Masters Degrees (Software Design)

Great design ideas can change the world. With human and user-centred design at the heart of this internationally regarded Masters programme, you’ll develop research and practice-based design solutions to respond to a demanding industry and rapidly changing society.

Whether your background is in design or in another discipline, you’ll develop, test and evaluate innovative design solutions in real-life scenarios. You’ll gain first-hand experience of current needs and trends across a range of sectors, and focus on a large-scale design project within one of the specialisms offered (see the ‘Specialisms’ tab).

Taught by diverse staff with internationally recognised profiles in research and practice, you’ll build an interdisciplinary approach to design in a stimulating environment, while being exposed to and involved in cutting-edge research. You’ll gain practical and research skills to prepare you for a wide range of careers.

Specialist facilities

We have plenty of facilities to help you make the most of your time at Leeds. We have an impressive range of resources that you can use to develop your projects.

At the top of our research facilities we have the world’s most sophisticated mobile eye-tracking glasses, which are used to understand how users interact with design (see more information at http://www.tobiipro.com). Other excellent research facilities are our EEG equipment (electroencephalography) to understand how users interact with the world, and our colour analysis/prediction lab.

We also house the M&S Company Archive including documents, advertising, photos, films, clothing and merchandise from throughout Marks & Spencer’s history. ULITA, an archive of international textiles, is also housed on campus and collects, preserves and documents textiles and related areas from around the world. You can make appointments to view items, but it also has an online catalogue where you can explore the major collections.

You’ll also be able to develop your practice in well-equipped studios and purpose-built computer clusters so that you can build your skills on both PC and Mac. There is also a computer-aided design (CAD) suite with access to the latest design software, and some of the latest design technology, such as digital printing, screen printing, 3D printing, and laser cutting.

Course content

In Semester 1 you’ll study a set of compulsory modules that will allow you to develop a range of research, conceptual and practical design skills and tools to lay the foundations for the rest of the programme. You’ll have the chance to learn through case studies, practical exercises and work on briefs encompassing all specialisms offered.

In Semester 2 you’ll have a choice of optional modules that focus on current trends in design practice and research. These optional modules will give you the opportunity to work on live projects from industry and/or live research projects being conducted in the School of Design. You’ll work on group and/or individual projects to explore more specific and advanced skills and tools in your areas of interest.

In Semester 2 you’ll also choose and develop a specialist project in which the tools and skills learnt in Semester 1 are applied. Projects can be developed in a wide range of topics that suit your interests and career ambitions. These include: Branding Design, Digital and Interactive Design, Information Design, Instructional Design, Graphic and Visual Communication Design, Service Design, and Typographic Design.

In Semester 3 you can choose one of two pathways: 1) Continue with your specialist design project, develop it at a professional level and apply it in a real-life context (with suitable users) for evaluation; 2) Produce an independent research dissertation based around a relevant field or topic within the specialisms offered.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

In addition to the compulsory modules listed below, for your final project you will choose to do either: - Design Prototyping and Evaluation (40 credits) or - Design Dissertation (40 credits).

• Digital Design Practice 20 credits
• Research Methods for Design 20 credits
• Design Thinking 20 credits
• Design Principles and Applications 10 credits
• Design Research and Integration 40 credits

Optional modules

You will select two modules from the list of optional modules below.

• Branding Design in Context 15 credits
• Information and Instructional Design 15 credits
• Digital and Interactive Design Solutions 15 credits
• Service Design Innovation 15 credits
• Graphic and Typographic Design 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Design MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Design MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You’ll be taught and guided by a diverse team of staff who are leaders in their fields, with a wide variety of research interests and years of experience as design practitioners.

We use a range of teaching and learning methods so you can benefit from their expertise. These may include lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, group learning and meetings with your tutor or supervisor. However, independent study is crucial to this degree, as it allows you to develop your skills and explore your own ideas.

Assessment

Depending on the modules you choose you’ll be assessed by different methods. They’ll include individual and group projects, project proposals and reports, presentations and reflective reports.

Career opportunities

This programme will equip you with a range of design skills using different media, as well as allowing you to hone your specialist skills in an area of your choice. It will also equip you with advanced skills in research, analysis, teamwork, presentation and communication that will be valuable in a range of careers.

You’ll be well prepared for a career in design practice. You can set up your own freelance business or take up a key position in a design studio, agency or organisation.

You can also work in cross-disciplinary fields applying your design skills to business, marketing, applied psychology, healthcare communication, retail, government, the public or private sector, etc.

Many of our students also choose to continue benefiting from our cutting-edge and frontier research by doing a PhD and following a research and/or academic career.

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Study interaction design at an advanced level and explore new approaches to design creating dynamic proposals that respond to the needs of our rapidly changing society.

At Sheffield Institute of Arts interaction design is cross-disciplinary and investigates human-technological futures via design related interactions that lie between the digital and the physical. Using a practice based approach you explore the designing of interactive digital products, environments services and systems.

Interaction design is most often studied by graduates from a variety of backgrounds including • interaction design • digital media • fine art • product design • graphic design • furniture design • architecture • computer science. Your projects are supported by lecturers who are design specialists, researchers and practitioners. Modules are supported by lecturers who are design specialists in areas as diverse as • exhibition design • HCI • medical products • materials development • design thinking • social design • design anthropology.

During the course you work with experts in other departments as well as outside of the University.

As a postgraduate design student you join an established network of creative people that encourage and support you to drive your studies to the next level. Our postgraduate framework of design courses has been designed to allow you to come together with students from different disciplines, backgrounds and cultures to share teaching and learning experiences and explore your creative identities through dialogue and practice.

The primary intention of the programme is to allow you to achieve your personal employment ambitions, whether as a design professional in the creative industries, or in related areas such as marketing or research. You are also well placed to go onto further study at PhD level.

Employability

The course has a strong vocational focus to prepare, encourage and develop your confidence for employment.

The MA/MFA programme has a strong relationship with the University’s Art and Design Research Centre (ADRC), who take an active part in engaging MA Design students in research, knowledge transfer and live projects. You are also encouraged to seek industrial sponsors or collaborators for your individual project work and are given advice and support in doing this. This long established link with our Research Department supports a continuing tradition of graduates from the MA/MFA working as research assistants and/or continuing their studies to PhD.

If you are a part-time student in relevant employment or on sabbatical, you have the opportunity to plan course projects based in your workplace and relevant to your own and your employer's aims. This brings real-world experience to the course. You may go on to work as a professionally employed designer or design manager, work independently as a designer/producer or work as a researcher in design or new product development. You may also wish to go into teaching design in further and higher education.

Project-based course

You choose your own project content and this is supported by lectures and seminars dealing with professional practice issues and reviewing your progress. You also take part in regular group and individual tutorials.

Your final major project is the culmination of your research and studio-based design practice. It demonstrates that you can deal with difficult contemporary questions and take a leading role as a design professional.

