Software Engineering (Dip)

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Glossary of Terms

Year 1 (30 Credits)

OptionalCT619: Object Oriented Programming

CT619: Object Oriented Programming

15 months long | Credits: 5

Object-Oriented Programming, provides detailed coverage of Object-Oriented (OO) programming principles. It focuses on programming in Java, an OO language that is modern, vendor-independent, and widely used in industry. Recognising that programming requires skill as well as knowledge, this module places emphasis on the practical aspects of developing significant Java programs using a professional development environment. Students also gain practical experience of program design, testing, and debugging. Specifically in this module, students learn how to model objects in software, define classes describing categories of objects, and make appropriate use of concepts such as inheritance, composition, encapsulation, polymorphism, abstract classes, and interfaces. As well as learning basic Java syntax and how to express OO concepts in Java, practical topics such as applets, graphics, data storage, multi-threaded programming, and exception handling are addressed.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe in detail Object-Oriented Programming concepts (e.g. classes, inheritance, composition, modularity, polymorphism)
2. Analyse and interpret complex Object-Oriented programs written in Java
3. Develop Object-Oriented solutions to programming problems, implement them in Java, test and debug them
4. Write code to demonstrate knowledge of array structures, files, applets, graphical programs, multi-threaded programming, and exceptions
5. Evaluate and justify decisions made in programs (e.g. selection of data types, choice of decision and repetition structures, use of inheritance or composition)

Assessments

• Department-based Assessment (100%)

Teachers

•  AISLING MONAHAN 🖂
  
•  MAJELLA O'DEA 🖂
  

OptionalCT621: Artificial Intelligence

CT621: Artificial Intelligence

15 months long | Credits: 5

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an introduction to some of the fundamental concepts and techniques in the area . The module begins by examining the concept of AI and as well highlighting some important real-world applications of AI. It then presents search strategies currently employed in AI research. This is developed further by the examination of the functional programming language Prolog. The second part of the module looks at Knowledge Representation and Machine Learning. It also deals with the topic of uncertainty in AI. The module finishes by examining future directions of AI research and associated philosophical dilemmas.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes

1. Define Artificial Intelligence
2. Use Predicate Calculus and outline the reasons for using Predicate Calculus
3. Describe various search techniques, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each
4. Demonstrate the value of heuristics in a search
5. Construct Prolog programs
6. Create representations (e.g. demonstrate how to represent objects, actions, events and situations; discuss how to reason about knowledge; and justify the selection of appropriate representations for a given application)
7. Explain the relevance of uncertainty to AI and outline approaches to handle uncertainty
8. Provide Machine Learning techniques appropriate for a range of different applications
9. Explain various applications of Artificial Intelligence, their strengths and limitations, and their position in relation to current research
10. Outline the philosophical underpinnings of Artificial Intelligence

Assessments

• Department-based Assessment (100%)

Teachers

•  AISLING MONAHAN 🖂
  
•  MAJELLA O'DEA 🖂
  

OptionalCT609: Fundamentals of Programming

CT609: Fundamentals of Programming

15 months long | Credits: 5

In MCT609, Fundamentals of Programming, students will receive a solid introduction to the art and science of computer programming. The emphasis is on the fundamentals of problem solving and program construction, with the high-level “C” language used as the vehicle for doing this. Upon successful completion, students will be capable of developing and maintaining useful software of reasonable size and complexity. The module is suitable for students with no previous experience of computer programming as well as those with moderate previous knowledge or knowledge of languages other than C. It will provide students with a solid foundation in the key concepts of functional programming, as well as an appreciation of object-oriented programming. The emphasis is on applied problem-solving skills as well as on the theoretical concepts underlying the programming activity. Although the module focuses specifically on the C language, students who have successfully completed it will typically find learning other high-level languages relatively easy, having learned the important skills and concepts of programming in this module.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes

1. Design and develop well-structured, modular, maintainable software programs using the C language
2. Understand and modify C programs written by other people
3. Design and develop C programs of substantial size, involving multiple source files and libraries imported from other programmers
4. Design and develop C programs of substantial algorithmic complexity, involving multiple nested control structures and multiple dimensioned arrays
5. Make competent use of pointers and dynamic memory allocation for flexible data storage
6. Make use of data structures and understand their relevance to object-oriented programming
7. Develop C programs that make use of disk files for persistent data storage
8. Transfer the principles of programming using C to other high-level programming languages

Assessments

• Continuous Assessment (100%)

