How long is the MSc in Automation Systems?

The MSc in Automation Systems runs one year full-time or two years part-time at UK Level 7, closing with a dissertation or sponsor consulting project.

Can I study the MSc online?

Yes. The MSc in Automation Systems is delivered on-campus, fully online with provisioned simulation access and by distance learning, sharing the same cohort and named supervisor.

Is the MSc recognised in the UK?

The MSc in Automation Systems is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree aligned with InstMC, IET and IMechE competencies, giving credible senior-track evidence to UK employers.

What entry requirements apply?

You need a UK 2:2 Bachelor's in a relevant discipline, or five or more years of senior experience for admission by portfolio. International applicants need IELTS 6.5 overall.

What fees are payable?

Fees for the MSc in Automation Systems are on the LSCE course page and vary by mode. Admissions can confirm instalment options and current scholarship review.

MSc in Automation Systems | LSCE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MSc in Automation Systems is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree qualification running one year full-time or two years part-time, aligned with Royal Statistical Society professional standards and Institute of Analytics practitioner competencies. It is designed for senior engineers moving into research-informed automation and industrial-control practice across UK manufacturing, energy and utilities, closing with a dissertation or sponsor consulting project, and the curriculum is refreshed each year against UK sector expectations and the London data and AI ecosystem. Every module is written and marked to UK postgraduate standards, and the same intake cohort covers on-campus, fully online and distance-learning routes with weekly tutor visibility across every mode. Assessment briefings, taught sessions and tutor clinics run to a single teaching rhythm, and the MSc in Automation Systems schedule is published at the start of each intake so learners can plan around work, family and travel commitments.

By the closing weeks of the MSc in Automation Systems you will design senior-track automation architectures, integrate PLC, SCADA and MES systems and defend a dissertation in front of an academic panel, and be ready to step into senior, consulting or research-adjacent UK positions. The programme sits alongside the Alan Turing Institute, the UK AI Safety Institute and the fintech, medtech and public-service data teams that recruit heavily from London-based programmes, so the professional-body scene you are studying sits inside a short tube ride of the central London campus. Assessment blends taught coursework, applied artefacts and a closing dissertation or sponsor consulting project moderated to UK postgraduate standards, with a named programme tutor from induction through the closing submission. Every learner receives structured milestone feedback, one-to-one review sessions and an evidence-based portfolio review that maps directly onto UK employer expectations for the MSc in Automation Systems subject area.

Key Features

Modules on PLC, SCADA, MES and industrial IoT integration.
Applied projects using Siemens, Rockwell and industry-standard automation platforms.
Choice of research dissertation or sponsor consulting project.
Named dissertation supervisor and structured milestone reviews.
Coaching from working UK automation and control engineers.
Careers-service introductions to London and UK automation employers.
Curriculum aligned with IMechE, IET and InstMC senior competencies.

What You Will Learn

Handle functional safety across automation estates.
Design industrial IoT integration on brownfield and greenfield contexts.
Instrument automation estates with structured telemetry.
Apply research methodology to a piece of original automation work.
Defend a dissertation or consulting project in a formal viva.
Design senior-track automation architectures across manufacturing and process contexts.
Integrate PLC, SCADA and MES systems on a shared engineering backbone.
Apply IEC 61131 and IEC 61499 conventions at senior level.

Who This Course Is For

Experience-route applicants with five or more years of senior professional practice.
International applicants aligning senior experience with UK academic vocabulary.
Bachelor graduates progressing into senior automation roles.
Working automation engineers stepping into architectural authority.
Career changers with adjacent engineering degrees aligning automation skills at MSc level.

Career Pathways

Instrumentation Lead
Head of Automation (with progression)
Senior Automation Engineer
Control Systems Engineer
SCADA Architect
MES Consultant
Industrial Automation Lead

The LSCE careers service runs one-to-one interview support in the final stage and taps its UK contact book across manufacturing, energy and utilities employers to help place MSc graduates into senior UK automation roles. Alumni support continues after graduation through the LSCE careers network, so the MSc in Automation Systems remains a live credential in your career progression conversations for years after you finish.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to the MSc in Automation Systems are assessed on the balance of academic preparation, professional experience and stated intent to work in senior automation systems and industrial control. The requirements below are the standard published entry criteria, and admissions will confirm any credit-transfer, English-language or portfolio route in the first response.

A UK Bachelor's degree at 2:2 or above, or an international equivalent, in a discipline relevant to automation systems.
Applicants with five or more years of senior professional experience are considered for admission by portfolio.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Two references , normally academic; senior professional accepted for experience-route applicants.
A one-page personal statement setting out your dissertation or capstone interest in automation systems.

Why Study at LSCE

LSCE is the specialist computing and engineering division of Harold International College of London, teaching in small tutor-visible cohorts across every level of the ladder. The central London campus places the Alan Turing Institute at the British Library, the UK AI Safety Institute and the fintech and medtech data teams of the City within a short tube ride, so students learning on the MSc in Automation Systems can attend the same industry evenings, guest lectures and continuing professional development sessions that working practitioners attend. Partnerships with UK professional bodies, including the ones woven through the MSc in Automation Systems curriculum, mean the qualification carries weight with employers, and the syllabus is refreshed each year against professional-body guidance and the latest UK sector needs.

On-campus, fully online and distance-learning routes join the same intake cohort with weekly tutor visibility, so the postgraduate experience of the MSc in Automation Systems does not depend on which route you pick. Students routinely attend PyData London, London AI meetups, the Royal Statistical Society local groups and the BCS Data Management Specialist Group during their studies, and the LSCE careers service maintains a working contact book across UK employers, hosts industry-careers days and offers one-to-one application support during your final stage. Postgraduate learners on the LSCE ladder also access shared library, elective-module and student-society facilities through the wider Harold International College network subject to availability.

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