Cloud Computing Master's Degree - MSc/PgD/PgC

Term One

Your first term establishes the advanced technical and theoretical foundations required to design high-performance, enterprise-grade virtual systems. You will master the architectural frameworks needed to deploy resilient, scalable, and secure cloud environments while simultaneously building the rigorous data analysis and research skills required for postgraduate-level execution.

You will study three 20-credit modules, completing 60 credits in total during the first term.

Term Two

This term shifts your focus toward automated continuous operations and corporate platform governance. You will learn to eliminate manual deployments by engineering continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines, managing containerised clusters at scale, and mastering the financial operation (FinOps) frameworks required to align cloud infrastructure with business value and risk constraints.

You will study four 20-credit modules, completing 80 credits in total during the second term.

Term Three

The final term is dedicated entirely to your independent master’s project, allowing you to showcase complete technical and academic mastery. You will undertake a major, deep-dive technical research project to solve a complex, novel problem within a cloud infrastructure ecosystem.

During the final term, you will complete your 40-credit Master’s Project module.

Our academic staff lead engaging lectures, workshops, and lab sessions, fostering a dynamic learning environment that encourages innovation and critical thinking. Your Programme Director provides further pastoral and academic support, guiding students through their studies and signposting to other services such as career development. Additionally, our wider student support teams – including wellbeing services and technical staff – are on hand to offer comprehensive assistance, ensuring students have the resources and support needed to thrive.

The assessment strategy for the programme varies to ensure the most appropriate method for each specific module and subject area. Assessments take the form of individual or group coursework, research-based assignments, practical assessments, presentations, reports, class tests and a dissertation/development project.

Detailed, specific and timely feedback will be given to each student’s work according to the Cardiff Met guidelines.

This programme is engineered to directly address the critical global shortage of high-level cloud architecture and platform automation specialists. From day one, your learning is aligned with the operational realities of modern enterprise ecosystems, ensuring you graduate ready to step straight into high-salary professional roles.

Real-World Experience

By undertaking a robust industrial placement, you will gain invaluable ‘real-world experience’ that bridges the gap between technical mastery and live corporate operations. You will work alongside industry professionals to deploy continuous delivery pipelines, manage cloud spend, and implement active security frameworks. This hands-on commercial exposure is fully validated by a title modification on your final certificate: MSc Cloud Computing (with Industrial Placement), providing a powerful competitive advantage when you enter the job market.

Potential Career Roles

Our graduates are primed for rapid career progression into senior technical and leadership roles within global technology firms, financial institutions, and public sector infrastructure bodies. Potential target roles following graduation include:

• Cloud Architect
• DevOps Engineer / DevOps Director
• Platform Engineer
• Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)
• Infrastructure Tech-Lead / Service Owner

Further Study Options

The advanced technical methodologies and research design mastered during your project also serve as a perfect foundation for further academic pursuit. Graduates are fully equipped to progress onto specialised MPhil or PhD research programmes right here at the Cardiff School of Technologies.

Applicants should meet one of the following:

• Possess, or expect to obtain, an undergraduate honours degree or equivalent with a minimum 2:2 classification.
• Hold a suitable professional qualification from an appropriate professional body.

Relevance shall be determined by the Programme Director with reference to the applicant’s transcript, and, if required, via an interview.

Equivalence shall be determined by:

• Admissions Team for applicants from outside the United Kingdom.
• The Programme Director for applicants who present professional qualifications such as from the BCS. Such an applicant would be interviewed by the Programme Director to establish suitability.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should refer to English Language Requirements to confirm the level and evidence of fluency required for entry to the programme.

Students with extant level 7 qualifications wishing to enter the course may apply on the basis of RPL for admission with Credit. In such cases the regulations detailed in the Academic Handbook will apply and allows for a maximum RPL of 120 credits on a master’s programme. In this case the remaining 60 credits would consist of the research methods module and the dissertation.

The admissions process is controlled by Cardiff Metropolitan University’s centralised admissions team in consultation with the Programme Director.

All applications from international students will be subject to an initial assessment of academic qualifications, English Language proficiency and overall suitability for the programme by the Admissions Team. However, the final decision remains the responsibility of the Programme Director.

How to Apply

Applications for this course should be made direct to the University via our self-service facility. For further information please visit our How to Apply pages.

International Applicants

Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of fluency to at least an IELTS 6.0 standard or equivalent. For full details about how to apply and English Language qualifications please visit the International pages.

Tuition Fees and Financial Support

For up-to-date information on tuition fees and the financial support that may be available, please refer to Fees and Finance.

Part-time Fees

Charges are per Single Module unless specified:

Undergraduate = 10 Credits; Postgraduate = 20 Credits

Generally, we find most students will complete 60 credits per year for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate study; to obtain a true costing please clarify this by contacting the Programme Director directly.

For general enquiries, please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6010 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Director, Stuart McNeil:

• Email: smcneil@cardiffmet.ac.uk