M.Sc. in Computer Science (Conversion)

patriks

Hey guys,

Just wondering, could anybody further elucidate on the M.Sc. in Computer Science (Conversion) at UCD? (i.e. employment prospects, credibility of the course, content, tuition, college environment, etc.)

Thanks in advance!;)

omnisynergy

Only thing I know is tuition, according to the ucd website it's about €2,500.
I've heard it's a good course... I've been accepted anyway so I hope so

patriks

Hey!

Yeah, I've been offered a place too.
There's not a whole lot of information on the programme's webpage, but some of the advanced modules (Semester 4) look cool. I've tried emailing the department, but--as of yet--I haven't received any response.
Specifically, I was wondering, assuming students perform well, what level would they attain? 3-year/4-year CS B.Sc. standard? More? Less?
I'd also like to get some more information on how the course is viewed by prospective employers.
I know you're more or less in the same boat as me, but, if you receive any more information, could you post it here? If I receive anymore, I'll do likewise.

Cheers!;)

omnisynergy

Well I have a friend who did the undergraduate in Computer Science, and he said quite a few of the first three semesters is stuff he did in second year.

The advanced stuff is fourth year material plus masters material it seems.
He said I should have no problem doing it even though I don't have the undergraduate, and said that much of the material in his course was sort of useless, so I guess they took the "best of" the undergrad and put it into this masters along with some advanced material.

I know a guy who runs an IT company down here that said it was a good course, but that's about all I know. Anyway it seems IT is where all the jobs are, here's hoping!

CJTobin

Would you folks mind if I asked what undergraduate courses you're coming from? I'm science myself, but would strongly consider this course for my Masters.

omnisynergy

Strangely I come from a Fine Art degree!

coach22

i accepted my place on this course to today. really looking forward to starting it. i graduated with a civil law degree last year from galway so this will be totally different for me but im looking forward to the challenge. As far as i am aware some of the modules take place in the institute of public administration. As i am not from dublin i was wondering could anyone give me advice on where to get accomodation. is the institute close to ucd? i am not interested in paying extortionate prices for on-campus accomodation and dont want to be stuck with a bunch of party animal first years! any help with accomodation would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

CJTobin

Have you browsed www.daft.ie at all, Coach? I'm sure you'll find suitable accommodation there.

And Omnisynergy, nice avatar!

eclectichoney

coach22 wrote: »

i accepted my place on this course to today. really looking forward to starting it. i graduated with a civil law degree last year from galway so this will be totally different for me but im looking forward to the challenge. As far as i am aware some of the modules take place in the institute of public administration. As i am not from dublin i was wondering could anyone give me advice on where to get accomodation. is the institute close to ucd? i am not interested in paying extortionate prices for on-campus accomodation and dont want to be stuck with a bunch of party animal first years! any help with accomodation would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

My understanding was the lectures were all in UCD it's just that some of it was affiliated / taught by the IPA??

omnisynergy

coach22 wrote: »

i accepted my place on this course to today. really looking forward to starting it. i graduated with a civil law degree last year from galway so this will be totally different for me but im looking forward to the challenge. As far as i am aware some of the modules take place in the institute of public administration. As i am not from dublin i was wondering could anyone give me advice on where to get accomodation. is the institute close to ucd? i am not interested in paying extortionate prices for on-campus accomodation and dont want to be stuck with a bunch of party animal first years! any help with accomodation would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

Any where on a bus route, Ranelagh, Donnybrook, Dundrum is good for instance. Go for somewhere on the 10/46a bus route if possible.

Roro4Brit

Hey all,

I know there is no mention of this being delivered on a part time basis but have any of you heard it it is possible to do part time?

helimachoptor

Roro4Brit wrote: »

Hey all,

I know there is no mention of this being delivered on a part time basis but have any of you heard it it is possible to do part time?

Arent most other taught masters 1 year and this is 2 years so i'm presuming its part time??

Roro4Brit

helimachoptor wrote: »

Arent most other taught masters 1 year and this is 2 years so i'm presuming its part time??

No afaik this is a full time masters that has 4 semesters (1.5 years) due to the nature of the subject. I'm wondering if it delivered on a part time basis over an extended period of time like 6 semesters over 2 years...

eclectichoney

Roro4Brit wrote: »

No afaik this is a full time masters that has 4 semesters (1.5 years) due to the nature of the subject. I'm wondering if it delivered on a part time basis over an extended period of time like 6 semesters over 2 years...

In nearly all cases afaik, the part-timr option takes twice as long, so if it were available you would be looking at spending three years at it, in which case you may as well do a primary degree imo. Given the nature of it as an intense conversions course type programme I would not think a part-time option might be do-able as there seems to be a lot squeezed into it.

