Course details
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Contact hours and assessment
Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.
Year 1
Core units
Principles of Programming: Covers the fundamental skills required to implement software solutions. Lab sessions will focus on the application of concepts to real-world problems, and you will test and debug a given program using a suitable strategy.
Computer Fundamentals: Enables you to understand the concepts and terminology of computer systems and computer security. You will do this through group based lab exercises where you will collaborate with other students focusing on problem based learning. This unit sets the foundations for you to further develop your knowledge of computing and cyber security.
Data and Databases: Develop your knowledge and practical expertise in the application of database design techniques, as well as your understanding of data processing.
Networks and Cyber Security: Learn the fundamentals of networks and how to secure them using security controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection & prevention systems. Understand how evolving technology, such as the cloud and IoT, impacts many organisations and how it facilitates their network security.
Application of Programming Principles: Having completed the Principles of Programming unit, you will use your knowledge to gain an insight into more complex system development. Lab sessions will allow you to complete team based exercises.
Business Systems Analysis and Design: Learn and understand the role that computer systems play within organisations, and the value they provide to stakeholders. You will have the opportunity to design, construct, and evaluate interactive systems to meet an organisation’s needs.
Year 2
Core units
Infrastructure Strategy: Explore the relationship between the goals of Information Systems and the infrastructure strategies of small and medium enterprises. Look at computer and networking infrastructures and characteristics like flexibility, scalability, performance, resilience, quality of service and security, and design choices and implications of corporate infrastructure.
Project Management & Team Working: You'll gain experience of working in a team on an IT systems development project, which will prepare you for work placement in Year 3.
Systems Design: With a focus on ‘upstream’ development tasks, you'll learn about the needs and of software system designs, and explore the problems with traditional systems development such as human computer interface design and usability.
Software Engineering: Build a firm understanding of the theory and practice of software engineering, including production, quality, metrics and maintenance.
Option units
You'll choose one of the following units:
Application Programming: Building on your previous programming experience, you'll design more complex applications and explore data persistence, concurrency, and networking.
Web Programming: You’ll learn to select and apply technologies appropriate to the issues being addressed. You will also develop an understanding of the legal, ethical and social issues in this rapidly changing environment.
And one of the following:
Networks: Through problem-based activities using state of the art network devices you will learn the theory and practice of data communications and computer networks.
Data Management: You will develop further skills and understanding of the techniques and technologies used in databases and data management.
Machine Learning: You will be introduced to the underlying theory behind data processing techniques, and how to develop the tools required to perform rigorous data analytics. Lab sessions will focus on the application of these learnings to real world problems.
Tools & Technologies of Data Science: Understand the challenges of Big Data analysis, including ethical, legal and professional implications. Gain knowledge of the most significant computing tools and technologies for dealing with Big Data: Hadoop and noSQL databases, MapReduce programming and other algorithm parallelization approaches.
Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.
Optional Placement Year
You'll complete a minimum 30-week industrial work placement which can be carried out anywhere in the world. The placement year offers a chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future.
Final Year
Core units
Advanced Development: The design of applications which support enterprise activities. There will be a focus on merging applications and Internet-based services.
Software Quality & Testing: How to make sure software has been made to a good enough quality.
Individual Project: Study a topic of your choice independently. You'll coherently present your process and product.
Option units
You'll choose one of the following modules:
Advanced Networks: Evaluate computer networks and what they're capable of. You'll discuss the latest developments in communication technologies, the links between cellular and data networks, and issues affecting network performance and security.
Business Continuity Management: the wider topic of resilience, which is the ability of an organisation to keep functioning during and after an attack, incident or natural disaster.
Data Mining: The Principles and techniques of data analysis. You'll carry out data analysis experiments.
Human Factors in Computing Systems: This unit will present generic Human Computer Interaction research that can be used for a range of software and systems engineering projects. You'll learn about design processes, standards and guidelines, usability tools and techniques, and workload measurement approaches.
Information Assurance: A growing and diverse study of how information flows through cyberspace. Information Assurance is about getting the right Information, to the right people at the right time.
Machine Intelligence: the essential elements of machine intelligence including machine learning, to enable specialised data analysts to solve real-world problems in areas such as business, finance, planning and management.
Ubiquitous Computing: mobile and pervasive systems are having a profound impact on personal and business activities. This unit examines systems and technologies that factor in the success of such systems.
Software Systems Modelling: Practice how to use software systems that use Unified Modelling Language (UML).
Web Information Systems: Explore web development methods of all scales. This will help you identify and solve likely problems in every stage of the development process.
Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.
