Course description
Do you have a degree in a non-computing discipline and would like to move into the computing arena? The MSc/PGD/PGC IT Application Development is a Masters programme aimed at individuals with a degree qualification (or equivalent) in a non-computing related discipline. The programme provides the necessary theoretical and practical skills to be able to carry out a masters-level project in designing and implementing IT systems. It assumes little or no experience in the topics covered and consequently teaches students ''from scratch''. It is a broad-based course covering the understanding of how IT systems are developed within modern organisations, and provides the abilities to develop such systems both as an individual and as part of a team.
MSc IT Application Development has a strong focus on network development and e-commerce issues from a business perspective
A generic award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Computing is available for those students who gain a minimum of 60 M-level credits from any of the taught modules within the programme (excluding the project).
Masters
You will undertake a project normally sponsored by a local industry or community organisation in which you will be developing a practical product that has a real world benefit to the client.
Note that the majority of the project phase can be undertaken anywhere in the world where adequate communication facilities are available.
Where is it Taught and in which modes
Sunderland Campus - Full Time
This course is available at these centres
Modules (Optional denoted by *)
Course Content
Stages 1 and 2
Successful completion of the taught modules and an individual project will qualify the student for the MSc degree. Intermediate awards of Postgraduate Certificate in Computing and Postgraduate Diploma in IT Application Development are available for students who do not wish to, or are unable to complete the full MSc.
The modules are:
Stages 1 and 2 Postgraduate Certificate (PgC)* and Postgraduate Diploma (PgD)
* Research, Ethical, Professional and Legal Issues
Nature of research, types of research, research process and its management, ethical issues in research outlining research problems and developing research questions. Research methods, qualitative and quantitative approaches. Literature surveys and critical analysis and evaluation of sources.
Data collection and data analysis. Critical evaluation and appraisal of published work and data sets. Recognition of appropriate and inappropriate use of approaches and statistics. Writing a technical paper, use of graphics, the publication process, reviews and the role of the reviewer. The use of peer review and appraisal. Presenting work orally and by other appropriate means. Structuring a research report and dissertation. Professional, ethical and legal issues that relate to the relevant programme of study for example, critical examination of: the BCS code of conduct, the ACM code of Ethics, and the UK Data Protection Act.
* Techniques for Information Systems Analysis
Information gathering (interviews, observations etc), soft systems approaches to problem understanding (e.g. rich pictures, CATWOE, root definitions), object oriented techniques for analysis (e.g. use cases, sequence diagrams, activity diagrams), systems level understanding and modelling using structured techniques (such as data flow diagrams and entity-relationship diagrams).
Requirements definition and specification. Discussion of how the techniques fit in terms of development paradigms. Discussion of how the techniques map onto one another.
* Web Interaction Design
HCI Fundamentals: Context, Design and Evaluation; Context of use research: user, stakeholder, task, activity and environment studies; Information and Activity Structure; Usability Engineering: goal setting, inspection methods and user testing; Design Guidelines: navigation, page layout, interaction and media design, accessibility.
* Web Development
The software / web engineering process. Professional World Wide Web development and design. Client and server-side applications. The HyperText Mark-up Language (HTML), its evolution and current status. Scripting languages. Site management and configuration. Web server installation and configuration. XML and advanced technologies for web engineering and e-commerce.
* Object-Oriented Development
Classes and objects, data attributes, operations. Object roles and relationships. Implementation of objects and class structures in an OO Language (OOL) e.g. Java. OOL constructs. Design and implementation inheritance in an OOL. OOL classes. Software design using interaction diagrams, state diagrams. Testing. Design Patterns. Testing OO Systems.
* Network Development
To develop in the student an appreciation of the standards, concepts and configuration of the hardware and software of a network system, so that they can specify, design, procure, evaluate and apply security measures to 'real-world' network systems. Network basics: LANS, MANS, WANS, WLANS, topologies, ISO 7-layer and TCP/IP models, media (radiated and conducted), signalling techniques, routers, switches, print servers, file servers, web/ftp servers, protocols (routing and routed) and wireless network configuration. Software: types, principles and configuration of network operating systems (possibly including: Windows 2000/2003 IIS, UNIX/Linux), GUI's, e-mail, other network applications and architectures, TCP/IP configuration & diagnostics. Router, switch and firewall programming (e.g. Cisco IOS).
* Electronic Commerce
This module shall introduce the students to the development, trends and standards associated with networks, the internet and web, and electronic commerce. In the course of the module students will be exposed to e-business models, e-commerce classification, the development of online trading mechanisms, typical B2C and B2B scenarios, and corresponding application architectures, online transaction systems, supply chains, value chain management, customer relationship management, business process integration, interoperability and legacy system issues. The security of e-commerce shall be briefly reviewed; security strategies, firewalls & network security, encryption, and authentication. Also, the impact of e-commerce on privacy, social and ethical issues shall be considered.
* Database Systems
The aim of the module is to provide students with an ability to design and implement information systems using database technology. The module will cover: Data models (e.g. relational, object-oriented, object-relational) and their evolution, database theory, database administration, design techniques and implementation using appropriate tools, use of Data Definition Language and Data Manipulation Languages, database security, database integrity, transaction management, client-server systems, distributed databases, internet database technologies and connectivity, database warehousing and data mining.
*A generic award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Computing is available for those students who gain a minimum of 60 M- level credits from any of the taught modules within the programme (excluding the project).
Stage 3
Masters (MSc)
* Project
You will undertake a project normally sponsored by local industry or community organisation in which you will be developing a practical product that has a real world benefit to the client.
Note: The majority of the project phase can be undertaken anywhere in the world where adequate communication facilities are available.