Does anyone have any more info on the IPA-linked parts?? Am I right in presuming they are still held on campus?

nialllarkin

RE: Course location and IPA involvement_

On the previous course, the lectures were split. Each of the first 3 semesters have 30 credits worth of tuition. 15 credits worth were given by the IPA (on Landsdowne Rd I think) and the other 15 were given on UCD campus.


It looks like the same set up for the 2010 intake..

Semester 1

• Programming and Data Structures [UCD]: 10 credits
• Databases and Information Systems (DBMS) [UCD]: 5 credits
• Certified Internet Web Professional Course [IPA] 15 credits

Semester 2

• Introduction to Computer Systems [IPA]: 15 credits
• Programming and Data Structures II [UCD]: 5 credits
• SQL Programming [UCD]: 5 credits
• Software Project - Part 1 [UCD]: 5 credits

Semester 3

• Systems Management and Networking [IPA] : 15 credits
• Software Project - Part 2 [UCD]: 15 credits

Semester 4

• Students can choose 30 credits worth of advanced modules from the MSc in Computer Science by Negotiated Learning.

RE: Part-time version of course

It might be worth looking into doing you MSc entirely via the negotiated learning pathway...they seem to offer a lot of flexiblity by that route.

conor.hogan.2

Interested if anyone knows any info on the details of the modules contents as some of the titles are vague and just in general any more info people would have.

Cheers.

omnisynergy

The IPA certify some of the course so you might like to check out their website here:
http://www.ipa.ie/training_it
Not sure if that means we have to spend some of the time learning in their center in Vergemount Hall?
It might be interesting to check out a couple of books on C++ programming and Java.
I have a contact in a computer company who is going to get back to me on more specifics of the course based on what it says on the UCD website...

TunaSaladBB

Hey guys,

I'm starting this course in a few weeks too and also trying to get some info on how to hit the ground running with it. I've found one of our modules on the course search on UCD site.

Search for databases and it's COMP20160 which is a seperate module to the one offered for Undergrad students. Runs over 7 weeks so must be quite condensed.

I've heard there'll be an induction session on Thursday 9th September but that's all I know at the moment.

I'm pretty psyched about starting this course; I'd say it'll be an intense 15 months to really get the most from it.

omnisynergy

Sounds pretty interesting, I've worked with mySQL a tiny bit in web design but don't really know much about it... Yet
Really excited too!

donmoister

Is this as good as a bachelor in computer science? You can work as a software engineer, upon completion of this course?

omnisynergy

Yes, many people in our class have already gotten jobs as software engineers.

donmoister

But would employers hold the Msc is the exact same regard as a Bsc in comp. sci? Would they favour someone with a Bsc over someone with an Msc? Also someone with a Bsc is more likely to have had industry experience...

omnisynergy

Members of our class have gotten interviews with Deloitte, Microsoft, Demonware (subsidiary of Activision) of the interviews I know about.
I think it's depends on your aptitude more than whether you have a Masters or a BSc.
If you have good grades you'll do well!
I had industry experience before I started the Masters, as do a few people in the class.

conor.hogan.2

If you are just starting college then I would personally go with the 4 year bsc just purely because you have a lot more time and free summers so you can learn more, get work experience and contribute to open source projects etc.

omnisynergy

I'm with Conor on that, if you're a little younger you might be better off going with the BSc. But you need a degree to do the Masters anyway.

conor.hogan.2

Good point, I forgot you needed the degree to do the course. There are a few people doing the negotiated learning masters who did not have a CS degree so depending on your experience I would recommend looking into that too.

If you have the time and money (2500 for this msc vs around a 1000? a year for the bsc along with other costs) look into the bsc, purely for the time to get more out of college experience.

omnisynergy

I got the impression the Negotiated Learning was more geared for IT Professionals than those with a degree anyway.

conor.hogan.2

Well there a lots of people in it who are straight out of other courses.
It is just a more flexible taught masters as far as I know.

omnisynergy

Yep I think so - also you have the option to do it part time, as far as I know the Conversion is not offered part time

Fad

omnisynergy wrote: »

I got the impression the Negotiated Learning was more geared for IT Professionals than those with a degree anyway.

Negotiated Learning seems to be more geared towards people with the CS/Maths/Physics/Engineering background.

It's a taught masters in CS, the conversion course is to get people from nothing to degree-ish level.

I'm confused as to why the conversion course is a masters and not just a long hdip, but Iunno, the UCD CS department is beyond strange at times.

omnisynergy

Funnily enough, although the conversion course is for those who no programming experience, there was a student of the Negotiated Learning who had never done any programming before and was taking that Masters. So if you're looking to do more programming you might be better off with the Conversion.

rainbow kirby

omnisynergy wrote: »

Funnily enough, although the conversion course is for those who no programming experience, there was a student of the Negotiated Learning who had never done any programming before and was taking that Masters.

