Computer Science - Augmented & Virtual Reality

Course Overview

The course equips students with the theoretical and practical knowledge to enable them to participate in the design and development of technology underpinning the interactive entertainment industries, including the fast-moving video game market, the metaverse and the wider industries of new media and communication. The course is designed and taught by staff who are leading experts in their fields, and the course content is inspired by their cutting-edge work as well as their contacts with leading industry researchers around the globe.



Is This Course For Me?

This one-year, full-time programme is designed for graduates from a computing or closely related undergraduate background. Applications are encouraged for candidates from a science, maths or engineering background with some previous experience in computer programming. Candidates may be required to provide evidence of their computing skills and programming experience.



Career Opportunities

We expect graduates to be in high demand for research and development positions within leading multinational companies and start-ups alike. Previous graduates from our M.Sc. programmes have gone on to work for games or visual effects companies, whilst many others work in broader areas involving computer vision, computer graphics or interactive digital applications. Companies where our alumni have taken up employment include: NVIDIA, Unity Technologies, Huawei, Volograms, The Foundry and Tencent Games. In some cases, our graduates have gone on to further postgraduate research, taking up funded Ph.D. positions at Trinity or other universities in Ireland and abroad.



Course Structure

The full M.Sc. programme, comprising 90 ECTS credits, takes one full calendar year to complete and leads to the qualification of M.Sc. in Computer Science – Augmented and Virtual Reality, a Level 9 award according to the Irish National Framework for Qualifications (NFQ).



Between September and April, students attend two 12-week teaching semesters, each followed by an assessment period, where they take a range of taught modules. Then, from April to August, students work full-time on their individual research dissertations.



Students may exit with an award of Postgraduate Diploma (P.Grad.Dip.) in Computer Science – Augmented and Virtual Reality (NFQ Level 9) upon successful completion of 60 ECTS of taught modules, not including the Research Dissertation.

Course Content

The following core modules are taken by all M.Sc. students on the course: Computer Vision; Machine Learning; Augmented Reality; Computer Graphics; Realtime Animation; Realtime Rendering; Advanced Software Engineering; Mathematics of Light & Sound; and Research and Innovation.



Additionally, students take a number of individually chosen elective modules from a pool of options.



Finally all students also must complete a substantial Research Dissertation which comprises a third of the entire course. Students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma (P.Grad.Dip.) in Computer Science upon successful completion of taught modules (not including the Research Dissertation).

Admission Requirements

Applicants must provide the following:

- An upper second-class (2.1) Honours degree grade or higher from a reputable university, in Computing or related discipline.



- All applicants whose first language is not English or who have not been educated through the English language will need to present evidence of competency.



- Proven programming competence. All candidates will have to complete a programming test in C, C++ or Java before being offered a place on the course. Some modules may also require programming in Python and other languages.



- A strong work ethic and the resolve to engage with a demanding but rewarding programme.



English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements. For more details of qualifications that meet B and B, see the English Language Requirements page.

Closing Date 31st July 2025

1 year full-time

Next Intake September 2025

Career Opportunities

We expect graduates to be in high demand for research and development positions within leading multi-national companies and start-up companies alike. Previous graduates from our M.Sc. programmes have gone on to work for games or visual effects companies, whilst many others work in broader areas involving computer vision, computer graphics or interactive digital applications. Some companies where our Alumni have taken up employment include: NVIDIA, Unity Technologies, The Foundry and Tencent Games. In some cases, our graduates have gone on to further postgraduate research, taking up funded PhD positions at TCD or other universities in Ireland abroad.