Master's Artificial Intelligence: Edinburgh or Imperial?

Hello there,

I have one question -- I am very interested in AI and Robotics and I am about to start a MSc degree either in Edinburgh or Imperial. At Edinburgh this would be a MSc in Artificial Intelligence with the Intelligent Robotics specialism. At Imperial a MSc in Advanced Computing. I would really need some help to decide what to do. I plan to do a PhD afterwards, either in the US or in the UK where I would really like to look into Robotics and AI. Which of the programmes would offer a better foundation fo that or would be internationally more acclaimed for the field of study (AI/Robotics) I want to pursue? Or to rephrase my question: does Imperial's general good CS/Science reputation outweigh the AI/Robotics advantage that Edinburgh may have? Where would you go in my case? Any comment would be great, I'm kinda stuck... thanks!! =)

Reply 1

shiny

12

It has to be Edinburgh. Imperial's record in AI/Robotics is not as impresive.

Reply 2

Barny

17

I say go for a different degree, even AI specialists say that AI isnt exactly possible in the way that most people think it is..

Reply 3

Leekey

9

Based on my aversion to going to London for uni I would go to Edin. I don't think it really matters too much though, they are both great uni's and a degree from either isnt exactly going to hold you back in any way. The idea that a potential employer is going to care which one you studied at is a little far fetched (it assumes too much work / research on the part of the employer :wink:

). As long as you achieve a good degree result (and are actually good at what your chosen profession requires) from a good uni then you are in the clear. I would simply pick the one that appeals to me as a place if you can't pick between courses. :smile:

Reply 4

mitchubus

OP

But I hear some people say: "Man, you got accepted at Imperial. Why do you even think about going somewhere else now?" Since I want to continue with a PhD and therefore need some research experience during the 1yr master's degree -- where do you think I would have better chances to get into interesting research projects in AI/Robotics? I mean, the Edinburgh MSc has a 6month thesis, for example, which sounds interesting. I'm not yet totally familiar with the Imperial course structure but do you think it would be harder to get into research projects in AI there? For me it's all about AI now, you see =), that's why I'm moved between Imperial's general good reputation and Edinburgh's good/better reputation in AI. I need some more help here =) Thanks!!

Reply 5

Leekey

9

mitchubus

But I hear some people say: "Man, you got accepted at Imperial. Why do you even think about going somewhere else now?" Since I want to continue with a PhD and therefore need some research experience during the 1yr master's degree -- where do you think I would have better chances to get into interesting research projects in AI/Robotics? I mean, the Edinburgh MSc has a 6month thesis, for example, which sounds interesting. I'm not yet totally familiar with the Imperial course structure but do you think it would be harder to get into research projects in AI there? For me it's all about AI now, you see =), that's why I'm moved between Imperial's general good reputation and Edinburgh's good/better reputation in AI. I need some more help here =) Thanks!!

If you are sure that your interest lies solely in A.I. then there is only MIT that can better Edin in that area of computing (pure and simple). I was just suggesting that you might want to consider more than just the reputation of the department when your going to pick somewhere to study for 4/5 years. :smile:

I don't think that IC would any better of worse that Edin if were only considering it on the basis of CS, the courses are VERY different. In truth though if A.I. is your passion then Edin would be the obvious choice (assuming you actually like the uni). :smile:

Reply 6

mitchubus

OP

Thanks a ton for your help. Actually, for me the MSc degree is that 1yr only cause I already did my BSc degree (I'm an international student). During my BSc I found that I want to specialise in AI/Robotics... just an addon to my original post if that matters at all. Thanks again for ur help!

Oh just out of interest: how do u think are the CS courses different at IC as compared to Edinburgh? I was just wondering =) Thanks!

Reply 7

Leekey

9

mitchubus

Thanks a ton for your help. Actually, for me the MSc degree is that 1yr only cause I already did my BSc degree (I'm an international student). During my BSc I found that I want to specialise in AI/Robotics... just an addon to my original post if that matters at all. Thanks again for ur help!

Oh just out of interest: how do u think are the CS courses different at IC as compared to Edinburgh? I was just wondering =) Thanks!

I really like the Edin course (almost drew me away from Notts) because it allows for soooo much specialism in the fields which you want (for me it would have been s/w eng and electronics) and while the maths component is strong, it is nowhere near as prominent as IC's course. You should take a look at the module breakdown and options for more detail. :smile:

Reply 8

tommyboy

1

mitchubus

Thanks a ton for your help. Actually, for me the MSc degree is that 1yr only cause I already did my BSc degree (I'm an international student).

The argument still holds true though if you really want to do a PhD - once you're at a university that's well-known for what you want to study and once you know the staff in the department there you may very well want to stay at the same university to do your PhD. Therefore, you should still be confident that you would like to stay there for three or four years.

Reply 9

Leekey

9

tommyboy

The argument still holds true though if you really want to do a PhD - once you're at a university that's well-known for what you want to study and once you know the staff in the department there you may very well want to stay at the same university to do your PhD. Therefore, you should still be confident that you would like to stay there for three or four years.