MSc Computer Science conversion

JK91

Has anybody in or out of UCD done this course and if so how did you find it? I'd be very interested to know from people who came from a non-Computer Science background before starting this degree how hard they found it, and if they would recommend it or recommend against it? I will be brutally honest, I have next to know background in Computer Science or IT, but I am very interested in the course nonetheless. However I'm worried that it may be a bit difficult for people with no Computer Science/ IT background. Any help would be appreciated.

OneOfThem Stumbled

JK91 wrote: »

Has anybody in or out of UCD done this course and if so how did you find it? I'd be very interested to know from people who came from a non-Computer Science background before starting this degree how hard they found it, and if they would recommend it or recommend against it? I will be brutally honest, I have next to know background in Computer Science or IT, but I am very interested in the course nonetheless. However I'm worried that it may be a bit difficult for people with no Computer Science/ IT background. Any help would be appreciated.

While it's technically possible to do the course without any IT/Comp Sci background (as the course tries to cover all aspects from beginner to expert) it would be a gruelling experience. It takes no prisoners.

If you have a background in business the other conversion course (MSc in iBusiness in Smurfit) might be worth a look

Riamfada

I have just finished the first semester of this course. There are two things that I will take away from it. If you are remotely computer literate you can manage it as they start at a very basic level. The only downside with this is that there is a fairly steep learning curve and a large quantity of new information to process.

As a result the course is highly time consuming. I am working part time (Sat and Sun) and finding it very difficult to maintain. I do not recall a social life and I have had to sacrifice my hobbies (golf/scuba/hiking) but it really does seem to be worth it. There is, I am told, a high employment rate of graduates of this course, many of which are offered positions prior to finals.

As the above poster has highlighted, there are no prisoners.

Any further questions feel free to send a PM.

R

Doug89

I'm the same as Riamfada, just finished the first semester.

I did commerce and French for my undergrad, liked computers but I wouldn't have had any kind of technical ability.

Steep steep learning curve, especially in Java (to be honest, I would have a look at the likes of thenewboston.org and play around with a bit of programming and see what you think), I really went into it blind and was way over my head at the beginning.

Overall I'm happy with the course, but it's killed my social life, I'm looking forward to the 3 semesters that are left, and as said above, job prospects seem good. One thing to bear in mind - I think I heard that this is the last year that the HEA are funding IT masters courses, which would see the fees go waaaaaaay up, you can look into that yourself sure.

And yeah, any questions feel free to ask.

bennyineire

I've just finished the course and yep I've been reliable informed that this year is the last year that the course will be funded so be prepared to pay 6-10 k for the course. I came from an engineering background but I was always comfortable with computers and software and I found the course good but like previous posts there is a steep learning curve, I finally have my weekends back after 15 months. I would say that if your not comfortable messing around with computers and find it hard to do basic tasks like updating a driver then this course is not for you.
Depending on what grad your looking for will determine how much work you have to put in, I've always aimed for a 2:1 and it looks like I'm gonna get it and if your happy with a 2:1 I would recommend putting in about 2 hours a day plus the odd weekend cram for finishing projects and exams, if you want a 1:1 (which is achievable) your looking at 4-6 hours a day.
When I say 2 hours a day I mean on top of your course work, if you guys have anymore questions please ask.
BTW job prospects are v.good, I'm starting a job in 2 weeks and about 1/4 of out class have job offers even though out results aren't out till January and I believe the previous course had full employment.

donegal11

bennyineire wrote: »

BTW job prospects are v.good, I'm starting a job in 2 weeks and about 1/4 of out class have job offers even though out results aren't out till January and I believe the previous course had full employment.

What sort of jobs have graduates being getting ?

bennyineire

So far as I can tell development but these peps started applying from 3-4 months ago, but I can tell in my opinion the most in demand jobs at the minute is in software development and by a distant second cloud and visualization computing

SeaDaily

How would job prospects differ between the graduates of this masters and students who do the four year computer science degree? This is just out of curiosity as I'm wondering would you be better off with this masters than you would doing the normal computer science degree and not doing a masters at the end.

piroda

Hi. Do any of you know when applications this course for 2014/2015 will be open? I was informed that they may be changing this course to a higher diploma from 2014 onwards. Is this true??

donegal11

piroda wrote: »

Hi. Do any of you know when applications this course for 2014/2015 will be open? I was informed that they may be changing this course to a higher diploma from 2014 onwards. Is this true??

it was a higher diploma up until 5 years ago.Perhaps there looking for funding under ictskills program which covers higher diploma conversions but not masters.

