Frequently Asked Questions

1.       Are the "modules"  Subjects?

Yes, the modules are subjects.  In any of our courses, the student must study for what are known as ECTS credits.  Each stage, or year, is 60 credits.  The credits can be divided up into units of 5.  A module can be 5, 10, 15 or 20 credits.  In DT211 Stage 1, for example, there are 9 modules.  One of these, Programming, is worth 15 credits, one worth 10 and the remainder worth 5 each.  Contact hours, exercises and assessments are weighted accordingly. Some modules are fully assessed through continuous assessment (3 in Stage 1), while the remainder have some examination component.

2.      What are the main differences between Computing and Computer Science?

DT211 B.Sc. in Computing is a 4 year full-time degree course leading to an Honours B.Sc. in Computing with optional exit points after years two (with a Higher Certificate) or after year three (with an ordinary degree). This is the longest established and most technical of our degree courses. DT211 includes the option of a two-day internship for the final two years of the course. This course also includes instruction leading to the Cisco CCNA qualification and also includes other named technologies including RedHat and Oracle.  It is heavily focused on Networking, Operating Systems and Infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on Programming and Databases.  Students starting on this course will build a PC in Stage 1 and get valuable hands-on experience using Cisco Networking equipment.  Students can get some exemptions if they have previously studied for the ECDL (European Computer Driving License) or have taken any CCNA modules previously.

 DT228 BSc in Computer Science is also a 4 year full-time course leading to an Honours BSc in Computer Science. The primary aim of the programme is to produce graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform as ICT practitioners in a broad range of commercial, industrial and public sector environments. Graduates of  this programme will be eligible for careers in the ICT industry in  such roles as programmers, analysts, system support and  administration, database management or any role that involves the  design and implementation of software or the management of  organizational technology infrastructure.   This course features a  Work Placement option which allows students to work full-time for a  host company for a period of no less than 6 months between February and September of their third year on the course.

Figure 1 http://www.nfq.ie/nfq/en/frame_action/levels.html
3.       What are the different exit points?

The National Framework of Qualifications shows the ten levels of qualifications in Figure 1.   
An NQAI Level 6 is a Higher Certificate.  Students who exit at this point will have learnt how to develop and implement a computerized system, from end to end.  They will have studied Programming and Databases and have completed 3 of the 4 Cisco CCNA Networking Modules.  These students will have gained 120 ECTS credits.
 
An NQAI Level 7 is an Ordinary Degree.  It is one of the three exit points on offer from DT211.   Students who leave at this stage will have studied all of the Cisco CCNA modules and will have studied the management of computer systems and Legal and Professional Issues surrounding this.  These students will also have studied an extra optional module in an area such as robotics or assistive technology and undertaken a full-year project.  Only students who have opted for full-time study may take this exit point.  These students will have gained 180 ECTS credits.  Students who opt for Internship make a commitment to undertake the full Honours Degree Programme.

An NQAI Level 8 is an Honours  Degree.  All remaining students exit at Stage 4.  They are highly-skilled at Networking and infrastructural programming and Database management and implementation.  In their final year, the students study Database Applications and Administration, Systems Integration and Enterprise Systems.  All students undertake a project. Students who are not on Internship study four modules from areas that include Music Technology, Games Programming, Geographical Information Systems and Assistive Technology.  These students will have gained 240 ECTS credits.
Further details on ECTS credits can be found at the web address:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/ectskey_en.pdf


4.       When are the exams run?

This year, examinations take place in January for Semester 1 and May for Semester 2, with Supplemental examinations (for students who fail modules in Semester 1 or 2) in August / September.  Students who succeed in their first sitting have no Supplemental examinations.

5.       What is the final project like?

There is a final year project undertaken by all students in Stage 4 of both Degrees.  It is worth 20 credits - that is one third of the year's work.  Students can either come up with their own project idea or can take a project that has been proposed by a lecturer.  The student meets with a supervisor on a regular basis and generally produces an application or infrastructural element, backed up with research.  DT211 Project topics include 'Smart Home' (controlling your home appliances over phone / web), ‘Routing Multiple Media Devices’, ‘GPS Robot’ and a ‘Portable File system’. Last year's prize-winning project was a game.  The student was from the full-time pathway and had studied Games World programming and Games Behaviour Programming as modules in Stage 4.
These may mean nothing to you now; generally students only get a concrete idea of what they want to do at the end of Stage 3.

In Stage 3 of DT211, students who are on the full-time pathway (i.e. they do not take Internship (see point 2)) also do a project.  This is an end-to-end development of an application.  It can be related to Networking, Databases or some of the optional subjects those students take, such as Robotics or Assistive Technology.