Overview & Contacts

Modules

Course components  -  2011/2012

Module Title	Term	Short Description
Concurrent and Real Time Programming	Autumn	Concurrent & Real-Time Programming studies the features of Real-Time Java and applies them to concurrent embedded-systems programming.
User Centred Design	Autumn	User Centred Design introduces students to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This field covers all aspects of people's interactions with digital systems from supermarket checkouts, to social websites like Facebook, to handheld calculators and video games
Java Programming Concepts	Autumn	A solid grounding in the essential features of object-oriented programming as well as in depth understanding of data structures and algorithms.
Formal Specification	Spring	Formal Specification addresses the use of mathematical methods in systems development, particularly in high-integrity systems.
Software Engineering	Spring	Understand the process of engineering and design of large software systems with an emphasis on models, and methods.
Software Measurement and Testing	Spring	Software Measurement & Testing teaches methods of software verification, including advanced testing and static-analysis techniques.
Web Design	Spring	Building on students' prior knowledge of usability principles in general, this module looks at how web pages can be designed to give users a positive experience.
Group Project: Computing & IT	Spring	The module aims to provide students with object-oriented analysis and design techniques and software engineering principals, which are directly applicable to an IT project. Students will work in teams to engage in a practical IT project.
Final Project - Computing	Vacation	A substantial, independent research project building on the taught course. The deliverable is a dissertation.

Personal Tutor & Tutorial Group

Each student is assigned to a tutorial group usually containing no more than four or five students, and hence to a personal tutor. Tutorial groups meet regularly until the start of the project. The purpose of these meetings is to reinforce the material taught in the formal course units, and also to provide an opportunity for informal discussion of related subjects.

Assessment

Assessment of students' performance in the course modules takes place in a variety of forms: practical exercises, reports, closed examinations and a dissertation for the project. Students are deliberately exposed to a variety of assessment methods so that they are not disadvantaged by background.

The assessments take place at various times during the year. Closed examinations take place in:

• the 1st week of Term 2 (for those courses taught during Term 1), and
• around the 10th week of Term 2 (for those courses taught during Term 2)

Practical exercises, reports and other forms of open assessment are due either during the course module or just after its completion.

Timescales, Modules and Project Descriptions may be subject to change.

Project

Overview

The individual project is undertaken by students in Terms 3 and 4. The subject matter of projects varies widely; most projects are suggested by members of staff, some by external organisations, and some by students themselves, perhaps relating to an area of personal interest that they wish to develop further.

All project proposals are rigorously vetted and must meet a number of requirements before these are made available to the students. The department uses an automated project allocation system for assigning projects to students that takes into account supervisor and student preferences.

How To Apply

Suitability and Entry Requirements

The MSc in Computing is intended for students who already have an IT or related degree.

Typically, you will have achieved at least an upper second class honours degree (or international equivalent), and you will have already studied databases, programming and relevant mathematics.

We are willing to consider applications from those who do not fit this profile.  We will, for example, consider applicants who do not have an appropriate qualification but have appropriate industrial experience.

Selectors for the course are looking for three essential criteria to be satisfied:

• Good knowledge of programming in any programming language
• Basic knowledge of databases including basic SQL programming
• Basic knowledge of logic, set theory, relations, and function
• Basic knowledge of concurrent process management

How to Apply

For more information about completing your application, please take a look at the University’s webpages which tell you how to apply. 

In particular, please take note of the supporting documents we need to see in order to be able to make a decision about your application.  You are also required to nominate two referees, of which at least one should be from your current employer or place of study.

When you are ready to apply, you can submit your application using our Online Postgraduate Applications Service (OPAS).

While there is no official closing date for applications, it is important to apply as early as possible.

International Students

This course, like all others in the University, welcomes students of all backgrounds and circumstances. 

If English is not your first language, or your first degree was not taught in English, then you will need to have attained a suitable language qualification no more than two years before the start of the course. 

The University's Postgraduate Study webpages will tell you more about the English language requirements for graduate students.

Studentships

The University of York awards a number of scholarships for overseas students each year, and competition for these scholarships is very intense. 

Most scholarships only provide partial payment of tuition fees and not living expenses, and most students will need to fund themselves. 

We can give further advice on how much you should budget for and other ways in which you can fund your MSc course; for example career development loans, an employer's bursary or secondment.

Information for students

Being prepared for your MSc in Computing at York

The MSc in Computing requires a basic understanding of computer systems, as well as some experience in programming. We strongly recommend all students to revise the basics of programming, such as:

• variables and their types
• control structures (e.g. if-statements, loops)
• subprograms (e.g.g procedures, functions)
• compilation and debugging.

During the MSc, you will be taught the Java programming language. You might find it useful to do some reading about that language before you arrive. We have selected some books that are used in the first term:

• Deitel, P.J. and Deitel, H.M. (2009) Java How to Program (8th edition), Pearson Education
• Bloch, J. (2008) Effective Java (2nd Edition), Prentice Hall

It is also important that entrants will have a basic knowledge of discrete mathematics (i.e. logic, set theory, relations and functions). We recommend the following book to refresh your mathematical background:

• Lipshutz, S. (1998) Set Theory and Related Topics, Schaum;s Outline Series, McGraw-Hill (particularly Chapters 1-6, 14, 15 & 17)

You can also use these slides to guide you through your revision.

Residency requirements  -  2012/13

Due to the intensive nature of the course, students are required to be in York during the following periods:

• 8 October 2012 - 14 December 2012
• 7 January 2013 - 29 March 2013
• 22 April 2013 - 20 September 2013

However, it should be noted that the MSc is full time and it is assumed that students are working whether or not they are in full attendance.