University of Bradford
School of Informatics
Awarding and teaching institution: University of BradfordFinal award: PGDip, MSc [National Framework level M]
Programme titles: PGDip Software Engineering
MSc Software Engineering –January Cohort
Programme accredited by: British Computer Society
Duration: 1 year full time
UCAS code: Not applicable
Subject benchmark statement: Software Engineering
Date produced: original: 14 April 2003, updated 10 January 2005
The MSc Software Engineering is an advanced postgraduate course which enables students to reach a level where they can undertake a leading role in software engineering projects. We provide coherently designed courses of recognised quality that offer students appropriate flexibility of choice. In furtherance of the University’s mission “Making knowledge work”, this course aims to enable you to develop computing related knowledge and understanding, practical discipline skills and a range of transferable skills that will enhance your personal and professional development.
This course provides students who already possess a thorough grounding in the fundamental principles of computer science with the knowledge of leading-edge principles and methods for software engineering. You will develop an understanding of how to succeed with the most difficult software challenges, delivering code to the highest levels of reliability and maintainability at the lowest cost.
Academically, Computing is concerned with the understanding, design and exploitation of computation and computer technology. The Department of Computing, which is part of the School of Informatics in the University, offers a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering this hugely diverse subject area. The portfolio of postgraduate courses currently covers Computing, Software Engineering and Computing and Performance Engineering with a new postgraduate course in Mobile Computing which was introduced in September 2003. The Department places great emphasis on both teaching and research and there are opportunities for students to join one of the research teams and progress to MPhil and PhD qualifications on successful completion of an MSc. Employment prospects for students having a postgraduate qualification in any computing related discipline are excellent, especially for MSc in Software Engineering.
The objective of the Software Engineering course is to provide you with the education and training required to enable you to take up a leading role in the complex software engineering projects that are currently challenging industry and commerce. This is achieved by providing students who already possess a thorough grounding in the principles of computing with knowledge of current best practice in the principles and methods of software engineering, and the opportunity to exercise that knowledge in the context of a project of significant size. In addition, your awareness of the concerns of software reliability, correctness, safety, usability, and cost will be developed by the course.
· Providing you with a core of information engineering, advanced software development, and software project management modules in the first semester, followed by specialization in the second semester. An individual project of three months duration in the third semester allows you to apply the techniques and disciplines that you have learned within a more practical context. You then submit a Dissertation based on this work.
· Providing the support in the form of lectures, labs and tutorials that will enable you to develop your personal portfolio of skills. The School of Informatics is committed to providing a very high standard of up-to-date computing facilities to support the software design and programming requirements of the courses.
· Developing discipline skills and personal transferable skills so that on graduation you may move directly into responsible positions in industry or commerce, or may pursue further programmes of study.
· Promoting educational opportunities for ethnic minorities, women, mature and alternatively qualified students, as well as for school-leavers and traditionally qualified students.
Learning outcomes indicate what you should know, understand and be able to do on successful completion of your course. You will gain mastery of Software Engineering fundamentals and principles, learn how to apply them to the analysis of problems and how to plan, implement and evaluate the solutions by demonstrating:
· Knowledge and understanding at advanced level of the concepts and theories of software engineering including information engineering, software development, softwareproject management, human-computer interaction and formal methods. You will develop a firm grasp of the mathematical foundations of software engineering and how they underpin the formal specification and modelling of computer systems.
· Discipline Specific Skills; Creative and systematic problem solving. Ability to analyse problems and develop creative solutions; ability to develop an object oriented approach to their solution; to develop computer programs using object oriented programming languages; to develop applications for the World Wide Web and to choose which programming languages to use for specific applications; an ability to manage and/or contribute to a team approach to software engineering projects.
· Personal and Transferable Skills in information management, interpretation and presentation; IT and communications skills; report writing and presentation skills: creative and systematic problem solving; teamwork and leadership; project management; and personal management.
The Curriculum
The map of your studies is detailed on the next page showing core (C) modules. In each of the first two semesters, modules accounting for 60 credits are studied. For each module, all of the teaching and assessment is undertaken in the same semester. The project module serves as an initial exploration of your chosen area; you are required to produce a technical report containing the background research and initial design of their project area. You will receive feedback on this from your supervisor and a second assessor before embarking on your dissertation in the third semester, where the design is developed and realised in a systematic, professional manner. From the end of the second semester, which is around the middle of September, project work lasting for three months is undertaken. This accounts for a further 60 credits in the assessment. Due to the advanced nature of this MSc, you are allocated a supervisor for your project whose research interests best match the project area. The project is assessed by means of a viva voce examination and a dissertation which is submitted around mid September.