Research-led expertise

We are one of the oldest established art and design institutions in the UK, renowned for producing internationally recognised research. Your projects are supported by lecturers who are design specialists in areas as diverse as medical products, materials development, furniture and sustainability.

Vibrant and supportive learning environment

During the course you regularly take part in constructive critical debates about your own work and that of your peers. You need to communicate your research, ideas and designs in ways that are appropriate to professional leadership.

You study alongside MA and MFA Design students for part of your course and benefit from a vibrant, international, collaborative and supportive postgraduate environment.

Excellent facilities and creative resources

You have access to a huge range of creative resources to experiment and engage with including • 3D printing for rapid prototyping • state-of-the-art hardware and software • photography studios • a creative media centre • a gallery • well-equipped workshops.

You also have access to our award-winning learning centre featuring a specialist art, design and media library and extensive online resources.

MA and MFA study

MA and MFA students complete the same modules during the course except that MFA students complete an extra project module. The MFA project encourages you to develop professional skills that help you to identify, instigate, and deliver projects with external partners, such as communities, galleries or businesses. You find a project partner, agree a brief and then deliver the project to a professional standard.

This course is part of the Sheffield Institute of Arts (SIA), an amazing, diverse community of makers – where staff, students and partners work as equals to deliver real innovation and creativity. SIA opened in 1843 and is one of the UK's oldest Art and Design Schools. We have recently moved into the Head Post Office, a redesigned Grade II listed building. It includes state-of-the-art workshops which provide you with a unique studio-based learning environment in the heart of the creative community.

Course structure

FULL-TIME STRUCTURE

Semester one

• project 1 • theory supporting practice

Semester two

• project 2 • negotiated project

Semester three

• major project

Semester four – MFA students only

• MFA project

PART-TIME STRUCTURE

Semester one (year 1)

• theory supporting practice • negotiated project

Semester two (year 2)

• project 1 • project 2

Semester three (year 3)

• major project

Semester four – MFA students only (year 4)

• MFA project

Assessment

Assessment and feedback are vital parts of the learning process in creative disciplines. Most assessment is through individual project work which combines research and creative practice. Assessment calls for both excellent creative work and well-documented research. 

Employability

As a graduate from this course you might become a • creative technologist • experiential marketer • interaction designer • artist • designer • maker • product designer • design researcher • interface designer • systems designer • UX designer • design academic • PhD student.

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This industry-focused course is for Computer Science graduates and experienced professional programmers interested in developing high-quality, complex software systems.

Who is it for?

This industry-focused course is for Computer Science graduates and experienced professional programmers interested in developing high-quality, complex software systems and aiming at a high-quality career in the industry, e.g. software houses, consultancies, and major software users across different sectors.

Students will have a keen interest in designing complex software systems, coding them in a programming language using the latest technologies (SOA, cloud, etc.), and ensuring that they are of high quality and that they actually meet the needs of their stakeholders.

Objectives

You will develop skills in analysing requirements and designing appropriate software solutions; designing and creating complex software systems to solve real-world problems, evaluating and using advanced software engineering environments, design methods and programming languages, and evaluating and responding to recent trends in interoperability and software development.

The course focuses on advanced engineering concepts and methods, as well as design issues for the systematic development of high-quality complex software systems. These are explored using industrial strength technologies, like the C++ and Java programming languages and the UML modelling language.

The course covers significant trends in systems development, including service-oriented architecture, cloud computing, and big data. The course is delivered by acknowledged experts and draws on City's world-class research in Systems and Software Engineering, which has one of the largest groups of academics working in this area in London, covering almost all aspects - from requirements, to designing reliable systems for the nuclear industry.

Placements

Postgraduate students on a Computing and Information Systems course are offered the opportunity to complete up to six months of professional experience as part of their degree.

Our longstanding internship scheme gives students the chance to apply the knowledge and skills gained from their taught modules within a real business environment. An internship also provides students with professional development opportunities that enhance their technical skills and business knowledge.

Internships delivered by City, University of London offer an exceptional opportunity to help students stand out in the competitive IT industry job market. The structure of the course extends the period for dissertation submission to January, allowing students to work full-time for up to six months. Students will be supported by our outstanding Professional Liaison Unit (PLU) should they wish to consider undertaking this route.

Teaching and learning

Software Engineering MSc is available full-time (12 months) as well as part-time (up to 28 months).

Students successfully completing eight taught modules and the dissertation for their individual project will be awarded 180 credits and a Master's level qualification. Alternatively, students who do not complete the dissertation but have successfully completed eight taught modules will be awarded 120 credits and a postgraduate diploma. Successful completion of four taught modules (60 credits) will lead to the award of a postgraduate certificate.

Assessment

Each module is assessed through a combination of coursework and examination.

Modules

You will develop skills in analysing requirements and designing appropriate software solutions; designing and creating complex software systems to solve real-world problems, evaluating and using advanced software engineering environments, design methods and programming languages and evaluating and responding to recent trends in interoperability and software development.

The focus of the course is on advanced engineering concepts and methods, as well as design issues for the systematic development of high-quality complex software systems. These are explored using industrial strength technologies, such as the C++ and Java object-oriented programming languages and the UML modelling language.

The course covers significant trends in systems development, including service-oriented architecture, mobile and pervasive computing, cloud computing, big data, and XML-enabled interoperable services. The course is delivered by acknowledged experts and draws on City's world-class research in Systems and Software Engineering. City has one of the largest groups of academics working in the area in London, working on almost all aspects of the area - from requirements, to designing reliable systems for the nuclear industry.

Core modules - there are five core modules:
-Advanced Database Technologies (15 credits)
-Research Methods and Professional Issues (15 credits)
-Service Oriented Architectures (15 credits)
-Software Systems Design (15 credits)
-Advanced Programming: Concurrency (15 credits)

Elective modules - you will be required to take three elective modules, choosing from the following:
-Advanced Algorithms and Data Structures (15 credits)
-Big Data (15 credits)
-Programming in C++ (15 credits)
-Business Engineering with ERP Solutions (15 credits)
-Mobile and Pervasive Computing (15 credits)
-Data Visualization (15 credits)
-Cloud Computing (15 credits)

Career prospects

The MSc in Software Engineering aims to meet the significant demand for graduates with a good knowledge of computing. This demand arises from consultancies, software houses, major software users such as banks, large manufacturers, retailers, and the public services, defence, aerospace and telecommunications companies.

Typical entrants to the course have a degree in an engineering or scientific discipline, and wish to either move into the software engineering field or to the development of software for their current field. Entrants must have previous exposure to computing, especially to programming (particularly in Java or C#) and relational databases (from either academic or professional experience).

From this base, the course provides solid technical coverage of advanced software development, including such widely used languages as C++, Java, UML and XML for which demand is particularly high. The course is therefore quite demanding; its success in providing advanced academic education along these lines is evident from the fact that recent graduates of the course are currently employed in a wide spectrum of organisations.

