known as GSM. 2G technology is based on digital communication networks, unlike the first-generation analogue cellular systems that paved the way in the mid-1980s. Incredibly, more than 750 million people worldwide own a mobile phone. In Europe, the take-up of mobile technology has been nothing short of spectacular, with UK penetration reaching more than 70% of the population.

To sustain such market growth, the mobile communications industry needs to operate in an innovative and technically challenging environment. Recent innovations have included the introduction of the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) phone, which enables access to Internet facilities whilst on the move and the derivatives of GSM, namely GPRS and EDGE which enable mobile data access to be achieved at data rates of above 100 kbit/s in certain environments.

We are now on the verge of the introduction of the next major evolutionary step in mobile communications technology, with the introduction of third-generation (3G) mobile networks. 3G technology will provide the platform for truly mobile multimedia access. In Europe, this system will be known as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, or UMTS for short. Globally, 3G systems will be known as International Mobile Telecommunications – 2000 (IMT- 2000), of which UMTS is a family member. IMT-2000 will, for the first time, provide a platform for cellular, cordless, satellite and wireless local loop technologies to operate under the same banner.

The exciting new developments in the mobile communications sector are creating exceptional career opportunities for the graduate engineer with the necessary skills. Our MSc course in Personal, Mobile and Satellite Communications (PMSC) is designed for graduate engineers who are interested in joining this challenging and innovative sector of the telecommunications industry.

• Instructors
  Dr R Abd-Alhameed
  Dr Roger Clarke
  Dr A Cunningham
  Dr Olly Downing
  Prof John Gardiner
  Dr Steve Jones
  Dr Darwin Liang
  Dr. McEuan
  Dr Jim Noras
  Miss Kirsty Pargeter
  Dr Haile Rajamani
  Prof Simon Shepherd
  Prof Ray Sheriff
  Mr Michael Warren
  Miss Roz Wyatt-Millington
  
  

• Semester 1
  Signals and Systems Theory
  Satellite Communications
  Digital Signal Processing
  Networks and Protocols
  Antennas Principles and Practice
  Research Seminar Series
  
  

• Semester 2
  Radio Transmission and Reception
  Digital Communication Systems
  Terminal Technologies
  Mobility and the Internet
  PGDip Project
  MSc Project