High Performance Computing (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Computing and Informatics

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

Online learning

Part-time intermittent study
  • MSc | 6 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgProfDev | 2 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgCert (ICL) | 2 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgDip (ICL) | 4 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

School of Informatics

College

College of Science and Engineering

Programme website
Accreditation

Not available

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About the degree programme

High Performance Computing (HPC) is the use of powerful processors, networks and parallel supercomputers to tackle problems that are very computationally or data-intensive.

Our programmes aim to provide you with in-demand skills and knowledge of the techniques and technologies underpinning parallelism and HPC.

You will learn how to write code that’s not just correct, but maintainable, efficient and scalable to the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

EPCC's postgraduate programmes give students from across all areas of science and engineering the skills required to become experienced practitioners, researchers, and leaders across HPC, computational and data science, and software engineering. 

Building on our decades of experience delivering national HPC training, these programmes are based in a practical and 'hands-on' approach to learning via application of techniques and offer first hand experience using our own supercomputing facilities.

Study options

Programme flexibility

Our programmes are available on a part-time intermittent basis and are therefore very flexible in nature.

As fees are due at course level this means that you have flexibility both financially and in terms of your time commitment.

The flexible structure allows you to take on the programme at your own pace. The curriculum has been designed specifically to let you acquire the required core principles before proceeding to your choice of more advanced topics.

You can study:

  • MSc - 3-6 Years (Part-time Intermittent Study)
  • Postgraduate Diploma - 2-4 Years (Part-time Intermittent Study)
  • Postgraduate Certificate- 1-2 Years (Part-time Intermittent Study)
  • Postgraduate Professional Development - 2 Years (Part-time Intermittent Study)

Further information can be found in the 'Programme details' section of this page. 

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Part-time intermittent study

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Part-time Intermittent Study

Part-time intermittent study applies to students taking taught programmes offered on a part-time intermittent study basis. To allow these programmes to be flexible, they are often created to be Invoiced at Course Level (ICL) 

You will only be invoiced for the courses you take each academic year. Invoices will be issued and must be paid in full at the start of the corresponding semester.

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject such as computer science and informatics, physics, mathematics, engineering, biology, chemistry and geosciences.
 
You must be an experienced and competent programmer in at least one of C, C++, Python, Fortran, or Java and should be familiar with mathematical concepts such as algebra, linear algebra  and probability and statistics. Your application should demonstrate your programming ability both through your transcript (or submitted examples of code) and through explanation within the ""Relevant Knowledge/Training"" field of the application.
 
We will also consider your application if you don't have formal programming training (e.g. if you are primarily self-taught), or if you have a 2:2 honours degree with high marks in computational courses and/or additional relevant work experience. Your application should clearly demonstrate your relevant experience.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

MSc structure

The MSc programme may be completed in as little as three academic years or as many as six. 

It consists of a taught component and a final dissertation project.

MSc taught courses

The taught component requires to you complete 120 credits of taught courses between two and five years.

The taught component consists of 70 credits of compulsory courses:

  • Practical Introduction to High Performance Computing (20 credits, Full Year)
  • Message Passing Programming (10 credits, Semester 2)*
  • Threaded Programming (10 credits, Semester 2)*
  • Programming Skills (10 credits, Semester 1)
  • Software Development (10 credits, Semester 1)
  • Project Preparation (10 credits, Semester 2) **

*Requires Practical Introduction to High Performance Computing as pre/co-requisite. 
**Cannot be taken prior to Semester 2 of Year 2 and should only be taken as one of the final taught credits. 

The remaining 50 credits of courses can be selected from the EPCC Online Courses list, or from option online courses available in the School of Informatics or elsewhere in the College of Science and Engineering (subject to availability).

Option courses may have compulsory courses at pre/co-requisites, meaning you will need to take those first or at the same time.

MSc Dissertation

The dissertation component is made up of a single 60 credit dissertation course which lasts for one full academic year. The dissertation cannot be taken until the taught component has been completed.

Postgraduate Diploma structure

The Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) programme may be completed in as few as two academic years or as many as four. It consists of 120 credits of taught courses.

The PGDip has 60 credits of compulsory courses:

  • Practical Introduction to High Performance Computing (20 credits, Semesters 1 & 2)
  • Message Passing Programming (10 credits, Semester 2)*
  • Threaded Programming (10 credits, Semester 2)*
  • Programming Skills (10 credits, Semester 1)
  • Software Development (10 credits, Semester 1)

*Requires Practical Introduction to High Performance Computing as pre/co-requisite. 

The remaining 60 credits of courses can be selected from the EPCC Online Courses list, or from optional online courses available in the School of Informatics or elsewhere in the College of Science and Engineering (subject to availability).

