Graduate Diploma in IT

bookworm192398 · 29-08-2008 10:17PM #1

Hi, I'm looking at various IT courses and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the Graduate Diploma in IT in DCU? Any opinions/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

AlanSparrowhawk · 29-08-2008 10:21PM

I'm just about to start it, so I'll tell you in a few months.

irish59575 · 30-08-2008 03:08PM

I am about to start this course and any opinions from people who have taken it would be appreciated. Is it a well recognised qualification?

Royale with Cheese · 30-08-2008 05:55PM

Woohoo I'm doing it too. I was planning on just getting a grounding in I.T. and deciding which route I want to go down, then going on to do professional exams to get there. Or just getting an entry level I.T. job and working my way up to whatever area of I.T. I want to be in.

friday1 · 10-09-2008 06:48PM

I am doing this course in September also. Not sure if you noticed but the course has been changed. There is now eight modules instead of ten.

Here are the modules on the course now:

CA668 - eCommerce Infrastructure 7.5

CA665 - System & User Interaction Development 7.5

CA664 - Advanced Programming 7.5

CA651 - Introduction to Networks & Op Systems 7.5

CA669 - Web Design and Implementation 7.5

CA667 - Information Systems Framework 7.5

CA662 - Database Design 7.5

CA591 - Object Orientated Programming 7.5

I can't find anything on these modules on the dcu website. I presume the moodle system has more info. I can't access that at the moment.

irish59575 · 10-09-2008 07:48PM

Yes I see that, registered online today, didnt get any info in the post yet or anything. Looks like they have changed the modules to 7.5 credits instead of 5, seems like a better setup. Dont like the look of the second semester timetable though, its all over the place

H2G2 · 11-09-2008 10:01AM

irish59575 wrote: »

Looks like they have changed the modules to 7.5 credits instead of 5, seems like a better setup.

Yup, all postgrad programmes in CA have been altered from 5 to 7.5 credits. Net effect is less modules (and exams), but more contents per module. Should be a more "student friendly" system.

irish59575 wrote: »

Dont like the look of the second semester timetable though, its all over the place

Thats last years timetable for semester 2, not this years. This years semester 2 timetable won't be out till January.

irish59575 · 11-09-2008 01:37PM

Are you sure about the timetable, it seems to be reflecting the new modules, and I am pretty sure it was different to that when I looked at it a couple of weeks ago

Royale with Cheese · 13-09-2008 03:31PM

Yeah I noticed that. What modules did they drop?

doranusan · 15-09-2008 07:33PM

Hey all. Looking forward to starting at the end of the month. The dropped modules were Computer Architecture and Operating systems (CA582) from Semester 1, and Software Engineering (CA586) from Semester 2.

CA582 was a 7.5 cred module introducing assembly languange programming, and computer architecture, basically learning what all the parts of a computer do, and an intro to how processors work. It had 3 hours of lectures, and 2 hours of labs per week.

CA586 looked like an intro to the sort of stuff you'd need to work in industry as a programmer. How to work in a group, how to check for bugs and other stuff. It was 5 creds, and had about 4 hours per week in lectures, and little or no labs.

Maybe the material from these modules is being split between some of the other modules, but the 1st and second semester programming were already 7.5 credits implying a fair bit of learning, and so was the networking module. The networking module was changed to networking and Operating systems however, and almost all of the modules had their codes changed to 6xx numbers, so all in all, I'd say this course is going to be quite a bit different than previous years.

AlanSparrowhawk · 19-09-2008 04:13PM

doranusan wrote: »

Hey all. Looking forward to starting at the end of the month. The dropped modules were Computer Architecture and Operating systems (CA582) from Semester 1, and Software Engineering (CA586) from Semester 2.

CA582 was a 7.5 cred module introducing assembly languange programming, and computer architecture, basically learning what all the parts of a computer do, and an intro to how processors work. It had 3 hours of lectures, and 2 hours of labs per week.

CA586 looked like an intro to the sort of stuff you'd need to work in industry as a programmer. How to work in a group, how to check for bugs and other stuff. It was 5 creds, and had about 4 hours per week in lectures, and little or no labs.