Durz0 Blint

I know two people who took the course and they both struggled.

TBH they were doing it for a job not because they had an interest in it and it really showed. The course seems very intense and they both had concerns with the teaching (I never asked for specifics about their problems though).

One ended up dropping it. You can try programming before you start the course by getting one of the many introductory textbooks on the subject to get a feel for whether or not you would enjoy it. IMO programming is something many people struggle with no matter how hard they try while others really take to it (a very logical mind helps) so trying it out beforehand is worthwhile.

Best of luck with whatever you do

bennyineire

https://www.wibit.net/ this is a really good site for learning basic coding, if you have a go do the languages in order except for objective C and C# as they are not taught in this course. This is a good site for introducing you to programming and the guys who do the lectures are funny funkers however it's still pretty basic and the coding you do in the course will be a lot tougher.
If you find this fun and pretty easy then you might enjoy programming but if not then maybe programming might not be for you.
This course is not all programming by the way and in relation to the class I reckon about 1/3 were naturally good at coding and enjoyed it and got good marks, 1/3 (like me) struggled a bit but with lots of hard work got through it. 1/3 defiantly really struggled but they also struggled with the other modules.
From what I can gather about 1/3 of the course will be working as programmers and the rest of us will/have roles in web development/sys admin/I.T. Support/application support.
If your good at programming you will get a job not problem straight away, the other jobs are a bit harder to get without experience .

SmashingPilot

I completed the course at Christmas too. It's intense enough but if you've any aptitude at all for programming you'll be fine.
I was offered a job the day before our results with a consultancy company and am currently in South Africa on training for three weeks, all expenses paid. The course was definitely worth doing for me.

millio

Anybody hear when applications are going to be open? Or hear for sure if it will be a H.Dip or an Msc?

donegal11

millio wrote: »

Anybody hear when applications are going to be open? Or hear for sure if it will be a H.Dip or an Msc?

There two fees listed in the ucd fees for 2014, a hdip and msc conv with increased fees

Pitmaster

Hi Guys,
I have some questions in terms of CS conversion course:

Is there any day off during the week ? Maybe Friday ?
Presence at classes is obligatory ?

Thanks, Peter

AMysteriousCat

Does anyone have any tips for those considering doing the course next year?

For context I have no comp sci background (it's Business & Law) but I've always been interested in technology. I understand that it's a very difficult course, but for right now I'm more concerned with ascertaining whether or not it's for me, so if anyone could suggest some worthwhile online resources for that purpose I'd be much obliged (e.g. I've heard Zed's "Learn Python the Hard Way" is a good one?).

Pitmaster

I heard that form this year the course is likely to be changed to a one-year Higher Diploma in Computer Science with the possibility of progressing on to a Master’s, subject to meeting the required criteria.

AMysteriousCat

I emailed to inquire, and my understanding is that it is indeed a possibility likelihood.

I can't imagine this would take anything away from the course, though? Although I am concerned about how long the course would wind up taking in full. Can't spend forever in college!

UPDATE: It seems that the plan is, as of next year, to turn the Masters into a HDip. Sufficiently qualified students will then be able to progress to the MSc in Computer Science (Negotiated Learning).

I'm a little disappointed - I was hoping not to have to spend too long back in college, but both courses together would take up about 2 years, full-time (the Masters can apparently be sat part-time over 24 months). Still, not giving up on it yet. Seems like it could mean a more comprehensive education? Just hope the combined fees aren't crazy.

Riamfada

Im in the course at the moment. its pretty hard going. Not necessarily the content but more the time constraints. No days off during the week, it is very much full time.