Of course, the employment value of a master's degree is not just short term. Although on-the-job training and experience as well as technology specific skills are valuable, they can be rather narrow and difficult to validate, and to transfer. The structure of this course ensures that there is a strong balance between the development of particular skills and a solid education in the enduring principles and concepts that underlie complex software system development.

SAP Certification - in parallel to your degree you will be able to register for a SAP TERP10 Certification course at a substantial discount, thus obtaining an additional, much sought-after qualification

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About the course

This MSc in Advanced Engineering Design is aimed at high calibre and ambitious engineering graduates who want to gain expertise in systematically developing complex, multidisciplinary engineering design.

You will learn how to design products requiring embedded intelligence and comprehensive engineering analysis and how to use six CAE software packages.

The programme - accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE) - has been developed to fulfil the industry’s need for an integrated course that offers:
teaching of advanced theory, human factors and creativity tools essential to successful product development
training in software, research and applications
practical experience of applying your knowledge and skills through an integrating, real life group project.

Aims

Integration of mechanical, electrical, electronic and control knowledge into a single product is challenging – and this course allows you to appreciate the complexity of modern product design and to develop your expertise.

The Brunel programme aims to create the new generation of engineering designers who can combine knowledge from different areas and produce world class design.

Engineering design is the application of engineering principles, the experience of making, and use of mathematical models and analysis. The design and production of complex engineering products often require the use of embedded intelligence and detailed engineering analysis involving mechanical, electronic and control functions. Advanced theoretical knowledge and a wide range of computer driven tools, methods and methodologies are essential for this process – and the course provides graduates with these essentials.

Course Content

Continued design of modern complex products demands advanced knowledge in mechanical, electronic, manufacturing and control engineering disciplines and human factors in design, and an ability to use advanced engineering software packages, integrating application experience and a capacity to carry on learning.

The Advanced Engineering Design MSc has been developed to produce design engineers who can meet these demands. It contains six taught modules where advanced multi-disciplinary theory is taught. As part of the course, six engineering software packages are also taught. In order to give an integrating application experience in an industrial setup, 'Design Experience', a group project module with an industry, has been included as part of the curriculum.

The dissertation is aimed at providing training in carrying out an in-depth engineering task on a self-learning basis. By the end of the course you will become a confident design engineer equipped with high quality and advanced knowledge and skills to work on design tasks in an advanced computer assisted environment.

Compulsory Modules

Sustainable Design and Manufacture
Manufacturing Systems Design and Economics
Computer Aided Engineering 1
Computer Aided Engineering 2
Design Experience
Dissertation Project

Optional Modules (choose two modules)

Advanced Manufacturing Measurement
Human Factors in Design
Robotics and Manufacturing Automation
Design of Mechatronic Systems

Special Features

Special facilities

MSc Engineering Design students work in a well-equipped design studio with various experiential learning facilities, with computers available for your exclusive use of Engineering Design students.Our investment in laboratory facilities and staff ensures that we can provide an excellent experience in a friendly and supportive environment.

Industry-focused programme

The high standard of our research feeds directly into curriculum design and our teaching, ensuring our graduates are equipped with the most up-to-date techniques, methods and knowledge bases. Our teaching has an excellent reputation and is orientated to the expressed needs of modern enterprises and the industry.
The course is underpinned by the current research still being carried out by the staff in the former academic unit Advanced Manufacturing and Enterprise Engineering which promotes manufacturing as a discipline.  Thus the academics teaching on the Advanced Engineering Design which were part of this unit have strong research portfolios in manufacturing. This research has been judged world leading.  In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, academics teaching on the course were involved with Brunel’s General engineering submission, one of one of the largest in the UK. The area’s percentage of world leading research doubled, with a significant increase in our research judged as internationally excellent as well. The impact of over 75% of this research was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent. This placed the discipline in the top 20% in the UK terms of research power.

Global reputation

With around 150 postgraduate students from all around the world and substantial research income from the EU, research councils and industry, we are a major player in the field of advanced manufacturing and enterprise engineering.
 
Women in Engineering and Computing Programme

Brunel’s Women in Engineering and Computing mentoring scheme provides our female students with invaluable help and support from their industry mentors.

Accreditation

The MSc Advanced Engineering Design is accredited by both the Institution of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE). This will provide a route to Chartered Engineer status in the UK.

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The Digital Design MA is concerned with the creation of any digital or computer related content or products. This includes digital media, digital products, digital interiors, digital exhibitions and installations, digital graphics, digital fashion and even digital branding and marketing. You can specialise in the following:

• Digital media design, including multimedia design, web design, 2D and 3D computer animation, visual and special effects for TV and film, mobile app design for tablets and smart phones, computer and video games, virtual and augmented reality and 2D and 3D visualisation

• Digital product design, including the design of any computer-based or screen-based product such as smartphones, smart TV’s, tablet devices, smart watches, games consoles, smart household appliances, information systems and 3D digital printing

• Digital interior design, including digital display and projection design, intelligent interiors, digital lighting design and digital furniture design

• Digital exhibition, museum and installation design, including digital heritage resources, digital archeology, interactive kiosk and installation design, virtual museums and exhibitions

• Digital graphic design, including the design of e-books, e-learning, interface design, interaction design and digital signage

• Digital fashion design, including the design of wearable computing, smart clothing design and digital fabrics

• Digital branding and marketing design, including digital corporate identity design, logo design, social media marketing, digital channel advertising and promotion

You will have access to industry standard software and hardware such as Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk MAYA while working in a dynamic environment with ongoing multimedia research and commercial projects. There are also opportunities to work on digital design projects set by external companies and other organisations. You will develop the skills and ideas to go on to employment as a digital designer or to set up your own business as a freelancer after graduation.

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This course is for designers who want to pursue their passion for particular areas of design, at an advanced level and with professional support.

Course overview

This Masters is built around your personal design interests and aspirations. It allows you to push the boundaries of creativity, within a framework of academic rigour and contextual research.

You can choose to study any of the following areas:
-Advertising
-Animation
-Calligraphy and lettering
-Creative computational design
-Design thinking, innovation and ideation
-Design leadership
-Fashion, product and promotion
-Graphic communication
-Graphic design
-Illustration
-Interactive media
-Motion graphics
-Typographic design

Other specialised design disciplines will also be considered. Our specialist tutors will work with you as you create a portfolio of creative designs that will excite and impress potential employers.

The course includes a theoretical element which contextualises your chosen areas of study within the broader field of design.
By the end of the course, you will have completed a major project that has evolved from your practice and research. The project will be supported by a critical evaluation report.

