MSC IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS POSTGRADUATE STUDIES 2007
"The telecommunications industry offers steady, year-round employment. Computer software engineers and systems software developers receive the highest average weekly earnings of non-supervisory workers in the Telecommunications Industry." Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2006-07 Edition. "Information and communication technologies (ICT) are a powerful driver for economy-wide productivity, growth and jobs and are arguably Europe s best-bet investment for the future. A quarter of the EU s GDP growth and 40% of our productivity growth are due to ICT. The ICT industry generates 8% of Europe s GDP and employs 6% of its workforce." i2010 - A European Information Society for growth and employment Brussels, 1 June 2005 PROGRAMME RATIONALE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The software and the telecommunications industries are both at the forefront of the information age. The Information and Communication Technologies have become the largest and most rapidly developing sectors of the European Union and world economy. Furthermore, the constant growth of the Internet leads to the emergence of new technologies, novel services, and innovative products. Moreover, the emergence of new markets in the software and telecommunications sector in Southeastern Europe have given rise to growing demand for highly skilled and specialised professionals in this field. In this rapidly evolving industry, continuous education is important for telecommunication and software engineers. Professionals must keep their job skills and knowledge up to date. Increased knowledge of the new technologies from the fields of both software engineering and telecommunications is of paramount importance. PROGRAMME AIM >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The programme focuses on integrating the fields of Software Engineering and Telecommunications, aiming to enhance students knowledge and skills of contemporary software engineering techniques and technologies. Additionally, this programme provides students with the essential knowledge in order to develop and support innovative, agile and robust software solutions for the rapidly evolving and transforming field of telecommunications. BCS ACCREDITATION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The MSc in Software Engineering and Telecommunications is accredited by the British Computer Society. Exemption from the BCS Professional Examination provides the academic base for the BCS professional qualification, leading towards Corporate Membership and BCS Chartered IT Professional.
MSc IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING LEARNING OUTCOMES >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> By the end of the programme graduates will have: developed the technical and managerial skills needed to be an effective leader within the software industry. acquired knowledge and skills in the key areas of existing and emerging software techniques (such as Internet Enterprise Applications, Service Oriented Architecture and Web services) against competitive software market needs. a thorough understanding of products and services offered in the Telecommunication sector. acquired advanced knowledge in software engineering theory and practices. gained the ability to apply the knowledge acquired on the programme to designing, developing and testing software used in Telecommunication business. the ability to study, analyse, and critically evaluate research done in the area of software engineering and telecommunications. the academic and professional qualifications to pursue a further academic or professional career. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Graduates may pursue a career as a professional software engineer or software architect in software development companies or in the IT department of enterprises. The high-level professional skills allow graduates to quickly become an effective leader within the software industry. Furthermore, the specialisation in telecommunications enables graduates to work in specialised software houses, working, for example in the rapidly growing area of mobile or hand-held devices or in the IT departments of telecommunication companies. PROGRAMME UNITS Core Units Advanced Software Development Techniques Computer Networking and Internet Technologies Distributed Data Management Engineering Internet Applications Advanced Software Engineering Wireless and Mobile Telecommunications Contemporary Issues in ICT Industrial Group Project Dissertation Units Research Skills and Dissertation Preparation Dissertation Alternatively, graduates may undertake further research in the field. A number of our graduates have followed a research career by continuing with PhD studies in South-East European Research Centre (SEERC) or other academic institutions.
AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS MODES OF STUDY >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The programme is flexible and is offered in two modes: The full time programme runs from October to October (1 year), and consists of a taught programme of two semesters from October to June. The project component of the programme is undertaken in the summer period from June to October. Lectures are held three times a week in the evenings. The part time taught programme runs over two years. The project component is undertaken in the summer period from June to October of the second year. Lectures are held twice a week in the evenings. ADMISSION CRITERIA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Admissions are based on the candidate s academic record, experience, motivation and potential. Applicants are normally expected to hold, or to be about to achieve, a good Second Class Honours Degree from a University or similar institution. The programme is aimed at students who have a Bachelor s degree in Computer Science or in any other numerate or logical discipline. All applicants must have a fluent command of the English language (TOEFL: 575 or IELTS: 6,5 or equivalent qualifications). It might be considered as exaggeration but my life, concerning software development, is distinguished in a time before City College and time after. The MSc in Software Engineering and Telecommunications did not just provide me with a competitive title but more importantly with valuable knowledge and skills that were gained through hard work and a lot of effort. Through this course, I have learned not only trying to do the right things but also do the things right. Generally, the MSc course was an investment that deserved the effort and the time. Panagiotis Marantelos MSc graduate NEW REVISED PROGRAMME >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In June 2007, after five successful years of running, the programme went through a major revision in order to reflect current technological trends such as Enterprise Internet Applications and Web Services. DEGREE TITLE >>>>>>>> MSc in Software Engineering and Telecommunications The title is awarded directly by the University of Sheffield.