AMysteriousCat

Riamfada wrote: »

Im in the course at the moment. its pretty hard going. Not necessarily the content but more the time constraints. No days off during the week, it is very much full time.

Wouldn't have a problem with this, to be honest. At the moment my big concern is "Is it for me?" and to work that out I'm starting with "Learn Python the Hard Way".

After that, I figure if it goes well I'll do a bit more independent study and make my decision then.

One thing I'd wonder about - and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, Riamfada - I was told by someone who'd be about the school of science quite often in UCD that he'd heard a lot of computer science grads get stuck in dead-end jobs debugging software.

I'm sceptical of that, myself (the Masters courses seem pretty comprehensive) - would you mind giving me your thoughts? Again, no offence intended.

millio

Does anyone have any thoughts on how this course in UCD measures up against the (HDip in Computer Science in Maynooth)?

Does anybody know if the course in Maynooth is worth going for instead of waiting to see if this goes ahead?

Hoku

millio wrote: »

Does anyone have any thoughts on how this course in UCD measures up against the (HDip in Computer Science in Maynooth)?

Does anybody know if the course in Maynooth is worth going for instead of waiting to see if this goes ahead?

They're very different courses. According to the NIUM website, you must already have 3 years of CompSci under your belt. The UCD course is actually a conversion that requires no prior knowledge of computer science (although general competency in the field definitely helps).

NUI Maynooth Website wrote:

The Higher Diploma in Science (Computer Science) is a postgraduate course intended for graduates whose primary degree included 3-year’s study of Computing. On completion of the course participants would be expected to reach a level of competence equivalent to that of a four year BSc graduate in Computer Science.

Pitmaster

The School of Computer Science has taken the decision to completely review the M.Sc. in Computer Science (Conversion) Course in terms of its structure, content, target and delivery. The course has therefore been suspended for 2014-15, and it is anticipated that it will re-commence in September 2015.

source : ucd website

delta_bravo

This course is starting again this September and I'm considering it. Would like to hear from any graduates from the course how they are doing now in terms of employment and prospects. Thanks

Pitmaster

delta_bravo wrote: »

This course is starting again this September and I'm considering it. Would like to hear from any graduates from the course how they are doing now in terms of employment and prospects. Thanks

I've been hearing that many graduates have had problems with getting jobs in IT in Ireland.

You can search in google:
"site:linkedin.com msc in computer science conversion"

delta_bravo

Pitmaster wrote: »

I've been hearing that many graduates have had problems with getting jobs in IT in Ireland.

You can search in google:
"site:linkedin.com msc in computer science conversion"

thanks. Yeah just had a search there. Looks like employers aren't regarding these conversion courses very highly.

Riamfada

I did this course and I appear on that list. Some people went straight into jobs others are finding it more difficult. I wouldnt expect to come straight out of this course into a good job. You may have to intern first to get the experience required to apply for entry level positions.

OM909

Has anyone been accepted into this course for 2015/2016?

I applied for the course in early March and only found out yesterday that I wasn't offered a place. My background is in Business, which I studied for 4 years and achieved a First Class Honours in. I thought I would have had a good chance at being accepted. I'm gutted. I have worked part-time the past year since graduating and was really hoping to get into IT through this course. It's hard enough to get a job in IT, so imagine how difficult is to land a job without an official IT background (I did study some IT based modules such as Web Design and Databases). From researching online, it sounds like even CS graduates aren't exactly walking into job either. But they have a better chance and it is the best way forward in the long term.

Has anyone else been rejected also? I imagine the demand was high this year after the course being unavailable for a year.

Jhax

I'm planning on applying by the end of this week once I get all my stuff together. As mentioned above I think the course has been restructured for this year. Perhaps they've made it more difficult or aren't sure how students with very little to no IT experience will cope so that's why they are reluctant to accept them.

Can I ask how long it took for you to get a response from the course?

OM909

Jhax wrote: »

I'm planning on applying by the end of this week once I get all my stuff together. As mentioned above I think the course has been restructured for this year. Perhaps they've made it more difficult or aren't sure how students with very little to no IT experience will cope so that's why they are reluctant to accept them.

Can I ask how long it took for you to get a response from the course?