You have the option to finish your studies at the end of the second semester and not undertake the project. This restricts the total possible credit accumulation to 120 and such a path will lead to the award of PGDip (Postgraduate Diploma) rather than MSc.
Assessment regulations: a summary (the text of the progression regulations is maintained on the Web)
To be eligible for a PGDip award you must achieve at least 40% in 100 credits and at least 35% in the other 20 credits relating to the modules taken in semesters 1 and 2. Additionally, students who attain an overall average of at least 70% in the initial attempt will be eligible for the award of PGDip with Distinction.
To be eligible for an MSc award you must achieve at least 50% in 100 credits and at least 40% in the other 20 credits taken in semesters 1 and 2 and achieve at least 50% in the project (Dissertation). Students who attain an overall weighted average of at least 65% at the initial attempt, including at least 65% at the initial attempt in the project shall be eligible for the award of the Degree of Master with Merit.
Students who attain an overall average of 70% in the units concerned at the initial attempt, including at least 70% in the project, will be eligible for the award of MSc with Distinction.
MSc Software Engineering
Unit Code / Credit / Sem / Level / Module TitleCM1019D / 20 / 2 / M / Formal Methods / C*
CM1020D / 20 / 2 / M / Project (MSc SE) / C
CMnewD / 20 / 2 / M / AI with Applications / O
CMnewD / 20 / 2 / 3 / AI for Games / O*
CM1034D / 20 / 2 / M / Human-Computer Interaction (Design & Development) / O*
CM-1009D / 20 / 2 / M / Real Time Systems (PG) / O*
CM0504D / 20 / SS / 3 / Information Engineering / C*
CM1033D / 20 / SS / M / Advanced Software Development / C*
CM1013D / 20 / SS / M / Software Project Management / C
CM0602D / 20 / SS / M / Computer Systems Performance Modelling / O
CM0518D / 20 / SS / 3 / Concurrent and Distributed Systems / O
CM1021Z / 60 / 1* / M / Dissertation (Project) / C
N.B. “SS” is the summer semester
* This is semester 1, 2005-6
C* - Core module which is compulsory unless studied previously. In the case of ‘Advanced Software Development’ students should not previously have studied ‘Programming Language Theory and Semantics’ (CM0516D)
O* - Optional unless previously studied.
Note that students may only study either ‘Information Engineering’ or ‘AI for Games’ but not both as these are level 3 modules. ‘AI for Games’ and ‘AI with Applications’ are also mutually exclusive
The curriculum may change, subject to the University's course approval, monitoring and review procedures.
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies
You will experience a wide range of teaching and learning environments. Concepts, principles and theories are generally explored in formal lectures, practiced in associated tutorials and seminars, and demonstrated in laboratory classes. Practical skills are developed in laboratory sessions and professional and personal skills are implicitly developed throughout the course in both group work and presentations. The individual project, consisting of a design phase (Project part 1) and an implementation phase (Dissertation) brings various aspects of your course together in a major software engineering exercise.
Each 20-credit module on the course requires you to commit 200 hours of study. Some of these hours will be formally timetabled – lectures, laboratories, seminars and tutorials – and others will involve you in private study. In keeping with the level of the course it is expected that you will develop a capacity for independent study as the course progresses.
Methods of assessment are similarly varied and your progress will be assessed using a mix of formal examinations, presentations, reports, laboratory tests, essays, coursework assignments, and projects. The appropriate method is chosen so that you may demonstrate the particular learning outcomes of each module.
Admissions Recruitment
The procedures, criteria and regulations for admission to these programmes of study operate within the parameters defined by the University’s Ordinance for Postgraduate Courses. However, with respect to the proposed programmes, we specifically require that all applicants:
· Have a good Honours Degree in Software Engineering or containing a significant component in Software Engineering of an approved degree-awarding body; or
· Have a good Honours Degree in a subject slightly related to Computing or Software Engineering subject and can demonstrate sufficient relevant industrial experience in Software Engineering.
Learning Resources
The course is supported by laboratories with up-to-date hardware and software with regular update and replacement cycles;
Student support and guidance
This is provided both by the University and the Course Team. Within the Department of Computing there is a Postgraduate Chair whose task is to oversee the functioning of the portfolio of postgraduate courses provided by the Department. You will also have a Course Tutor who oversees your specific course and is someone with whom you will be able to talk about any academic or personal concerns. However, all members of staff are equally approachable so you will always be able to find a “friendly face” with whom you feel comfortable. The School has a system of handbooks and holds formal staff-student liaison committees so that issues are rapidly dealt with. The University provides important facilities such as extended access to Library and Computing facilities, counselling and welfare services, careers advice and a Disabilities Office. The latter routinely arranges dyslexia assessments and appropriate additional time allocation for sitting examinations.
1/12/2005