Advanced Control and Systems Engineering
Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering

Course description
Accredited by the Engineering Council UK, Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institute of Measurement and Control
Our flagship course blends theory and practice, giving you a strong grounding for a career in industry or research. This continually evolving course has been running for over 40 years and is well supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The core modules provide you with the basic skills you’ll need to become a control and systems engineer. You’ll take advanced modules in current areas of interest and complete a research-level dissertation project.
Modules
Core modules
- Foundations of Control Systems
- Optimisation and Signal Processing
- Advanced Control
- Industrial Automation
- Modern Control and System Identification
- Control Systems Project and Dissertation
Optional modules
Examples include:
- Optimal Control
- Industrial training programme (ITP) in Advanced Manufacturing
- Cybersecurity for Control Systems
- Multisensor and Decision Systems
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Teaching
You can expect a mix of lectures, tutorials, laboratory work and individual assignments.
Project work
You can use our award-winning take-home lab kits to explore core concepts at home. It supports our teaching, giving you the chance to learn by doing, when you want to, not just in classes. You’ll work on a major project of your own as part of your final assessment and there are chances to contribute to other projects throughout the course.
Duration
1 year full-time
Your career
Our courses are informed by our strong links with industry and our research. Graduates of this course go on to work as professional engineers in different sectors, including advanced manufacturing, software engineering, robotics and controls and automation systems engineering. Some graduates choose to follow up their studies with a research degree.
Student profile

When I was researching where to study, I learned that the University of Sheffield’s Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering has an excellent reputation for research and links with industry, so it was an easy choice for me.
Entry requirements
You’ll be an engineering, mathematics or science honours graduate with a 2:1 degree from a recognised institution. Or you may be an experienced professional, thinking about updating your knowledge of the subject. You’ll need to have excellent mathematical notation and basic computer programming skills.
Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.
We also accept a range of other UK qualifications and other EU/international qualifications.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
Apply
You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
pgtacse@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5644
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.