After filling out and providing all the necessary paper work through the UCD application process online, I received an email saying that my application had been received and then thanked me for my interest in the course. A day later, I was asked for transcript of results for all college years and to upload my Leaving Cert results also. After that, my application was complete. It was a month later and I was growing impatient, so I emailed them to ask if they could estimate a date when applicants will be informed about offers. They emailed back and said that I wasn't successful and that they were sorry for not informing me sooner. So the way I see it is had I not emailed them, I probably wouldn't have been informed that I didn't get into the program. That was very annoying. I also emailed back to ask was there and a reason as to why I wasn't successful, to which there has been no response. Again, very annoying. They could at least have said why.

stainluss

I heard its hard for graduates of this program to get Software Engineering roles, with LinkedIn seeming to also suggest this.
Is it possible for high-performing graduates to get full-blown engineering roles (e.g. for SaaS)?

I'm still undecided between whether to do this or a bootcamp in the US...

Jhax

I think it really depends on what your background is. I have an engineering degree and I hope that along with this course will get me a job.

amcdonagh

Hi there,

Wondering if someone can help me - I am also considering this course.
I have just completed the BComm degree in UCD and have worked part time for a software company throughout the last year. I have recently joined them on a full time basis in a sales role but want to improve my tech knowledge in order to progress within my career.
Would this course be suitable in facilitating this? Or is this course more applicable to those wishing to do software development etc?

Any feedback or help would be much appreciated!
Thanks a mil

delta_bravo

amcdonagh wrote: »

Hi there,

Wondering if someone can help me - I am also considering this course.
I have just completed the BComm degree in UCD and have worked part time for a software company throughout the last year. I have recently joined them on a full time basis in a sales role but want to improve my tech knowledge in order to progress within my career.
Would this course be suitable in facilitating this? Or is this course more applicable to those wishing to do software development etc?

Any feedback or help would be much appreciated!
Thanks a mil

I did the Springboard Hdip Course which mirrors the masters for the first year so I'll give you my experience which may be of some help.

Prior to the course I had pretty much zero coding knowledge but would've been comfortable enough around technology. Did Humanities in College and was working for a good few years after this. Semester One involved Python as the sole programming language to learn the fundamentals of programming and then more theoretical modules in Operating Systems, Comp Architecture and Networks. Also did a Databases module using mySql and theory. A mix of practicals and assignments with a few exams at the end.

Semester 2 was a huge increase in difficulty and workload. We did Java, Data Analytics (using Python), Data Structures, Web Development and Software Engineering. The Software Engineering module would be probably the closest equivalent to the 3rd year project IT undergrads do as it involved a 3 person project. There was a big leap in workload between semester 1 and 2 but the content you are learning is more practical to getting a job after.

After that semester finishes the majority of the class are proceeding to the masters and do a summer research project and then join in with the masters student to do one semester of modules from the negotiated learning masters. The HEA fund fees entirely up until the HDip stage and you pay after that (think it's about 3k).

If you only want to do the HDip you must secure a placement of 12 weeks for the summer or find a job that uses the skills of the course. This is the route I went down as my main motivation of doing the course was finding a job. A few people earlier mentioned finding work was difficult. I'd say I applied for 40+ different grad posts and entry level roles. It's tough as you're competing with undergrads with a few years more education but I recommend you highlight your other non-IT skills from previous employment. I think though that you have to expect a lot of rejection by HR as your cvs are easy to filter due to lack of technical experience. In the end I got about 4 face to face interviews and 2 job offers, one of which was a software development role. Overall I would recommend the course but you have to really put the work in if you're coming from limited technical experience. UCD will push the masters and perhaps if you're straight out of undergrad without working that might be a good call. Hope that helps you or others thinking about it.

amcdonagh

Many thanks for your reply - sorry I'm only getting back to you now! I've been away for the past few days.

Thanks for all the information - it's hugely beneficial. I'm not sure the springboard course is applicable to me as I just started a full time role with a software company. But I'll look further into it as it seems to be a great way of completing the course.