At Masters level, the specialisms of tutors are an important factor. Our Department offers a wide range of research expertise within design. For example, we host the International Research Centre for Calligraphy (IRCC) which promotes and supports the development of calligraphy both nationally and internationally. We have excellent engagement with industry, locally, nationally and internationally and have several academic partners overseas including Hong Kong, Malaysia and the USA.

Graduates from Sunderland have gone on to work throughout the design industry around the world. A Masters qualification not only opens doors in the workplace but also helps you progress more rapidly once your career is underway.

This course can also be taken part time - for more information, please view this web-page: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/courses/artsdesignandmedia/postgraduate/design-part-time/

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors and industry speakers and visits.

Modules on this course include:
-Design Studies 1 (60 Credits)
-Design Studies 2 (60 Credits)
-Design Studies 3 (60 Credits)

Teaching and assessment

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this MA Design programme requires a higher level of independent working. The course aims to stretch your creativity and maximise your sense of personal fulfilment.

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, critiques, workshops and practical demonstrations. These are supported by a range of guest speakers from diverse academic and industry backgrounds. You will also have high levels of contact with tutors who give regular feedback and support.

Facilities & location

Our Design Centre allows you to develop your creativity while taking advantage of state-of-the-art facilities and, importantly, your own workspace. We provide well-equipped facilities and industry-standard design software so it's easy to make a seamless transition from your studies to the workplace. The Design Centre also attracts international exhibitions and conferences, and it provides a highly stimulating environment.

Facilities at the University include:
-Five computer suites incorporating the latest Mac Pros
-Digital design suites using industry standard software like Adobe Creative Suite, Maya and Toon Boom
-Digital SLR and HD video cameras
-Fully equipped Photography studio
-Fully equipped printmaking studio
-Laser cutting machine
-Large format colour printers
-Access to 3D printers and scanners
-Large format digital fabric printer and full garment design and making facilities

Arts and Design Library
Our Arts and Design Library has a specialist collection of over 120,000 books, videos, slides and one of the largest electronic information networks in the sector.

Journals and research
We subscribe to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals so you can access the most reliable and up-to-date articles. Some of the most important sources for your course include:
-Art Full Text + Art Abstracts, which is a major resource for media and arts information
-Design and Applied Arts Index, which covers journals featuring both new designers and the development of design and the applied arts since the mid-19th century
-British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC), which provides resources for the production, study and use of film and related media
-JSTOR (short for ‘Journal Storage’), which provides access to important journals across the humanities, social sciences and sciences
-Lexis, which provides access to legal information as well as full-text newspaper articles
-Screen Online (BFI), which is an online encyclopaedia of British film and television, featuring clips from the vast collections of the BFI National Archive

Employment & careers

Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course, you will be equipped for roles throughout the creative industries.

Potential roles include animator, graphic designer, illustrator, calligrapher, lettering designer, typographic designer, interactive designer, lecturer or broad-based designer.

A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies, such as MPhil or PhDs.

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You will take eight Assessed Modules plus an Individual Project carried out in the department. Six of the modules cover core Software Engineering methods, practices and tools, and are compulsory. For the remaining two modules, you will be able to choose from Natural Language Processing, Topics in Privacy & Security, Evolutionary Computation, Concurrent & Real-Time Programming, and Functional Programming Technology.

Software Engineering has become a crucial discipline in the functioning of the modern world. Information systems, communications, transport, manufacturing and services all require well-engineered and reliable software. The focus of our MSc in Software Engineering is automated and large-scale software engineering, so the course will equip you to deal with the types of systems widely found in industry.

The MSc is a full-time, one-year course for those with some experience or background in Software Engineering. You will learn up-to-date theory and practice in the core areas of Software Engineering, and the main methods and tools used in industry. The course also covers model-driven engineering, service-oriented architectures, software architectures and user-centred design. You will gain a thorough understanding of techniques and practices of software management, including measurement and testing. This in-depth understanding of the role of software in commercial organisations will enable you to develop and maintain large-scale software systems.

You will gain a thorough understanding of techniques and practices of software management, including measurement and testing. These techniques will allow you to understand the role of software in commercial organisations and you will be able to develop and maintain these large scale systems.

Course Aims
When you graduate, you will be able to apply advanced Software Engineering techniques to analyse systems and design solutions, particularly in a commercial context. You will have experience of using state-of-the-art Software Engineering tool suites (e.g., Eclipse and Epsilon). You will also understand the human factors in Software Engineering, and will be able to design systems taking into account the needs of users.

Your individual project gives you the chance to specialise in a specific area of Software Engineering, as you will undertake independent research and apply your results to develop a real solution – an application, tool or technique.

On graduation, you will be equipped to design and maintain large systems in a wide range of industries, or to pursue an academic research career in Software Engineering.

Learning Outcomes
A thorough grounding and practical experience in the use of state-of-the-art techniques for developing software-based systems.
An in-depth understanding of the principles underpinning these techniques, so as to make sound judgements throughout the systems and software engineering life cycle.

Project

Team Project
You are taught a broad range of project management skills, which you will directly apply to a medium-sized software project that is conducted in small student teams.

Individual Project
The course concludes with your individual project. You may choose a topic among the many offered by the academic staff, or you may propose your own topic. Some recent topics were:
-Air Traffic Control application using PostgreSQL
-Automated Development of Graphical Editors built atop Graphiti
-Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: Conquest of Mars
-Natural Disaster Planning - A System of Systems Analysis
-Reinforcement Learning for Mobile Cognitive Radio Agents
-Simulation-based Hazard Analysis for Autonomous Robots
-Study of Business Processes in a Complex Enterprise System
-Using heuristics for Monte Carlo Tree Search

Careers

Here at York, we're really proud of the fact that more than 97% of our postgraduate students go on to employment or further study within six months of graduating from York. We think the reason for this is that our courses prepare our students for life in the workplace through our collaboration with industry to ensure that what we are teaching is useful for employers.

Our postgraduate taught courses are specifically designed to meet the needs of industry, and the thorough grounding we provide, alongside the skills you learn from undertaking a Masters degree, will stand you in good stead in the workplace.

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Overview

Software development is one of the most rapidly evolving industries in the world, presenting an ever-greater number of creative opportunities and exciting challenges. Software developers therefore need a special set of skills to keep pace with technology and innovation. Our course gives you the knowledge and confidence to do just that. We focus on large-scale development of advanced software, teaching you how to make use of the latest frameworks, methodologies and technology to produce professional-quality applications. Crucially, you will also learn how to be an effective member of a development team. With close links to software giants like Microsoft, Sony, and IBM, we work hard to ensure that our course is always up to date and that our graduates leave with the cutting-edge skills highly sought-after by industry. Therefore, this MSc is appropriate not just for fresh Computer Science graduates, but also for those with existing commercial experience who wish to update their skills and knowledge.

The course begins in September each year and lasts twelve months. There are two trimesters of taught modules, followed by an individual dissertation project during the third trimester. An optional extra trimester – either immediately before or after the dissertation – gives you significant industrial experience through a module based in our software development unit, working with commercial clients and software. This is unique to Hull.

