Meet our ACSE students
Helen
I studied geophysics/atmospheric science at Brown University before deciding to enrol in ACSE to further my scientific programming skills. I really enjoyed the challenging course material and intensive structure of the course, completely focusing on one module at a time before taking that knowledge and moving on to the next. ACSE has definitely taught me a lot in the past year -- not just technical skills, but also how they relate to topics in science, how to apply them in practical settings and how to coordinate with a team to solve a problem together.
Andika
I worked as a reservoir engineer for seven years in Indonesia before joining Applied Computational Science and Engineering (ACSE) course. My intention when applying this course was to leverage my knowledge in scientific computing. Solving real-life engineering problem with the automation process and machine learning approach was my core purpose.
What impressed me during the year course in ACSE were the people, the culture, and the endless assignments and exams. Somehow those combinations put me into a very hectic schedule, but in the end, it made me a better programmer and now I have robust foundation when producing a program. Initially, I expected only learning how to make an efficient program for dealing with reservoir uncertainties for my work. Now I can say that I might have something more significant than that. Cross-platform programming, running program with High Performance Computer (HPC), applying machine learning technique, optimizing science and engineering problems are things I grew from ACSE.
Although this course is under Earth Science and Engineering Department, which is relevant to my undergraduate background, ACSE gave me a new perspective for a broader range of problems: from sub-surface numerical modelling to identifying images with a neural network. In addition to daily teaching, technical sharing and networking sessions offered an excellent opportunity to strengthen and develop our skills and career. Furthermore, taking an internship for the final project was a remarkable experience that gives additional values to our career path.
The benefit of taking ACSE is that everyone can be a decent programmer despite their background. This course provides an excellent portion of computer science, applied math and physics, and programming exercise which forces the student to be a better coder. Graduating from ACSE put me in a place where I could have a flexible option in my career. I have the option to go back into the former field and optimize what I did previously, or I might explore other opportunities in digital tech world-where the future lies.
Hayley
Before starting the MSc, I attained a BA in Geology at the University of Oxford.
The MSc offered a large scope of mathematics and computational sciences - almost all of which I have never come across before. I learnt many different quantitative methods used to solve problems such as deducing the potential impacts of asteroids or using machine learning to categorize images. It was thus a challenging MSc but very interesting and enlightening.
There is still a lot of uncertainty in the Earth Sciences and much to discover. I believe knowledge in this area will be rapidly advanced by computers. The quantitative skills I have learnt on the MSc, combined with a more qualitative background in geology, allow me to contribute towards current knowledge in the earth sciences.
I would recommend the course as it teaches skills such as advanced coding in multiple languages, very generally, but more specifically, skills such as the ability to understand and use machine learning techniques, which are highly sought-after by academics and industry. The course is also incredibly interesting, particularly if one's first degree is in a completely different area (such as my own) and practical.
Alex
Prior to starting the Applied Computational Science and Engineering MSc, I was an undergraduate geophysics student at Durham University.
My favourite part of the MSc was the independent research project. My project involved collaborating with industry to produce software that can be used to predict wind turbine failures before they occur. Another highlight was the group projects, which simulated a real-world working environment where we only had a short timeframe to come up with a solution to a problem. Example group projects include modelling asteroids or producing a flood-monitoring tool.
This MSc gave me the skills and knowledge required to undertake a PhD in computational/data science. So, I’m staying at Imperial College to study for a PhD in computational/data science. Specifically, I’m investigating how numerical weather prediction models can be improved and integrated to support decision-making in a variety of Shell’s global operations.
I would recommend this course because it equips students with a wide range of cutting-edge computational skills, which are highly desirable to employers and applicable for both academia and industry.
Gabriel
I got my undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Princeton University.
During the taught portion of the course, I really valued the multidisciplinary nature of the student cohort and the professors who taught us. During the research section, I enjoyed working one-on-one with and learning from a professor for the end-of-term independent research project.
The course was invaluable in helping me to improve my quantitative and computational skills for applying to the PhD programmes I was interested in, and now in pursuing the research that excites me at the university where I have chosen. Moreover, while in the MSc course I was introduced to academics at my current university by academics at Imperial, both directly in the MSc course and at Imperial more broadly. I’m now pursuing a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University.
The Applied Computational Science and Engineering MSc is a very flexible course in that the numerical methods learned are applicable to a wide variety of academic disciplines and industrial projects. Coming from an academic career path myself, this means the course is very useful for demonstrating your technical proficiency to PhD programmes in many different fields. From the industry point-of-view, I had friends in the course who have gone on to many different jobs in industry, and they say similar things about how companies value the skills they learned in the MSc.
Deirdree
Undergraduate degree:
BEng in Design Engineering, Loughborough University
Why did you apply for the Applied Computational Science and Engineering MSc?
I heard about it whilst I was looking for Master’s courses both at Imperial and Swiss universities. I was keen to pursue my studies doing a mix of programming and energy/sustainability. When I was accepted onto this course, I thought it was an amazing opportunity to acquire strong technical skills to then work in the industry that I am passionate about.
What do you intend to do after you graduate?
I want to work in the energy industry, probably starting as an Energy Modelling Analyst or Data Scientist.
Adanna
Undergraduate degree and institution:
B-Eng Mathematics and Computer Science, Imperial College London
Why did you apply for the Applied Computational Science and Engineering MSc?
I wanted to do a course that applies my Bachelors degree to real-world situations
What do you intend to do after you graduate?
I think I will work for a bit as a Software Developer Engineer or go into research.
Oliver
Undergraduate degree and institution:
Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol
Why did you apply for the Applied Computational Science and Engineering MSc?
The course seemed to be a hybrid of mathematics, computer science and data science all while being extremely focused on applications. The benefits of having a formally structured course has been massive, and having a strong computational background means that your force multiplier is much stronger going into industry.
What do you intend to do after you graduate?
Either space mission concepts design or data-driven strategic consulting.
Richard
Why did you apply for the Applied Computational Science and Engineering MSc?
To gain industry relevant coding skills so I could pursue a career as a data scientist.
What do you intend to do after you graduate?
I hope to pursue a career as a data scientist in the finance or consultancy industry.
Mingrui
Undergraduate degree and institution:
Bachelor of Engineering, major in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
Why did you apply for the Applied Computational Science and Engineering MSc?
Imperial College London is a world-leading institution especially in engineering. Its high academic reputation really attracted me. The Applied Computational Science and Engineering programme focuses on theories of computational science and practical coding skills, which are exactly the abilities that I wanted to improve.
What do you intend to do after you graduate?
I enjoy spending time solving challenge problems and exploring new things so I would like to take a PhD after I graduate. The skills and knowledge I learned from the course will be a great help to doing research in the future.