I have some technical knowledge and prior learning but it's limited - hence why I'm thinking of taking the course. I'm working in sales at the moment but want to ensure I'm able to answer any question that is thrown at me during a meeting and I feel I'm limited with my current knowledge base so looking to improve on that! I want to be sure this course is right for me before undertaking it as it's quite a costly investment.

Thanks again for all your help!

delta_bravo wrote: »

I did the Springboard Hdip Course which mirrors the masters for the first year so I'll give you my experience which may be of some help.

Prior to the course I had pretty much zero coding knowledge but would've been comfortable enough around technology. Did Humanities in College and was working for a good few years after this. Semester One involved Python as the sole programming language to learn the fundamentals of programming and then more theoretical modules in Operating Systems, Comp Architecture and Networks. Also did a Databases module using mySql and theory. A mix of practicals and assignments with a few exams at the end.

Semester 2 was a huge increase in difficulty and workload. We did Java, Data Analytics (using Python), Data Structures, Web Development and Software Engineering. The Software Engineering module would be probably the closest equivalent to the 3rd year project IT undergrads do as it involved a 3 person project. There was a big leap in workload between semester 1 and 2 but the content you are learning is more practical to getting a job after.

After that semester finishes the majority of the class are proceeding to the masters and do a summer research project and then join in with the masters student to do one semester of modules from the negotiated learning masters. The HEA fund fees entirely up until the HDip stage and you pay after that (think it's about 3k).

If you only want to do the HDip you must secure a placement of 12 weeks for the summer or find a job that uses the skills of the course. This is the route I went down as my main motivation of doing the course was finding a job. A few people earlier mentioned finding work was difficult. I'd say I applied for 40+ different grad posts and entry level roles. It's tough as you're competing with undergrads with a few years more education but I recommend you highlight your other non-IT skills from previous employment. I think though that you have to expect a lot of rejection by HR as your cvs are easy to filter due to lack of technical experience. In the end I got about 4 face to face interviews and 2 job offers, one of which was a software development role. Overall I would recommend the course but you have to really put the work in if you're coming from limited technical experience. UCD will push the masters and perhaps if you're straight out of undergrad without working that might be a good call. Hope that helps you or others thinking about it.

Panline

delta_bravo wrote: »

I did the Springboard Hdip Course which mirrors the masters for the first year so I'll give you my experience which may be of some help.

Prior to the course I had pretty much zero coding knowledge but would've been comfortable enough around technology. Did Humanities in College and was working for a good few years after this. Semester One involved Python as the sole programming language to learn the fundamentals of programming and then more theoretical modules in Operating Systems, Comp Architecture and Networks. Also did a Databases module using mySql and theory. A mix of practicals and assignments with a few exams at the end.

Semester 2 was a huge increase in difficulty and workload. We did Java, Data Analytics (using Python), Data Structures, Web Development and Software Engineering. The Software Engineering module would be probably the closest equivalent to the 3rd year project IT undergrads do as it involved a 3 person project. There was a big leap in workload between semester 1 and 2 but the content you are learning is more practical to getting a job after.

After that semester finishes the majority of the class are proceeding to the masters and do a summer research project and then join in with the masters student to do one semester of modules from the negotiated learning masters. The HEA fund fees entirely up until the HDip stage and you pay after that (think it's about 3k).

If you only want to do the HDip you must secure a placement of 12 weeks for the summer or find a job that uses the skills of the course. This is the route I went down as my main motivation of doing the course was finding a job. A few people earlier mentioned finding work was difficult. I'd say I applied for 40+ different grad posts and entry level roles. It's tough as you're competing with undergrads with a few years more education but I recommend you highlight your other non-IT skills from previous employment. I think though that you have to expect a lot of rejection by HR as your cvs are easy to filter due to lack of technical experience. In the end I got about 4 face to face interviews and 2 job offers, one of which was a software development role. Overall I would recommend the course but you have to really put the work in if you're coming from limited technical experience. UCD will push the masters and perhaps if you're straight out of undergrad without working that might be a good call. Hope that helps you or others thinking about it.

Hey there,

Glad to hear you got a job. Best of luck in your new role. I wish ou well.

(former classmate) Pauline