Overview & Contacts

For general information:

Johny Stokoe
Postgraduate Admissions Administrator

Tel: +44 (0)1904 325404
Fax: +44 (0)1904 325599
E-mail: postgraduate@cs.york.ac.uk

For informal discussion:

Dr Tommy Yuan
Admissions Officer

Tel: +44 (0)1904 325697
Fax: +44 (0)1904 325599
E-mail: tommy@cs.york.ac.uk

Related Links

• Programme Fees
• Apply Online

Modules

Course components  -  2011/12

The modules taught cover the following strands:

• Programming: how to write programs and design and implement efficient data structures and algorithms; programming in the large.
• Systems: the architecture of computer systems, networks and operating systems.
• Information: databases, business systems and management.
• Interfaces: how to design user interfaces that are easy to learn and use.

Module Title	Term	Short Description
Advanced Programming Concepts (Using Java)	Autumn	Teaches Object-Oriented Programming in depth as well as data structures and algorithms.
Computer Systems Architecture for IT	Autumn	Provides a broad introduction to the fundamentals of computer systems.
Maths for IT	Autumn	Maths for IT provides a broad foundation in discrete mathematics for Computer Science primarily covering basic set theory, propositional logic and predication logic.
Users Centred Design	Autumn	User Centred Design introduces students the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This field covers all aspects of people's interaction with digital systems.
Software Engineering	Spring	Understand the process of engineering and design of large software systems with an emphasis on models, and methods.
Database Systems	Spring	Database Systems covers specification, design, and implementation of information system. It uses UML-based notations for modelling. For design, it introduces the theory of relational databases. Concerning implementation, it discusses issues related to security, concurrency and recovery.
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.
Systems & Networking	Spring	Rrecognise the abstractions provided by operating systems and networks from the point of view of users, administrators and application developers.
Information Systems & Organisations	Spring	The primary objective of this module is to consider the interactions between information systems, organisations, competitive strategy, and the wider economic, legal, social and political contexts.
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.
Project Preparation	Summer	You choose your project in the previous term (March), from those marked as suitable for your degree programme on the list of projects available. PPC is essential preparation time for this project.
Final Project - Information Technology	Summer & Vacation	A substantial, independent research project building on the taught course. The deliverable is a dissertation.

Past Projects

Projects undertaken over the past few years include:

• Web Usage Mining: Development of Self-Optimising Navigational Structures
• Wiki Brainstorming and Problems with Wiki Based Collaboration
• Context-aware multi-modal weather forecast system
• Temporal Difference Learning in Shogi
• User-interface for an interactive compiler
• Garden design package
• Heat exchanger simulator
• Satellite communications feasibility study
• Mouth-controlled input device
• Analysis of the relationship between JSD and occam.

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 on a weekly basis 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.

Assessment Dates: 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 8th week of Term 3 (for those courses taught during Terms 2 and 3).

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 dissertation project undertaken by students in Terms 3 and 4 is carried out individually, which might involve collaboration with another organisation. A collaborative project is supervised by a member of the Department, but the collaborating organisation will normally provide an external supervisor.

Organisations that have collaborated in projects in the past include Glasgow Town Planning Department, British Rail Passenger Services Department, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire Services, NEDO, the Royal Horticultural Society, Biosis UK, Centre Point sheltered housing, York Archaeological Trust, and the University of York Library.

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 Information Technology programme is intended for students with minimal or no background in computing.  We do, however, require applicants to have studied a basic programming course or have relevant basic programming skills through work experience.

Typically, you will have achieved at least an upper second class honours degree (or international equivalent) in any discipline other than Computer Science, and you should possess a basic knowledge of programming concepts. 

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 four essential criteria to be satisfied:

• Candidates should show high academic ability in their own field of study, normally indicated by a good honours degree.
• Candidates should already possess a basic knowledge of programming concepts either through coursework or work experience.
• Candidates should not already have studied the material covered in the course.
• Candidates should show the intellectual robustness and liveliness necessary to make the transition from their previous field of study to a new one, and to cope with the intensive nature of the course.

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 Information Technology at York

The MSc in Information Technology programme requires a basic understanding of computer programming. We strongly recommend all students to revise the basic concepts, such as:

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

During the MSc programme, 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

Residency requirements  -  2012/13

Due to the intensive nature of the programme, 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.