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Next Date: September 2026
Our flagship MInf degree is an integrated programme that earns you a Masters level qualification over five years.
You will gain a range of experience across all areas of informatics and be able to study your chosen specialist area in-depth at Masters level.
Areas of study
Years 1, 2 and 3 are similar to our BSc and BEng programmes and provide a firm foundation for advanced study in informatics. You will cover a diverse range of topics, including the areas of:
- computer science
- artificial intelligence
- cognitive science
Plus computational links to:
- linguistics
- neuroscience
- psychology
- biology
Years 4 and 5 will consist of specialised course choices and a personal project.
In Year 5, you will be able to access a wide range of Masters-level courses delivered by leaders in their fields.
Is this degree for me?
You do not need to have taken Computer Science or learned programming as all students are taught computation from a common starting point. You need to have taken mathematics, as enthusiasm for mathematics is key to being successful in our programmes.
Second year entry is not available.
Programme benefits
- Tailor your experience to your interests and be in control of your learning: choose from a wide range of courses, from the theoretical to those that let you apply what you learn.
- Gain a degree that opens doors in most industries: our graduates are in high demand not only within the growing technology sector but across a wide range of organisations where Informatics graduates are highly valued.
- Benefit from research-driven teaching by internationally leading academics.
- Take advantage of our strong links to industry with local, national and global contacts. Student societies based in our School host industry events, monthly student tech meetups, regular workshops and hackathons.
- Study in Edinburgh, a city regularly voted among the UK's top student cities (Top 2 in the UK, QS Best Student Cities 2024).
- We are the largest Informatics department in Europe. You will be part of a large, vibrant community of students and staff from over 100 countries.
Our graduates have excellent career prospects in the IT industry and beyond. We have a great reputation with local, national and global industry connections and contacts.
Our graduates are typically recruited to a wide variety of jobs, with popular roles including:
- software engineer
- hardware engineer
- app developer
- web developer
- programmer
Graduates increasingly work as data analysts, data scientists or business analysts in the financial sector.
Start-ups and spinouts
The University of Edinburgh has a long track record of start-up companies and innovations, including key players in the industry set up by Informatics alumni:
- FanDuel, a ⿿unicorn⿿ company
- Robotical
- PlayerData
- Speech Graphics
- RISE Nutrition
- Carbon Glance
- Predictiva
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To apply for this programme and be considered for an offer, you will need:
- academic qualifications (for example, from school or college)
- evidence of your English language ability (for example, from school or an English language test)
A levels: standard entry requirements
These are the standard A level entry requirements for this programme.
To view the minimum A level entry requirements we set for widening access Plus Flag applicants, select 'A levels: widening access requirements' from the dropdown.
You can find out more about our minimum requirements, and check whether you are eligible to be considered for a widening access Plus Flag offer, by visiting our widening access offers page.
The A level grades you need to be considered for an offer
These are the range of grades most applicants needed to receive an offer in recent years:
- from A*A*A* to AAB in one set of exams
Required subjects
The grades you use to meet our entry requirements must include the following at A level:
- Mathematics at A
Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry.
Your other A levels can be in any other subject, except the few subjects we do not accept.
GCSEs required
You must also have the following at GCSE:
- English at C or 4
Apply for partial scholarships
Our graduates have excellent career prospects in the IT industry and beyond. We have a great reputation with local, national and global industry connections and contacts.
Our graduates are typically recruited to a wide variety of jobs, with popular roles including:
- software engineer
- hardware engineer
- app developer
- web developer
- programmer
Graduates increasingly work as data analysts, data scientists or business analysts in the financial sector.
Start-ups and spinouts
The University of Edinburgh has a long track record of start-up companies and innovations, including key players in the industry set up by Informatics alumni:
- FanDuel, a ⿿unicorn⿿ company
- Robotical
- PlayerData
- Speech Graphics
- RISE Nutrition
- Carbon Glance
- Predictiva
What you will study
All of our programmes start with a common core of mathematics courses and informatics courses, with increasing choices for specialisation in later years depending on your interests.
Each year you will have 120 credits worth of courses spread across two semesters. Some of these credits will go toward compulsory courses and the remaining will go toward option courses. Option courses may be in schools outside the School of Informatics.
Curriculum renewal
We are undertaking an ongoing curriculum renewal, which may result in changes to this degree programme.
This renewal makes sure we equip you for an exciting career in the ever-changing world of computer science.
The information provided reflects the current structure and content of our programmes and courses, and may change in future years based on the needs of the School and its students.
Flexibility
Most Informatics students take the same, or compatible, compulsory courses in their early years. Therefore, you can normally switch between programmes offered by the School of Informatics after Year 1, and sometimes in later years. It is more complicated, and often not possible, to transfer from a degree in other schools.
Year 1
You will be introduced to basic principles of programming and computation.
What you will study:
- how information can be represented and processed in computer systems
- computer programming
- how to solve problems using computer programs
This year also includes mathematics courses necessary for all areas of informatics. Together, these form the foundations for more in-depth study of computation in future years.
You can also choose option courses from various schools across the University.
Find courses
The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.
You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.
Year 2
You will build on Year 1, covering more advanced programming and data structures with the related mathematics, and broader professional and societal issues.
You will develop a greater understanding of:
- software development
- decision making
- foundations of data science
- algorithms and data structures
- the internals of computers and/or computer systems
- the professional, social and ethical context of computing
Find courses
The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.
You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.
Year 3
Your studies will become more focused and you will have more choice in selecting specialised courses. We offer a range of options across all areas of informatics.
Your coursework assignments will usually provide you with experience in:
- practical work
- independent problem solving
- group work
Your exact curriculum depends on your chosen courses. Year 3 courses cover a range of exciting topics, including:
- robotics
- computer security
- machine learning and AI
- computer systems and networks
- software engineering
- algorithms
Find courses
The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.
You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.
Year 4
You will continue to study informatics courses that match your interests and will undertake a substantial independent project. Some students develop this project further in Year 5.
You may also choose one course from a different subject.
Find courses
The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.
You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.
Year 5
Similar to Year 4, you will take further advanced courses, increasing the depth and breadth of your knowledge.
You can continue to develop your project from Year 4 or take the option of additional project-based courses (note that our curriculum is under review and this option may change in the future).
Find courses
The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.
You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.
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