The Department of Computer Science creates an excellent experience for students, with a supportive student community. We have an international reputation for our research activities, with a strong record of industrial and public grant funding. We are also affiliated with Microsoft’s DreamSpark programme, which allows you to access the latest Microsoft operating systems and development software for home use. Once registered with the department, you can download the software free of charge.

Industrial Experience

There is the option to take an Industrial Experience variant, with the opportunity to extend the period of study by a trimester, to gain experience of working alongside commercial software developers within a commercial software development facility on site (SEED), promoting real-world applications of the advanced concepts met in the course.

Study

The MSc Computer Science (Software Engineering) programme is designed to support students with various levels of computing and programming practice experience. There is suitable content on professional skills and the importance of ethics for practising computer scientists. Material on software engineering, referencing and unfair means supports the transition into the postgraduate environment.
As a route into research, the programme supports the development of postgraduate technical skills, alongside critical research, analysis and planning activities.
In lectures you’ll benefit from a range of techniques, from interpreting complex ideas through interactive discussions, to live programming or other problem-solving demonstrations.

Core modules

• Oriented Design and Development Using C++
• Component-based Architecture
• Maintaining Large Software Systems
• Development Project
• Distributed Applications
• Trustworthy Computing
Optional modules
• Computer Science Software Development Practice – pass/fail module
• Dissertation (There is the option of taking this module either in trimester 3 or trimester 4, depending on whether you take the Industrial Experience module.)

Teaching and learning

We place a strong emphasis on practical laboratory sessions. This will significantly develop your core computer science skills, and enhance your employability through exposure to commercial projects.
As teamwork plays a key role in commercial software development and has great value as an employable skill, group work is used in a number of modules.

Assessment

Practical coursework is the main form of assessment, and you will design, build and test software solutions to a variety of problems. This is complemented by written coursework.
The largest assessment is the dissertation, which is based on the work done in the third trimester and documented in a report of up to 20,000 words.

Careers

The MSc Computer Science (Software Engineering) is designed to open up pathways to postgraduate research, as well as careers in a wide range of areas within your discipline. The industrial placement option will enable you to practise your skills and knowledge of computer science ‘in situ’, giving you a useful insight and advantage when it comes to starting your career.
We have a range of inspirational extra-curricular activities including the Three Thing Game, Imagine Cup Worldwide Software Development Challenge, Really Useful Seminars and Global Game Jam. They are designed to boost your CV and employability, and taking part costs very little.

Our graduates gain a wide range of roles including: Applications Developer, Business Systems Analyst, Computer Analyst, Computer Programmer, Computer Operations Manager, Data Management Analyst, Database Assistant, Developer Support Engineer, Games Programmer, Games Programmer (Engine design), Information Manager, IT Design, IT Systems Manager, IT Technician, IT user Support, Mobile Developer, Operations Director, Software Designer, Software Developer, Software Engineer, Solutions Developer, Systems Engineer, Technical Sales, Technical Specialist, Web Developer.

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Applicants to this programme are numerate and logically-minded, and it is likely that they will have previously studied software engineering, programming, computer science, maths or physics. Such students will seek more specialised, technical programming and software engineering skills. They would learn in-depth, a range of programming concepts, languages and software development techniques to develop sophisticated and complex programs. Graduates will seek positions as software developers, systems engineers, software testers, programmers, etc.

Course Overview

The main themes of the programme are:
-Current and emerging Software Engineering principles and practices
-Current and emerging programming practices
-Large scale software project management

This programme will equip students with those skills at a high academic level and also crucially enable them to practically implement their knowledge because of the ‘hands-on’ emphasis of the programme.

The Current and emerging Software Engineering principles and practices includes aspects of generic programming.

The Current and emerging programming practices theme covers advanced topics in modules such as Generic Programming and aspects of Scientific Computing and Virtualisation

The Large scale project management theme will concentrate on management and systems analysis skills to be developed by the students both of which are in great demand by employers.

Modules

Part 1
-Agile Software Development (20 credits)
-Generic Programming (20 credits)
-Leadership and Management (20 credits)
-Managing Information Systems and Projects (20 credits)
-Research Methods and Data Analysis (20 credits)
-Scientific Computing & Virtualisation (20 credits)

Part 2
-Major Project (60 credits)

Key Features

Software Engineering as a subject evolved from a desire to incorporate engineering practices including, analysis, design, testing and project management to the process of creating computer programs. As a discipline, software engineering is as broad as the software created, with applications as diverse as plant control (real-time critical systems) to commercial trading software (database driven software) to image processing applications for mobile phones (computer graphics based mobile applications).

Assessment

The School of Applied Computing aims to produce graduates that help shape the future of computing and information systems development. The course content is contemporary and shaped for employability through close links with local and national employers.

Students are assessed through a combination of worksheets, practicals, presentations, projects and examinations. Module assessment is often by assignment, or assignment and examination. The final mark for some modules may include one or more pieces of course work set and completed during the module. Project work is assessed by written report and presentation.

Students are encouraged to use our links with Software Alliance Wales and Go Wales to work on commercial schemes for their Major Project module. Go Wales provides the opportunity of paid work placements with local businesses.

Career Opportunities

Graduates from this programme will be skilled and knowledgeable in the technical aspects of software development, and are likely to find employment either within specialist software organisations, or within organisations which commit resources to developing highly technical software systems. They are likely to have to work as a member of a team, conceiving, designing, developing and implementing complex software systems. Graduates from this programme would expect to be initially employed as software engineers. Those employed by SMEs are likely to work in smaller teams or perhaps as sole developers. Students finding employment with larger companies are most likely to work in larger teams building a variety of large-scale applications.

It is expected that graduates would seek positions such as:
-Software Engineers
-Senior software Engineers
-Software Developers
-Application Developers
-System Engineers
-Software Technical Lead
-System Analyst
-Version control manager
-Project lead/manager

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This highly-regarded and well-established course covers a range of disciplines across the area of urban design, helping you develop your creativity and knowledge.

We welcome students from diverse backgrounds in design and environment subjects, including architecture, landscape architecture, planning and geography. If you have an interest in planning and design, this will enable you to explore your passion for collaborative working, challenging traditional professional boundaries.

We are actively involved with urban design initiatives in the region, giving you the opportunity to assist local communities and practitioners in live projects and competitions. You will study modules that integrate theory and practice, allowing you to gain hands-on experience whilst you explore the theories relevant to current and emerging workplace challenges. Our professional network will enrich your experience and assist you in finding a rewarding career in the UK or overseas. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accredits this professional course.