Wouldn't surprise me if that was someone who wanted to focus on the Cognitive Science end of things.

omnisynergy

I don't think so as he was taking a beginner OOP course. There are a lot of modules in that area though. In the conversion you also get to take a semester's worth of modules from the Negotiated Learning.

Fad

omnisynergy wrote: »

Funnily enough, although the conversion course is for those who no programming experience, there was a student of the Negotiated Learning who had never done any programming before and was taking that Masters. So if you're looking to do more programming you might be better off with the Conversion.

Computer Science and Programming aren't the same thing though.

omnisynergy

Fad wrote: »

Computer Science and Programming aren't the same thing though.

I didn't say they were, I said that there wasn't as much programming covered in the Negotiated Learning.

donmoister

omnisynergy wrote: »

Well I have a friend who did the undergraduate in Computer Science, and he said quite a few of the first three semesters is stuff he did in second year.

The advanced stuff is fourth year material plus masters material it seems.
He said I should have no problem doing it even though I don't have the undergraduate, and said that much of the material in his course was sort of useless, so I guess they took the "best of" the undergrad and put it into this masters along with some advanced material.

I'm assuming you don't need to have a CS bachelor to do this Msc?

conor.hogan.2

donmoister wrote: »

I'm assuming you don't need to have a CS bachelor to do this Msc?

You are not allowed to have a CS degree.
If you have worked in CS or related fields or have a related degree they nudge you towards the negotiated learning, but as long as you have no CS degree you can do the conversion.

omnisynergy

In hindsight, there was only one course that we we took in the first year that was a copy of one of the undergraduate courses. That course was also taken over a shorter amount of time, so you are expected to do those courses more intensively than if you were in an undergraduate. All you really need is a strong interest in Computer Science and you'll do fine!

unclejoe

Hello,

I'm seriously considering applying for the 15 month Conversion course. Does anybody know much about the level of difficultly to be accepted for the course?
What is it that they are looking for in a student?
I have a Bsc in Behavioural Studies and no real computer background apart from a Computer Science module I did in first year of university. I imagine there is alot of people trying to get into this course what with the recession and recommendations that it is one of the few healthy industries in ireland.

Joe

murtron

Just wondering if anyone had any info on the entry requirements for this course? I've emailed the admissions office but am still awaiting a reply.

I have a 2:2 B.Comm degree from UCD, and have had some exposure to I.T. within the financial services industry. I am interested in starting this course next year but would like to know if I have a realistic chance of being accepted.

I imagine demand is quite high, especially with the reduced fees on offer? Any help appreciated:)

unclejoe

I just got a reply mail there from UCD saying it is for people with a primary degree in another subject at a 2:1 level or higher.
My degree is a 2:2 also so I'm a bit disappointed. I asked them if this meant I have no realistic chance to be accepted but no reply to that question yet.
There is a similar course in DCU I will have a look at.

unclejoe

Also, I forgot to say, they told me there are 60 places on the course.

omnisynergy

Apply for it any way, you never know...
Some modules have mathematical elements, but as long as you have an interest in Computer Science/Programming you should be able for the course.

unclejoe

Yea absolutely, I'll probably apply either way unless they tell me that definitely I would be flat out denied a place. I don't think that I would have any more difficulty then anybody else with the course. My degree is a Bsc so I have dealt with mathematical elements before, I wouldn't be too worried about that.
Omnisynergy did you say you had done the course? Did you know anybody that had gotten accepted with a 2:2?

omnisynergy

Yes but I think those people had a little bit of experience in the field. One person I know for sure didn't have experience and had a lower grade, but then again we were the first year of the course so they may have made exceptions.

unclejoe

Well that's good to know, but as you say they may have made exceptions in the first year. Also, factoring in that the course has gained credibility and there is more people trying to get into IT these days like myself, the outlook is not good. Still, there are other similar courses in the country. Do you know of other courses that are similar in Ireland you would recommend?

omnisynergy

I don't know much about any other courses I'm afraid! If you're really that interested in the course maybe you should try calling up the Computer Science school and having a word with one of the professors? Don't give up hope yet!

meemeep

omnisynergy wrote: »

I didn't say they were, I said that there wasn't as much programming covered in the Negotiated Learning.

I would disagree with that. It is possible to avoid programming on NL, but for serious coders there is plenty of scope since many of the modules include projects to develop APPs - you won't be taught how to code, you need to know it to begin with.

conor.hogan.2

Apply anyway, try to get a good recommendation from a lecturer when you apply.

omnisynergy

meemeep wrote: »

I would disagree with that. It is possible to avoid programming on NL, but for serious coders there is plenty of scope since many of the modules include projects to develop APPs - you won't be taught how to code, you need to know it to begin with.

But I think it's better to not be able to avoid programming

murtron

Thanks for that Joe. I'll definitely be applying for it anyway, see how it goes. If not, I think the graduate diploma in DCU is my best option.