UNIT DESCRIPTIONS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ENGINEERING INTERNET APPLICATIONS This unit covers in depth, important aspects specific to Web application development and describes the contemporary core technologies used in web applications, such as XML, J2EE, Ajax, and Web Services. The unit prepares students for the development of Enterprise Internet Applications. Students develop a real-world project using the acquired knowledge and skills and work as a team following web software development process guidelines. ADVANCED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES This unit presents the task of software development within the context of a real world business environment. It focuses on: software engineering principles; object oriented analysis and design techniques (using the UML notation); well known design practices as design patterns; and the systematic testing of software. Students learn about software development activities by participating in a software project group, which develops a working software system and all the necessary accompanying documentation. Furthermore, students actively contribute to the lectures by reviewing and presenting material on software development topics. COMPUTER NETWORKING AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES This unit provides the student with a deep and thorough understanding of advanced concepts in selected areas of digital communications and computer networks and Internet Technologies, including data coding and error control, Local Area Networks, Data-Link layer protocols, Internetworking protocols and architectures, Transport layer protocols, circuit/packet switching, optical networks, network security and cryptography, etc. Emphasis is given to protocols, algorithms, architectures and performance analysis. The unit further aims to: a) enhance the graduate students comprehensive, analytical and critical thinking, by exposing them to advanced research paper work and b) provide the students with practical experience on inter-related networking issues and improve their synthetic and analytic capabilities, by means of network simulation projects. CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN ICT This unit aims to present the latest developments and various contemporary topics in the field of information and telecommunications technology (ICT). Through a series of seminars and lectures presented by industrial and academic experts in the field, students will become aware of the contemporary issues, problems, solutions and consequences in the rapidly developing area of ICT. ADVANCED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING The aim of this unit is to present contemporary topics in Software Engineering. It starts with a brief overview of software engineering principles and then focuses on modern approaches to software development such as Agile Methods (extreme Programming a.o.), software architecture, and advanced techniques and technologies such as Service Oriented Architecture, and formal methods. Students will actively contribute to the lectures, by reviewing and presenting material on contemporary software engineering topics. DISTRIBUTED DATA MANAGEMENT This unit covers topics involving advanced implementation techniques and specific applications of Advanced Database Systems, in particular, those relating to telecommunications applications. Topics such as transaction management, concurrency control, distributed database architectures and applications, data warehousing and data mining are the backbone of the module. Major emphasis is placed on contemporary issues in database technology as well as trends in commercial applications. WIRELESS AND MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS This unit focuses on providing students with a deep understanding of the concepts of Wireless and Mobile Telecommunications as applied in today s Transmission Systems and Cellular Networks. Emphasis is given into describing the real life applications of Wireless Systems. Students will learn about the most current applications of wireless networks in voice and data communications and will be encouraged to actively contribute to the lectures by presenting and discussing their work on the course s practical exercises. INDUSTRIAL GROUP PROJECT The aim of this unit is to introduce the student to real life project environments. From within the structure of a group, and with the help of local companies, the students are presented with a certain problem definition, which needs to be solved. Students work in close cooperation with experts from the client company and college lecturers, and are required to present their final implementation as well as all relevant documentation to the client company. RESEARCH SKILLS & DISSERTATION PREPARATION This unit intends to introduce students to the research topics and techniques that are commonly employed in software engineering and telecommunication science. Students will be exposed to the principles of report writing, literature reviewing, and research designs and approaches. These research approaches will include the design of data collection and analysis methods, as well as representation and interpretation of the results. An introduction to tools facilitating quantitative and qualitative analysis will also be provided. The unit is enriched with a number of exercises, case studies and discussions and concludes with practical guidelines of how to write a successful dissertation.
WHY CHOOSE CITY? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY DEGREE CITY is an affiliated institution of the University of Sheffield, one of the leading universities in Britain. All degrees are awarded directly from the University of Sheffield. It is a unique opportunity allowing you to undertake a University of Sheffield Master s or Bachelor s degree programme whilst studying in Thessaloniki, Greece. EXCELLENT ACADEMIC STAFF AND RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT CITY is proud of its full time academic staff. 70% hold a PhD degree, all the professors are experienced teachers with a professional background and have carried out substantial research work. CITY is strongly committed to research and heartily encourages and supports its staff in promoting their research and publications. www.city.academic.gr EXCELLENT PROVISION FOR STUDENTS CITY offers a number of different support student services, aiming to help students to integrate to their academic and social life. The International Affairs Office, the Accommodation Office, the Career Office, the Student Affairs Office and the English Language Support Unit are some of the services provided. EXCELLENT JOB AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: STRONG LINKS WITH THE INDUSTRY The unemployment rate of CITY s graduates is very low! All graduates are employed within a short period after their graduation, in a wide variety of companies, services and banks. CITY maintains strong links with the industry and the professions through its Industrial Liaison Board, keeping thus its courses, its academic staff and its students updated and the courses relevant, evolving with professional developments. A LIVELY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COMMUNITY CITY offers a very lively environment that has a truly multicultural feel with students from more than 15 countries. It has an open and integrated international student community. A CITY CENTRE CAMPUS CITY is situated in 4 impressive buildings in the centre of the city and offers the students access to numerous facilities. LIVE AND STUDY IN A BEAUTIFUL, SAFE AND INEXPENSIVE CITY The city of Thessaloniki is considered the best city to study in! It is a very beautiful city, situated on the sea front. It offers everything a big city is supposed to offer, without loosing the benefits of a city its size, therefore being a great and safe place to live and study! In comparison to other European Countries and USA, Greece has a relatively much lower cost of everyday living. HEAD OFFICES, ADMISSIONS' OFFICE TSIMISKI BUILDING 13, TSIMISKI STR. 546 24 TEL.:(+30) 2310 224 186, 2310 275 575 FAX: (+30) 2310 287 564 STEIN BUILDING 2, KALAPOTHAKI STR. 546 24 TEL.: (+30) 2310 224 026, 2310 224 080 FAX: (+30) 2310 224 061 KOROMILA BUILDING 24, PROXENOU KOROMILA STR, 546 22 TEL.: (+30) 2310 224 421 FAX: (+30) 2310 269 095 SEERC BUILDING 17, MITROPOLEOS STR. 546 24 TEL.: (+30) 2310 253 477, 2310 253 478 acadreg@city.academic.gr CITY OPERATES AS A LABORATORY OF LIBERAL STUDIES UNDER THE LIBERAL STUDIES BILL (ACT No 9, 1935). IT AWARDS ONLY CERTIFICATES OF STUDIES. THE DEGREES ARE AWARDED DIRECTLY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD.