Master Database Systems

Institution University of Westminster
Method At the institution
Location London
Type Masters
Course fee By request

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Master Database Systems

Objectives The course is suitable for both IT practitioners and experienced analysts/designers or database administrators who want to enhance, improve and/or update their knowledge; and for graduates who wish to deepen their understanding in the field of database systems and/or who want to advance their database systems career.
Entry requirements You should have a good Honours degree (at least 2.2) in a computing related discipline from a UK university or an overseas equivalent. Due to the technical nature of the course, if your first degree does not have a strong computing content you must demonstrate that you have sufficient knowledge of computing. If you do not meet these entry requirements you will be considered according to work experience and other qualifications. You must submit a statement of purpose with your application in which you should present your key interests and career aspirations, how you believe the course can help you achieve these and what relevant personal qualities and experience you will bring to the course. You may be asked to an informal interview and/or be contacted if the admissions tutor needs further information to assess suitability for the course. If your first language is not English you must demonstrate a reasonable command of the language by achieving a score of at least 250 in the computer-based TOEFL (or at least 600 in the paper test) or a score of 6.5 in the IELTS test.
Academic title MSc Database Systems
Course description Introduction
Length of course 1 year full-time or 2-4 year part-time

This course is accredited by the British Computer Society

This practitioner-oriented course provides highly marketable database systems and IT skills relevant to data modelling, designing, managing and administering corporate database systems divisions, information centres and web-enabled database applications. The course emphasises applicability to the production of complex database systems, and the practical and formal needs of database systems engineers and data modellers; it also highlights the placing of database systems within their organisational context and within business environments, giving a clear perspective of the current nature and practice of database systems development.

Course Content
The course addresses:
- the exploitation of new technologies, advanced theories and techniques along with their application, implementation and interoperation/integration with legacy systems;
- analysis of new demands and application of new technologies in the management of data and information resources which affect the operation and effectiveness of IS;
- the practise of emerging, state-of-the-art technologies that are shaping the way data is processed, accessed, retrieved, structured and modelled today

Modules
- Advanced Issues in Database Systems
- Corporate Systems and Data Management
- Database Administration
- Database Languages
- Data Warehousing and Data Mining
- Distributed Systems Programming
- ERP Systems for B2B Applications
- Information Systems Development Methodologies
- Internet Enabled Applications
- Interoperability in Data Centric Applications
- Postgraduate Project - Preparation and Planning
- Postgraduate Project
- Requirements Analysis
- System Design

Teaching and Assessment
Attendance of lectures is broken up by periods of student-led activity, usually supplemented by further instructor-led sessions in smaller groups. You are encouraged to come to an understanding of a topic by being immersed in a practically related activity in which the issues become evident, rather than simply being “told about it”. You will undertake a variety of coursework leading to a product such as a presentation, group investigation, technical solution, piece of software or a research review. We simulate live developments rather than giving a prescribed, unchanging specification from which to develop dead, unwanted products. Assessment usually involves a combination of coursework and exam.

Associated Careers
The course is suitable for anyone involved with, or wishing to be involved with database systems. This group includes project leaders and managers, database or information management consultants, data architects, business systems analysts and designers, database administrators, information resources managers, data analysts, systems designers, systems integrators, web specialists, software engineers, programmers and application developers.