Computing Top-up Course to BSc

Modules

• Research & Professional Practice
  This module will provide you with the necessary methodological, analytical and development skills needed to design, implement, and analyse a piece of independent research or development piece of work in the form of a consultancy tender, reflection, etc. at an undergraduate level in the field of Informatics. The module will focus on general issues you are likely to adopt for your research project such as: the Research and Development life cycle; collecting and analysing primary and secondary sources of knowledge; elementary consultancy skills, ethics and managing your time effectively and presenting your findings in a coherent manner. The module will focus on specific issues related to your chosen pathway by providing specific pathway tutorial groups where you will explore, in greater depth, those issues most likely to be relevant for your chosen pathway.
• Systematic Software Development
  This unit will deepen your understanding of software development processes and their associated products. You will learn how to develop software systematically from initial requirements through to acceptance testing, and how to achieve high quality in terms of reliability, robustness and maintainability. You will enhance your programming skills and develop new skills in the areas of program design utilising patterns, user interface design and implementation, and rigorous testing.
• Distributed Computer Systems
  Our everyday lives depend increasingly on distributed systems linking computers and other devices - from mobile phones to ambient systems - together in a seamless and transparent way. The components of such systems are usually geographically distributed. This module develops the concept of message-passing concurrency and provides a comprehensive source of material on the principles and practice of distributed computer systems.
• Engineering Software
  There are situations where the software we develop must be highly reliable, for example, safety-critical applications and software designed for re-use. From studying this module you will gain insight into some of the techniques used in the development of highly reliable software.
• IS Project Management
  As you come towards the end of your honours degree in a Computing/IT subject area, this module takes a broad and reflective view of the profession in a holistic and critical manner. It considers matters of professional and ethical relevance, and particularly considers issues that are of contemporary significance to the subject area.

• Social & Collaborative Computing
  This module looks at all aspects of social networking that are currently used for both business and pleasure. It also examines collaborative software and how it can be used to best effect. The unit provides a thorough understanding of user activity in these areas, how users can be supported and managed and how the various systems can be used to their best effect.
• Web Services, Security & Management
  This module covers the practical issues of both hosting and managing web sites, including security and server configuration. It also covers the various approaches used to implement the web services that enable cloud computing, and the competing techniques for implementing the semantic web.

• Honours Informatics Project
  The project contributes significantly towards the final degree. In the final year you spend about 2 days a week on your project. Future employers will probably ask you about your project, and use performance in the project as one of the most reliable guides to your potential. As a final year 40 module for the Honours degree, the project allows you to demonstrate, through a practical application, the extent of theoretical knowledge gained in the first two years of study, practical skills acquired in the subsequent year of industrial or commercial training and further theoretical and practical skills acquired during the final year of study.