Teachers

•  BONNIE LONG 🖂
  
•  AISLING MONAHAN 🖂
  
•  MAJELLA O'DEA 🖂
  

OptionalCT610: Software Engineering

CT610: Software Engineering

15 months long | Credits: 10

Software Engineering, will provide students with the fundamental software engineering knowledge necessary to develop and deliver quality software products. It emphasizes a holistic and process based approach to the development of software systems, encompassing technology, business, organizational and human concerns. The module discusses various software components (technology) and the diverse issues impacting their development (process, project and people) and quality. Fundamental software process, project management, and product development skills are developed in this module. The challenges of successfully completing software development projects will be addressed practically, empirically, and theoretically. Upon successful completion, students will have a much greater understanding of software systems development from many perspectives. This understanding, combined with the practical product, process, and project management techniques learned, will equip the student to further develop their knowledge and skills in the field of software systems development both educationally and professionally.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes

1. Evaluate the successes and failures of the Software industry
2. Define and evaluate the importance of software engineering education and an agreed Code of Ethics for the future development of the discipline
3. Appreciate the importance of Requirements & Quality management to Software Engineering
4. Compare various software engineering process approaches and understand when to use them
5. Model an unambiguous, prioritized set of requirements for a software system using an appropriate approach
6. Initiate a software project (including scoping, estimation of effort and scheduling project tasks)
7. Analyse approaches to managing people and teams in software projects
8. Outline the evolution of analysis and design approaches from Structured through OO & UML
9. Create a high level UML design for a case study from a requirements model
10. Evaluate the usefulness of Design Patterns
11. Evaluate approaches to Software Configuration Management (SCM) and Change Control
12. Design a test strategy and risk management strategy for a software project
13. Describe the changes in software development in the past two decades
14. Explain SWEBOK and SEEK and how they categorize the knowledge requirements of software engineers
15. Distinguish between software engineering licensing and certification
16. Define and outline the main components of the IEEE/ACM Code of Ethics for Software Engineers and the importance of ethics

Assessments

• Department-based Assessment (100%)

Teachers

•  NUALA MCGUINN 🖂
  
•  AISLING MONAHAN 🖂
  
•  CATHERINE CRONIN 🖂
  
•  MAJELLA O'DEA 🖂
  

OptionalCT5114: Distributed Systems and The Cloud

CT5114: Distributed Systems and The Cloud

15 months long | Credits: 5

Distributed Systems and the Cloud brings together many strands of study: database applications, software engineering, middleware, architecture, and Java programming. Students will deploy a simple Web application to a cloud platform. They will follow this with a critical analysis of that cloud platform thus building practical, critical and analytical skill for designing and building these systems. Students will become very familiar with the challenges of building Distributed Systems by building an evaluative framework that can be applied to almost any Distributed Systems scenario. Students will spend time on a number of important evolutions in Distributed Systems including relational and non-relational database systems, Web Services and Java EE - gaining an appreciation of legacy systems like CORBA, RMI and RPC, and Sockets.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes

1. Create a Cloud deployment environment
2. Evaluate the core design goals of any Distributed System
3. Demonstrate the relevance of MapReduce & Hadoop to parallel processing of ‘Big Data’
4. Analyse the role of the Database in Distributed Systems design and evaluate alternatives to Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)
5. Apply the technologies and concepts of Distributed Systems to real problems

Assessments

• Department-based Assessment (100%)

Teachers

•  AISLING MONAHAN 🖂
  
•  MAJELLA O'DEA 🖂
  

OptionalCT611: Computer Architecture and Operating Systems

CT611: Computer Architecture and Operating Systems

15 months long | Credits: 5

This module introduces the structure and operation of the various system components including the CPU, system buses and internal/external memory, with an emphasis on programming techniques and/or access mechanisms for those components. An overview of numbering systems and digital logic will complete the architecture section. In the second part of this module, students will apply their acquired knowledge to the design of an operating system (OS). Students will also learn how various OS features are applied in the Windows 2000/XP and UNIX operating systems.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain the structural elements of a computer.
2. Write simple programs illustrating how instructions are processed by a Central Processing Unit (CPU).
3. Explain how instructions are processed by a CPU.
4. Convert between different number systems, including decimal, binary, and hexadecimal.
5. Construct digital circuits (using 'logic-gates').
6. Design a memory module.
7. Describe the purpose of the memory-types in a computer system and how they are managed.
8. Explain how to organise processes and threads efficiently.
9. Describe how process scheduling algorithms work.
10. Show how concurrency can be effectively managed.
11. Discuss how an operating system manages its attached devices.
12. Recommend methods to manage various system security requirements.

Assessments

• Department-based Assessment (100%)

Teachers

•  NUALA MCGUINN 🖂
  
•  AISLING MONAHAN 🖂
  
•  MAJELLA O'DEA 🖂