Master's Degree in High Performance Computing Engineering (Politecnico of Milan)

The Politecnico of Milan offers a Master's Degree in High Performance Computing (HPC), spanning over two years and awarding 120 ECTS credits. Upon its completion, it confers onto the graduate the Laurea Magistrale/Master's Degree status.

About the programme

This programme splits out its courses across two years. 

• The first year focuses on parallel computing and programming, high-performance parallel processors, cloud infrastructures and data centres, numerical analysis, and applied statistics
• The second year focuses on Quantum Computing and heterogeneous HPC systems based on accelerators (GPUs and tensor cores)

Alongside these classes, students will also have to demonstrate work focused on applying HPC in various engineering domains to earn 20 credits, as well as a final thesis that is also worth 20 credits. The thesis can be carried out within an industry-oriented context or internationally.

Student who complete this programme will have:

• A solid foundation in numerical methods for advanced simulations, with a focus on differential and discrete modelling, computational linear algebra, and numerical techniques for the discretisation and solution of partial differential equations, essential tools for describing and simulating complex physical phenomena.
• Advanced skills in parallel and distributed programming, with in-depth knowledge of computational models, tools, and libraries for multicore CPUs, GPUs, and supercomputers in order to effectively leverage parallelism, reduce execution times, and tackle computationally intensive problems efficiently.
• In-depth knowledge of advanced HPC architectures, ranging from vector and pipelined processors to heterogeneous systems with tensor accelerators and the latest quantum processors, enabling you to understand and exploit hardware features in the design of HPC software.
• Advanced competencies in quantum computing developed through classes and projects focused on the design of algorithms and simulations on quantum systems. This specialisation area offers a comprehensive overview of quantum technologies that are reshaping the boundaries of computation.
• Tools and techniques in deep learning and artificial intelligence for handling complex and unstructured data, supporting statistical analysis, predictive modelling, and the extraction of meaningful insights from large datasets. Recent advances in AI and its increasingly complex models rely heavily on the computational power of HPC systems
• Direct exposure to multidisciplinary application domains, thanks to elective courses focused on various scientific and engineering fields (genomics, aerospace, energy, mechanics, finance…)
• In these areas, HPC enables the acceleration of complex data processing, enhancing simulation and numerical modelling in order to tackle real-scale problems

Admissions

To be admitted to the MSc in HPC Engineering, candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with a solid coursework in Computer Science and Computer Engineering (at least 20 credits), Mathematics and Statistics (at least 20 credits), as well as exams in Physics and Engineering (at least 10 credits).

In case of specific gaps in skills considered essential for HPC, the evaluation of the admission request may result in the assignment of study plan obligations ("obblighi formativi"), which are specific exams that must be included in the Master's study plan, replacing one or more elective courses.