Optional courses may have compulsory courses at pre/co-requisites, meaning you will need to take those first or at the same time.

As a PgDip student, you do not take a dissertation course. However, if you think you might want to transfer on to the MSc, you will need to consider taking the Project Preparation course as one of your option courses.

Postgraduate Certificate structure

The Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) programme may be completed in as few as one academic year or as many as two.

It consists of 60 credits of courses. 40 credits are compulsory and 20 credits are optional.

Compulsory Courses
  • Practical Introduction to High Performance Computing (20 credits, Semesters 1 & 2)
  • Message Passing Programming (10 credits, Semester 2)*
  • Threaded Programming (10 credits, Semester 2)*
Option Courses
  • Programming Skills (10 credits, Semester 1)
  • Software Development (10 credits, Semester 1)

*Requires Practical Introduction to High Performance Computing as pre/co-requisite. 

Other optional courses may be available upon request and assuming you have sufficient prior knowledge.

Postgraduate Professional Development Award structure

Postgraduate Professional Development Award (PgProfDev) is an unstructured programme of study allowing you to take up to 50 credits of courses from the EPCC Online Courses list.

The PgProfDev programme can be studied for up to two academic years.

The PgProfDev programme does not offer a final certified exit award, but proof of course completion can be provided.

If you are interested in a certified award, you may wish to instead apply for the PgCert. However, if you are enrolled on the PgProfDev you can apply to transfer to the PgCert, PgDip, or MSc, subject to grades achieved.

View the EPCC Online Course list

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Part-time intermittent study

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of the programme are to:

  • equip you with an understanding of HPC architectures and technologies
  • equip you with expertise in advanced tools and techniques for HPC software development
  • enable you to apply this knowledge in order to exploit modern parallel and multicore computing systems in key scientific and commercial application areas
  • enable you to develop skills in problem-solving, project management, independent and critical thinking, team work, professionalism and communication
  • enable you to develop as an HPC practitioner, able to apply current and emergent technologies in both industry and research
  • teach the leading-edge programming techniques required to exploit the power of the world’s largest parallel supercomputers

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

How online learning works

This degree programme is taught entirely online. There is no need to come to the city or University campus. 

All learning and teaching takes place within our virtual learning environment (VLE). Through the VLE, you can: 

  • access all your learning materials and study resources, including e-books and library resources
  • interact with your tutors and classmates 

An online degree from the University of Edinburgh is academically equivalent to an on-campus postgraduate degree and involves the same level of work overall. The qualification you get is of equal value. Your degree certificate will not mention that you studied the programme online.

Time commitment

This programme is designed to be fully flexible to fit around your schedule. You can study in your own time and access all your learning resources, such as reading lists, discussion forms and slides from anywhere in the world.  

If there are live online sessions, you can watch a recording later in the virtual learning environment at a time convenient to you.    

Typically, you will need to dedicate around 10 to 20 hours per week to your programme although managing this is up to you. This may also vary from course to course, and the time commitment may increase when assignments are due.  

See 'Find courses' in Programme details for more information about study time commitment

Equipment and software needs

This programme will not require you to run code locally as you will have access to HPC systems provided as part of the programme. However, the ability to code on your device is required - therefore a laptop or desktop computer running Windows, iOS, or Linux is recommended.

Support for online students

Career opportunities

Whether you're starting out in the field or you're looking to learn something new to boost your existing career, our programmes are designed to help you achieve the necessary skills to support career development, progressions and transitions, across many different sectors.  

EPCC graduates are in high demand from companies across the UK, Europe, and internationally. Graduate destinations for students over recent years include:

  • Arm
  • European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
  • Intel
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
  • EPCC 

Many students also choose to go on to further study opportunities, including the PhD programmes offered by EPCC at The University of Edinburgh.

Professional links

EPCC

EPCC (formerly the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre) is the UK’s first national supercomputing centre, and renowned globally for research, innovation and teaching excellence in HPC and data science.

By studying with EPCC, you will have access to our various systems, and will benefit from studying alongside our community of skilled staff, alumni and fellow students.

For an insight into EPCC’s current and cutting edge systems, please visit our website.

Facilities at EPCC

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 3 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
14 September 2026 30 August 2026

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You must submit one reference with your application.

When to submit your supporting documents

You must submit all supporting documents by the application deadline, or we will be unable to consider your application. Regardless of when you apply, you have 28 days from submitting your application to supply any supporting documents through the Application Hub, after which we will automatically reject your application.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

General enquiries

Jemma Auns

Postgraduate Programmes Manager

EPCC

Bayes Centre

47 Potterrow

Central Campus

Edinburgh

EH8 9BT

online.learning@epcc.ed.ac.uk

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