Programme Aims
The aim of this programme is to equip students with skills in computing as applied to Information Technology (IT). It is intended to cater for people from a variety of disciplines, being suitable for graduates of any discipline who are not trained in IT but wish to enter this field. The emphasis is on preparing students for employment with industrial and commercial organisations now utilising Information Technology.
Students should benefit from the strong links that the Department of Computer Science has with industrial, commercial and governmental organisations. These have been established through research, industrial training for undergraduates, short courses and consultancy. A high priority is given to meeting the needs of prospective employers. Furthermore, collaborative work is carried out with outside organisations to maintain close links with industry. Student projects undertaken in conjunction with commerce and industry are welcomed and indeed encouraged.
Cognitive Skills
Students graduating from this programme will be able to analyse the manner in which IT systems are constructed and will, as a result, be able to make judgements on how a given application should be tackled. The knowledge gained from their studies will allow students to create systems that are well structured, reliable and useable. Certain modules will allow students to obtain experience in reading, summarising and evaluating some primary research literature relevant to the degree programme, and communicating their summaries and evaluations to their peers.
Subject Specific Practical and Professional Skills
The knowledge gained from exposure to the modules in this programme will enable students to make a contribution to the provision of high quality computer-based systems. This concerns the application of a broad gamut computer science theory and practice to the Information Technology environment. The student is not expected to bring very much of what is required here from first degree studies, but rather to learn from matters that are discussed in this programme. The project allows students to consolidate their knowledge by practical application and allows them to research and develop new knowledge and skills, possibly drawing upon subject areas from their first-degree studies. Considerations of structure, reliability and usability are formally taken into account when assessing these projects.
Outline Structure
Taken full-time, the programme is of twelve months' duration. Two semesters, each of fifteen weeks duration, are spent in studying taught modules with a total modular weight of 120 credits. The remaining time is devoted to a project with a modular weight of 60 credits, which may, subject to satisfactory arrangements for supervision, be carried out in collaboration with an industrial partner. The course may be taken on a part-time basis. A part-time candidate must complete the project within a maximum period of one calendar year after completion of the taught modules.
| Module | Weight | Semester | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues of IT | 15 | 1 | |
| Essential Skills for Computing | 15 | 1 | |
| Computer Systems | 15 | 1 | |
| Network Systems | 15 | 2 | |
| Research Methods and Project Preparation | 15 | 2 | |
| Internet Programming | 15 | 2 | |
| Information Systems and Modelling | 15 | 2 | |
| Practical IT Systems | 15 | 2 | |
| Computing Project | 60 | 2 | |
| Project Preparation* | 5 | 2 | |
| Research Methods* | 10 | 2 | |
*Part-time students undertake two separate modules, namely COP500, Research Methods (10 credits) and COP454, Project Preparation (5 credits), the latter being taken in the year in which the project is to be undertaken.
Contact the Programme Director
Dr Colin H C Machin
Director of Postgraduate Programmes
Department of Computer Science
Loughborough University
Loughborough, LE11 3TU
Tel: +44 (0) 1509 222683
Fax: +44 (0) 1509 2211586
Email:c.h.c.machin@lboro.ac.uk
