MSc Software Development

Program Overview

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This two-year MSc program in IT and Masters Thesis provides a comprehensive foundation in Computing Science and Information Technology. Students develop research skills and expertise through coursework and a supervised Masters Thesis, preparing them for careers in academic research, PhD studies, or IT-related industries. The program offers two streams: Applied Computing and Artificial Intelligence, with a range of elective courses to choose from.

Program Outline

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MSc IT + Masters Thesis

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Please note:

This information is for students entering in 2023 and may change for following years.

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Degree Overview:

This is a 2 year, 12 month per year full time postgraduate program designed for graduates with strong academic backgrounds who now wish to pursue an academic research career in Computing Science, and who do not already hold an MSc or Postgraduate degree in a Computing Science or IT related subject.

• To introduce and train you in research methods, and to develop you research capacity and skills
• To develop your professional research skills in research ethics, professional communication, and time and project management
• To equip you with advanced research skills and expertise to pursue a research-based career or further PhD study
• To prepare you to write and defend a detailed and original Masters thesis under the supervision of a faculty supervisor.

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Program Description:

The program focuses on the acquisition and development of research and technical skills to a level which will enable students to pursue a career in IT-based academic research, or proceed to undertake a PhD.

• You take 9 taught courses in the first 9 months of your studies.
• Each taught course provides 20 credits and is worth a 1/9th of the final degree mark.
• MSc Thesis, which you write in the final three months, comprises of 60 credits, and provides 2/3rd of the final degree mark.
• You may select from two streams:
• Applied Computing or
• Artificial Intelligence.
• There are also a variety of elective courses to choose from in a variety of Computing and IT domains such as cybersecurity and software development and engineering, as well as professional skills courses in time and project management, research ethics and professional communication.

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Outline:

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Semester 1:

• CS4620 - Foundations of Distributed Computing
• CS3287 - Introduction to Formal Programming and Verification

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Semester 2:

• CS4010 - Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
• CS3321 - Software Development

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Plus one elective

• CS3432 - Software Engineering I
• CS3106 - Algorithm and Script Design
• CS4287 - Introduction to Formal Programming & Verification
• CS4662 - Introduction to Computer Networks
• CS4271 - Professional Computing and Ethics

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Semester 3:

• CS4252 - Operating Systems

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Plus two electives:

• One from above elective list plus one of:
• CS4071 - Machine Learning
• CS4823 - Cloud and Cluster Computing

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Semester 4:

• MSc Dissertation (60 credit module with a weighting of 2/3rds of the degree)
The first nine months will be delivered in the traditional lecture/lab based mode. The final MSc dissertation is delivered one-to-one with an appointed Faculty supervisor

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Assessment:

• Individual courses will have a variety of coursework, assignments and exam based assessment elements such as:
• coursework assignments
• coursework labs
• practical project(s)
• written exams
• in class presentations
• group work
• individual study
• There are both formative (in class) and summative (formal/end of course/end of semester) assessment modes
• Coursework assignments usually provide 50-70% of a courses final mark, and exams typically account for 25-30%.
• No individual coursework assessment element contributes more than 30% to a course mark
• MSc thesis mark will typically comprise 60% research content, 25% project writing and 15% viva / oral defense

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Teaching:

• Each course is delivered in a 2 hour lecture per week format, and is accompanied by 2 hour of lab work, or by a tutorial or by 1 hour or 2 hour seminar session
• Lab sessions and tutorials have class sizes, which are typically between 10-20 students, which allows for significant individual support and interaction with staff
• Lectures range in size from approximately 35 students to 125 students depending on the course and are supplemented by online materials and web links on the courses VLE (MyGlasgow) page
• The research thesis is usually a closely mentored, individual one to one project with your appointed faculty supervisor.

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Careers:

Upon completion of the program you are well placed to pursue one or a combination of the following:

• PhD study at the University of Glasgow or elsewhere.
• Career as a IT or Computing based research
• Employment as an IT specialist in Industry
• Employment in IT related roles in research and development (R&D)

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Tuition fees for 2024-25 MSc UK Full-time fee: £12150 International & EU Full-time fee: £31860 Deposits International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2000 within four weeks of an offer being made.