Maybe the material from these modules is being split between some of the other modules, but the 1st and second semester programming were already 7.5 credits implying a fair bit of learning, and so was the networking module. The networking module was changed to networking and Operating systems however, and almost all of the modules had their codes changed to 6xx numbers, so all in all, I'd say this course is going to be quite a bit different than previous years.

Thanks for that. I'm not sure what to make of the course changes, have to wait and see I suppose. Anything we need to do before sept. 29th?

irish59575 · 21-09-2008 10:34AM

Don't think so, there is no orientation as far as I can see and student cards are being given out on the first day

friday1 · 22-09-2008 11:11AM

BTW, the descriptions of the modules on the course has been updated here:

http://www.dcu.ie/registry/module_contents.php?function=4&programme=GDF

2Poc · 24-09-2008 01:37PM

Hi, I'm starting year 2 of this course (part time) this year.

On the whole the course is good, I already work in IT & have done for 9 years so for me this course is moreso a route to the MSc course after the diploma, as although I have a lot of experience & have done lots of technical courses I presently don't have any formal qualifications.

If you are doing this course as a route to get into IT then its not a bad place to start but be prepared to put in a lot of work.

The programming skills you will learn are useful but basic and while applicable in the real world won't be enough to enable you to jump right in.

I.e. you won't find many people programming DOS style interfaces in Java these days

Anyway, good luck to you all & if I can answer any of your questions let me know.

doranusan · 24-09-2008 04:03PM

Thanks 2poc. Does anyone know anything more about the Msc? Basically, what I'd like to know is, what are the hours like on it, evening or day, and would it be possible to hold a full time job whilst doing it? The prospectus says it's part time but that's all I could find.

2Poc · 24-09-2008 04:17PM

No probs.

Don't know much about the MSC beyond what you mention above other than it will be suited to someone with a full time job.

The impression I got is that it is mostly done in your own time with just some periodic meetings with your DCU Mentor along the way.

Are people here mostly doing the part time or full time course?

doranusan · 24-09-2008 04:55PM

Sounds Good. Have any changes been made to the part-time course similar to the ones made to the full-time one?

irish59575 · 24-09-2008 11:49PM

Thanks 2Poc for the info, I am starting the full time course next week and also plan to aim for the MSc next year, all going well with grades of course!

2Poc · 25-09-2008 04:00PM

No changes to the part time course structure that I'm aware of.

I think its a good plan to go for the MSc alright, keeping up your average is very important & will require lots of hard work if you don't have a technical background.

The modules in the first semester are simple enough, so you should be Ok with these. It gets trickier in the second semester, I found the network side of things quite difficult.

To do well on the course you need to get a good grasp of programming concepts from an early stage as Java will be used throughout.

So if you are struggling in the first semester - sort it out.

I'm not sure who your lecturer will be as Nora who was teaching it last year has since retired.

I would be happy to help out people if they're stuck (in what limited time I have available) - just give me a shout via PM or something.
I'll be in DCU 3 evenings a week too so if people are really stuck on something I can give a dig out in one of the labs some evening.

Best of Luck !

Jewelsster · 26-09-2008 11:52AM

The MSc in IT is a part-time RESEARCH degree so it's not taught classes. You would meet with your supervisor as often (or as little) as you need to so you could certainly work full-time while doing it but will need to make sure you set aside a certain amount of hours a week to work on it.

irish59575 · 27-09-2008 03:35PM

Thanks 2Poc for the advise and no doubt you will be taken up on that offer of help, will keep in touch as the year goes on

davty10 · 30-09-2008 10:33PM

i graduated in this course in 2002, tough course , long hours. I have been in It for last 5 years and am considering a career change. Be careful before you take this course, its a career of staring into a computer screen for 6+ hours /day....think about it..

2Poc · 01-10-2008 09:05AM

davty10 wrote: »

i graduated in this course in 2002, tough course , long hours. I have been in It for last 5 years and am considering a career change. Be careful before you take this course, its a career of staring into a computer screen for 6+ hours /day....think about it..