You will be able to customise your learning to your own individual needs, interests and career aspirations, leaving the course with a design portfolio that demonstrates your personal skills and professional ability to analyse, plan and design urban environments.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: our University's results for the Architecture, Built Environment and Planning unit, which it entered for the first time, were impressive with 37% of its research being rated world leading or internationally excellent.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/urbandesign_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

You will be introduced to practitioners during the course, while we are also kept up to date with job vacancies, helping many of our graduates find careers in private design consultancies, local government agencies and environmental organisations in the UK and overseas. In addition to this, we provide research opportunities working with academic staff.

- Urban Designer (Public Sector)
- Urban Designer (Private Consultancy)
- Urban Designer (Voluntary Sector)
- Urban Designer (Research and Teaching)

Careers advice: The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

The course has links with many areas in the industry, from Local Authority Planning Departments to Urban Design and Landscape Architecture Practices. It is suitable for architects, landscape architects, planners, highway engineers, public artists, designers and professionals from other related areas.

A multi-disciplinary team of professionals with extensive practice-based experience teach the course, there are also sessions from visiting professionals.

You will benefit from our new multi-media studios equipped with drawing boards, computers and model making facilities, together with a state-of-the-art library.

Core Modules

Site Analysis Project: Theories & Practices
Analyse an urban design site of interest and relevance to you. You will work in the studio, in the library and at your chosen site to develop your analysis, applying relevant theories and presenting your work in an exhibition format at the end of the module.

Place Making Project: Design Challenges & Solutions
Challenge your creativity with this design-based module. You will explore the design conception, development and resolution of a complex urban design project, following the site-based analysis conducted in your first module.

Sustainable Communities
Examine the theory and history of sustainable communities through lectures, seminar discussions, project work and presentations.

Landscape & Urban Design Specialist Studios
Enhance your skills in your chosen design area. You will reflect on your recent work and learning needs to help you propose what you intend to do with your time in the studio. Lectures and seminars will guide you through the critical and contextual issues relevant to your topic.

Reflective Practice
Reflect on your own professional practice as an urban designer, linking the theory you are learning with your own experiences. We can help you find professional work experience if you have limited or no experience in urban-design related practice.

Research Methods: Theory & Practice
Develop your knowledge and understanding of the different design research philosophies and methodologies and learn how to apply them as you prepare the proposal for your Advanced Urban Design Project.

Advanced Urban Design Project
Carry out an in-depth study of an urban design topic of your choice which develops your personal interests and reflects your career aspirations.

Facilities

- Design Studios
Our modern multi-media studios include a dedicated CAD suite and specialist software, such as REVIT, allowing students to develop skills in 3D design and building information modelling.

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Broadcasting Place
Broadcasting Place provides students with creative and contemporary learning environments, is packed with the latest technology and is a focal point for new and innovative thinking in the city.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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This programme is designed for graduates in mathematics, engineering, or science with excellent numeracy skills, wishing to pursue careers in the application of mathematics, in traditional areas such as engineering and science and in service areas such as finance and banking, where knowledge of modern applications of mathematics would be advantageous. The core philosophy of the programme is to equip students both with mathematics and its applications and with high-level scientific software and associated numerical skills. The Greenwich campus, near the financial district of Canary Wharf, enables the department to build ties with many modern engineering and applied mathematics practitioners enabling our students to become part of a wider group. The Leslie Comrie seminar series, inviting both academics and industrialists, allows you to interact with our external links creating an advantageous learning experience. We provide you the grounds for building a high profile of understanding of current research practices in the industry. Our classes contain interactive applications that enhance the learning experience by innovative teaching practices. Utilising research expertise within the department you will graduate with a strong understanding of numerical methods. You will also develop an understanding for further applicability in various fields of applied mathematics and engineering.

This programme is suitable both for fresh graduates and also for experienced professional practitioners who wish to further their skills. The programme core modules cover modern mathematical skills together with applications across different industries, and there are optional professional modules directly related to research expertise within the Faculty. This ensures that students have an advanced understanding of both theory and practice in their selected specialist areas. Students will gain knowledge of mathematical skills and applications, computational skills, and relevant professional experience, related to traditional engineering and science modelling, modern enterprise applications, finance, and service industries. They will gain an understanding of emerging applications. There will be hands-on training in various development tools and in the use of computational software related to their professional direction. Assessment takes the form of 100% coursework, based on applications of current market practices. A supervised thesis project takes place at the end of the last teaching term during the summer months. Projects are allocated in March and students are invited to undertake a project that provides genuine insight in an area of the research interests within the department. The programme is also available on a part-time basis.

Visit the website http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/pg/maths/appmaths

Mathematics

Postgraduate mathematics students benefit from award-winning teaching and great facilities. Our programmes are informed by world-renowned research and our links with industry ensure our students develop the academic and practical skills that will enhance their career prospects.

What you'll study

Full time
- Year 1:
Option Set 1

Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

English Language Support Course (for Postgraduate Students in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences)
Masters Project (Maths) (60 credits)
Computational Methods (15 credits)
Mathematical Approaches to Risk Management (15 credits)
Mathematics and its Applications (30 credits)

Students are required to choose 60 credits from this list of options.

Scientific Software Design and Development (15 credits)
Inverse Problems (15 credits)
Mathematics of Complex Systems (15 credits)
Reliability and Optimisation (15 credits)

Option Set 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

English Language Support Course (for Postgraduate Students in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences)
Masters Project (Maths) (60 credits)
Computational Methods (15 credits)
Mathematical Approaches to Risk Management (15 credits)
Mathematics and its Applications (30 credits)

Students are also required to choose 60 credits from this list of options.

Principles and Practice of Evacuation Modelling (30 credits)
Principles and Practice of Fire Modelling (30 credits)

Option Set 3

Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

English Language Support Course (for Postgraduate Students in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences)
Masters Project (Maths) (60 credits)
Computational Methods (15 credits)
Mathematical Approaches to Risk Management (15 credits)
Mathematics and its Applications (30 credits)

Students are also required to choose 45 credits from this list of options.

Scientific Software Design and Development (15 credits)
Inverse Problems (15 credits)
Mathematics of Complex Systems (15 credits)
Reliability and Optimisation (15 credits)

Students are also required to choose 15 credits from this list of options.

Enterprise Software Engineering Development (15 credits)
Software Tools and Techniques (15 credits)
Actuarial Mathematics and Risk Modelling (15 credits)
Financial Time Series (15 credits)
Advanced Finite Difference Methods for Derivatives Pricing (15 credits)

Part time
- Year 1:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

Inverse Problems (15 credits)
Mathematics and its Applications (30 credits)
Reliability and Optimisation (15 credits)

- Year 2:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

Scientific Software Design and Development (15 credits)
Masters Project (Maths) (60 credits)
Computational Methods (15 credits)
Mathematics of Complex Systems (15 credits)

Students are required to choose 15 credits from this list of options.

Advanced Finite Difference Methods for Derivatives Pricing (15 credits)
Mathematical Approaches to Risk Management (15 credits)

Fees and finance

Your time at university should be enjoyable and rewarding, and it is important that it is not spoilt by unnecessary financial worries. We recommend that you spend time planning your finances, both before coming to university and while you are here. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.

Find out more about our fees and the support available to you at our:
- Postgraduate finance pages (http://www.gre.ac.uk/finance/pg)
- International students' finance pages (http://www.gre.ac.uk/finance/international)

Assessment

100% coursework: a supervised thesis project (during the summer months).

Career options

Our graduates are equipped with the tools to involve in many engineering applications and computational engineering sectors such as reliability engineering, risk management, complex engineering systems, fire safety and finance. Our expert seminar series gives you the opportunity to interact with leading figures from industry and academia and undertake projects of current industry practice. A postgraduate qualification is a major achievement and a milestone in your specialised career path leading to a professional career. The Department also offers a PhD programme which trains highly skilled candidates towards research careers in academia and industry. Our current collaborations for our PhD candidates lie with the STRIKE project for mathematical and computational applications.

Find out how to apply here - http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/apply

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Design for Performance and Interaction is a novel academic field and UCL is one of only very few institutions where it can be studied. The core idea that drives the programme is that the creation of spaces for performance and the creation of performances within them are regarded as symbiotic design activities.

Degree information

Students learn how to use software that simulates performance spaces and the behaviour of people in different conditions. They learn how to manipulate software and physical hardware to create both simulated and actual 1:1 performance space and performances in an architectural context

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of two core theory modules (30 credits), a skills module (30 credits), and three design modules (120 credits). There are no optional modules for this programme.

Core modules
-Introductory Design Workshops (15 credits)
-Contextual Theory: Design for Performance and Interaction (15 credits)
-Skills Portfolio (30 credits)
-Design Thesis Portfolio, Initial Projects (30 credits)
-Design Thesis Portfolio, Final Project (60 credits)
-Design Thesis Written Dissertation (30 credits)

Research project/design project
All students undertake a major design project, the 'Design Thesis Portfolio, Final Project' in combination with an individual research project, culminating in the 'Design Thesis Written Dissertation'.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through design, fabrication and performance tutorials, skills workshops, seminars, lectures, site visits, group working and (optional) field trip. Assessment is via design and skills portfolios, written coursework submissions and verbal presentations.

Fieldwork
There is a field trip as an optional part of the programme. Maximum cost to the student is £500.

Careers

Careers in physical and virtual interaction design, the design of performance spaces and creation of performative events form one of the most vibrant parts of global design endeavour in the 21st century. They are also the subject of extensive academic research.

Employability
Students gain the following skillsets:
-The design and production of well-considered spaces.
-Performances and interactive assemblies.
-Presenting work in a portfolio context.
-The application of analytical and sensing programmes.
-The application of digital and analogue setting and performance techniques.
-The production of an illustrated written research report in an academic context.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The programme teaches students how to place design and performance skills in the context of 1:1 installation and 3D and 4D representation, including collaboration in real-time simulation, networked media spaces, and design for sensory and interactive environments.

Students will gain a working knowledge of sound systems, lighting systems, interactive computation and electronics, behaviour of individuals and crowds, and the equipment and software that is used to track this behaviour.

The programme has been developed together with a network from industry. The development team includes Umbrellium, Bompass and Parr, Jason Bruges Studio, Ciminod Studio, Soundform and Stufish. All have longstanding relationships with The Bartlett.

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The global environmental and energy challenge facing current and future generations of architects and building professionals calls for a deeper understanding of the principles of environmental design, and their effective application into architectural practice worldwide. Over the last decades environmental design as a subject area has developed, responding to new research and experimentation, both in academia and in practice. However, buildings claiming to be environmentally conscious do not perform to the expected standards, still heavily contributing to global CO2 emissions and often providing unsatisfactory comfort conditions to occupants. The same can be said for the existing built environment which is largely outdated and underperforming, requiring urgent implementation of effective retrofit strategies. This is due to a lack of comprehensive performance prediction and feedback protocols, which are still not common practice in architectural design.

Course content

Students on this course will take a fresh critical look at this subject. Here you will gain the knowledge and tools to make informed design decisions based on post-occupancy feedback and performance analysis, towards a new paradigm of environmental architecture, which is environmentally and energy conscious, yet sensitive to the contextual and socio-cultural landscape we live in. You will learn environmental design methods which relate to the various stages of architectural design. You will be able to evaluate existing buildings and design new ones following a combined bioclimatic and building occupant focused approach. In the core design modules you will follow an evidence based design approach where the acquisition of specialised software and analytical tools will be directly applied to an evaluation or design project.

Architecture and Environment Design MScThis interdisciplinary and international course will provide you with skills that can be applied to diverse building typologies and global climatic, environmental and contextual issues. On completion of this course you will have a thorough understanding of the principles and methodology of environmental design and will develop critical thinking skills to challenge established practices. You will hold the knowledge and the practical tools to better understand existing buildings for retrofit and to design new ones – positively driving change in this field and moving towards a truly environmentally conscious architecture.

The course covers both the wider contextual and sustainable approach to environmental design, and the more technical aspects of environmentally and energy conscious building design and performance. As well as taught modules, you will take design-based modules where you will apply quantitative and qualitative analysis to the study of existing built environments and to new design projects.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
-EVALUATION OF BUILT ENVIRONMENTS
-PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
-THEORY AND HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
-ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY MODELLING
-THESIS PROJECT

Facilities

The course is delivered at our central London Marylebone Campus, which is easily accessible by all forms of public transport. Design work is developed within dedicated studio spaces. In addition to an extensive CAD lab, a complete suite of 100 computers has been installed in the design studios to the highest specification and with all the latest software. Together, these facilities offer a wide range of drawing, graphics and video applications. The new Fabrication Laboratory includes state-of-the-art CAD-CAM equipment in shape of several 3D printers, laser-cutting machines and computer-controlled drilling machines. Metalworking and woodworking workshops, as well as other support facilities are also available. The course also has access to an environmental laboratory which contains a wide range of testing and monitoring equipment for assessing environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, day-lighting, air velocity and sound; and surveying equipment. An Artificial Sky for the physical modelling and analogue simulation of daylighting is also under construction

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Develop your existing knowledge and experience as a designer, exploiting our significant research expertise to enhance your own design and research skills to a new level.

We place emphasis on personal research, giving you the chance to develop your own interests and ideas in a challenging and supportive environment. Our aim is to help you to become a creative, imaginative and versatile packaging designer who can operate independently or as a member of a design team.

You can work alongside our packaging design consultancy, Design Futures, and with researchers from other design areas. We also have contacts with leading design agencies and design organisations and encourage you to work collaboratively with them.

There are opportunities to participate in study trips and visits to design conferences and debates.