IT can be tough but if you get the right job there is good money involved.
You need to make the right moves from early on in your IT career & never stop learning & taking courses.

[throws money in the air as maidens feed him grapes]

davty10 · 01-10-2008 04:44PM

I agree it can be and is now paying above average for me, however I stare into a computer all day and its extrememly draining, do not follow money!

2Poc · 01-10-2008 04:52PM

davty10 wrote: »

I agree it can be and is now paying above average for me, however I stare into a computer all day and its extrememly draining, do not follow money!

Can be draining alright. Horses for courses though.

Not to go off topic too much but what end of IT are you working in Davty10?
Are you software/hardware/programmer/qa/designer/manager ?

davty10 · 01-10-2008 08:43PM

I am in infrastructure support for a multi-national organisation. I suppose the industry tag would be a Senior Systems Admin. What about yourself? However I hasten to add that skills in IT will allow you travel the world as you can pick up work very easily.

2Poc · 02-10-2008 09:15AM

davty10 wrote: »

I am in infrastructure support for a multi-national organisation. I suppose the industry tag would be a Senior Systems Admin. What about yourself? However I hasten to add that skills in IT will allow you travel the world as you can pick up work very easily.

I'm currently working as lead developer in a large online services company.

Haven't done much with hardware/sys admin myself, started off in QA, moved into Development & progressed from there.

I guess systems admin is quite different from the role of a programmer or QA.
I think the main problem with being a sys admin is if you have to support users.
"Each time they build a better system, they build a better idiot" & all that...

Its a tough & responsible job too with a lot of you guys having to be available for outside hours support too.
Great for 'hands on' people though & I've worked with some very good guys in the past.

I think QA is by far the easiest way to get your foot in the door & a good starting point for someone to get experience in a software company.

The key thing about doing well in any IT role is that you have to be smart.
If I am interviewing people I am looking for 'cop on' more so than specific skills in a particular programming language.

Unfortunately, 'cop on' can be thin on the ground at times

Anyhow, if you are changing careers - good luck with it. Its a brave move but one to be respected if you're not happy enough in what you're doing.

davty10 · 02-10-2008 07:41PM

Yes, I agree with alot of what you say, horses for courses etc . I am just advising people to be cognisant that working in IT is largely dealing with problem after problem and I would question where the Job satisfaction comes from sometimes. I often equate some of these large applications that service an entire organisation to a large snowball rolling downhill, our Job as IT professionals is to ensure the ball keeps rolling without gathering to much snow by triming the edges but at the same time running back to pick up sections of it that have fallen off and re-locate them into the exact same spot they de-attached from as the ball is moving. This as you can imagine could become a pain in the posterior after some time and may make one cynical!

Anyway this is just my view!!

2Poc · 03-10-2008 09:56AM

Good analogy

I think therein is the difference between systems admin & software development though.

Developers are building things & improving things, each time they release a product there is a sense of achievement & completion & if you're on time & lucky - bonus

QA is quite like systems admin in that it is constantly working with problems rather than actually building anything.

Which I can well understand would get *tiring*

irish_boy90 · 03-10-2008 12:12PM

2Poc wrote: »

Good analogy

I think therein is the difference between systems admin & software development though.

Developers are building things & improving things, each time they release a product there is a sense of achievement & completion & if you're on time & lucky - bonus

QA is quite like systems admin in that it is constantly working with problems rather than actually building anything.

Which I can well understand would get *tiring*

Thats where money comes in?

davty10 · 03-10-2008 04:42PM

Irish_boy - Thats the point I am trying to make, when you are sitting at your desk midway through the week looking into some random server blue screen issue that has happen for the nth time this week after several attempts to fix it, then and only then does job satisfaction raise its ugly head and money does not come into the equation!

Anyway I'm quite enjoying this little rant about pro's and con's of IT, underneath all the cynicism I do appreciate that I actually have a Job that pays the bills..but hey its fun to moan!!

Graduate Diploma in IT

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