Project-based course

You choose your own project content and this is supported by lectures and seminars dealing with professional practice issues and reviewing your progress. You also take part in regular group and individual tutorials.

Your final major project is the culmination of your research and studio-based design practice. It demonstrates that you can deal with difficult contemporary questions and take a leading role as a design professional.

Research-led expertise

We are one of the oldest established art and design institutions in the UK, renowned for producing internationally recognised research. Your projects are supported by lecturers who are packaging design specialists.

Vibrant and supportive learning environment

During the course you regularly take part in constructive critical debates about your own work and that of your peers. You need to communicate your research, ideas and designs in ways that are appropriate to professional leadership.

You study alongside MA and MFA Design students for part of your course and benefit from a vibrant, international, collaborative and supportive postgraduate environment.

Excellent facilities and creative resources

You have access to a huge range of creative resources to experiment and engage with including • 3D printing for rapid prototyping • state-of-the-art hardware and software • photography studios • a creative media centre • a gallery • well-equipped workshops.

You also have access to our award-winning learning centre featuring a specialist art, design and media library and extensive online resources.

MA and MFA study

MA and MFA students complete the same modules during the course except that MFA students complete an extra project module. The MFA project encourages you to develop professional skills that help you to identify, instigate, and deliver projects with external partners, such as communities, galleries or businesses. You find a project partner, agree a brief and then deliver the project to a professional standard.

We are normally asked to shortlist applicants before recommending a small number to apply. If this happens, we consider your interview, portfolio of work, academic qualifications and learning aims. We aim to pick people whose abilities and aims are relevant for the company and who are most likely to be successful in a competitive interview.

This course is part of the Sheffield Institute of Arts (SIA), an amazing, diverse community of makers – where staff, students and partners work as equals to deliver real innovation and creativity. SIA opened in 1843 and is one of the UK's oldest Art and Design Schools. We have recently moved into the Head Post Office, a redesigned Grade II listed building. It includes state-of-the-art workshops which provide you with a unique studio-based learning environment in the heart of the creative community.

Course structure

FULL-TIME

Semester one

• project 1 • theory supporting practice

Semester two

• project 2 • negotiated project

Semester three

• major project

Semester four – MFA students only

• MFA project

PART-TIME

Semester one (year 1)

• theory supporting practice • negotiated project

Semester two (year 2)

• project 1 • project 2

Semester three (year 3)

• major project

Semester four – MFA students only (year 4)

• MFA project

Assessment

Assessment and feedback are vital parts of the learning process in creative disciplines. Most assessment is through individual project work which combines research and creative practice. Assessment calls for both excellent creative work and well-documented research.

Employability

Packaging is a huge worldwide industry with excellent job opportunities for talented people. At postgraduate level, packaging design presents you with a range of career opportunities including branding, advertising and product development where the ability to originate fresh thinking is paramount.

An increasing number of our design graduates are undertaking more advanced further study through research degrees (PhD) in our Art and Design Research Centre, which has a leading position in the advancement of creative practice in design. Working on a research degree in our Art and Design Research Centre provides the opportunity to become one of a team dedicated to the advancement of creative practice within packaging design.

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This course offers you the opportunity to explore the latest concepts, methods and tools for software engineering. You will investigate state-of-the-art techniques relating to software quality, design and development which will enable you to produce robust and complex systems.

This hands-on course has been developed in conjunction with our industrial contacts in order to equip you with the skills required by employers. You will develop management techniques, advanced modelling skills and applications that will enable you to progress in your career.

The course is taught by experts who are working in the industry and you will have the opportunity to gain a professional certification. Our course has been developed as part of on-going research on software components and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA).

January entrants please note: in order to complete 12 months of academic study delivered in University term time, the total length of your programme will be 18 months to include recognised University vacation periods.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: our University demonstrated strength in five emerging areas of research which it entered into the assessment for the first time, including computer science.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/softwareeng_msc

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

You will graduate from this course with a thorough understanding of the practical and theoretical issues associated with managing software development. There is an increasingly short supply of talent in software engineering and its management, and you will possess the skills that are highly sought after in the industry.

- Project Manager
- Technical Manager
- IT Manager
- Business Analyst

Careers advice: The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

This course offers both hands on knowledge and on up to date theoretical background. You will benefit from our close links with industry, while our own research activities feed into our course teaching. We will help you to develop skills implementing best practices when designing software solutions and strategies.

You will be able to use Visual Paradigm software, a design and management tool for business IT system development, on several modules on this course. This is provided in partnership with Visual Paradigm (http://www.visual-paradigm.com/).

Modules

Advanced Software Engineering (20 Credits)
This module investigates the knowledge and skills you will require to develop quality software systems including contemporary methodologies and techniques for version control, testing and documentation. Content include: Test-driven development tools and techniques. Aspect-oriented software development, Agile SE paradigms, methods, Extreme Programming methods (XP).

Project Management (20 Credits)
Develop your understanding of key project management concepts - primarily the planning, organisation and control of resources in order to move a specific task, event or project toward completion.

Dissertation (40 Credits)
The dissertation / Masters project aims to provide an opportunity for you to engage in research and advanced scholarship in a subject area that is appropriate to your course but of your own choosing.

Research Practice (20 Credits)
This module aims to develop your awareness of the methods and skills which are required in order to carry out Masters level research successfully, and to reflect critically on your own development in the context of your chosen programme of study.

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) (20 Credits)
SOA is a software development paradigm specifically developed for emerging markets in cloud computing and web services. This involves analysing, designing, and managing solutions for SOA. This course will also have opportunity to gain real world certification from SOA systems who is one of the world expertise in this area. Content include: SOA concepts, technology, and design. Web services paradigms, SOA analysis, design, and implementation strategies.

Software Components and Architectures (20 Credits)
Software applications are becoming increasingly complex and their target platforms more diverse. The ability to manage such complexity is essential. This module develops your skills in Components Based Software Engineering (CBSE), in particular modelling techniques, analysing system complexity, and applying best practice design principles.

Software & Systems (20 Credits)
You'll examine the techniques and technologies used in low level systems programming. You'll learn to apply development approaches which are 'core' to the functionality of a modern day computer system.

Design Patterns for Web Development (20 Credits) (Option Module)
Network & Convergence Architectures (20 Credits) (Option Module)
BI Principles (20 Credits) (Option Module)
Mobile Games Prototyping (20 Credits) (Option Module)
Data Warehouse Models & Approaches (20 Credits) (Option Module)
Mobile Application Development (20 Credits) (Option Module)
Critical Perspectives for Information (20 Credits) (Option Module)
Systems, Designs & Innovation (20 Credits) (Option Module)

Facilities

- IT Labs
The University is home to a number of modern specialist IT labs equipped with all the up-to-date hardware and software our computing students could need

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Headingley Campus
Our historic Headingley Campus is set in 100 acres of parkland with easy access to Leeds city centre.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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