BSc (Honours) Computing Systems Part-timeCourse Code: 6921

Don McFall – Course Director

d.mcfall@ulster.ac.uk

Room 16J08

BSc (Hons) Computing Systems

The Part-time Choice

Or is it?

Rationale for the course

Four Year Course and a bit!

One day each Week….See timetable on course website

Why study part-time? You have a job already, and you want to get a degree while

you continue to work

You have family or other commitments that prevent you from coming to the University as a full-time undergraduate.

You are smarter than the average bear!

Don't forget: it can be hard work, juggling study with other commitments…

Doing a degree - NQF Level 6 qualifications recognise a specialist high level

knowledge of an area of work or study to enable the use of an individual’s own ideas and research in response to complex problems and situations. Learning at this level involves the achievement of a high level of professional knowledge and is appropriate for people working as knowledge-based professionals or in professional management positions. Level 6 qualifications are at a level equivalent to Bachelor's degrees with honours, graduate certificates and graduate diplomas.

Things you need to know ... Locality Programme structure Module assessment Preparation and submission of coursework Regulations and progression

Attendance / illness Programme management Programme related resources Other matters …

Locality 1 - Jordanstown Campus

Locality 1 - Jordanstown Campus

Locality 2 -Block 16

D McFall

Programme structure 1

Year 1NEW

Study Skills and Professional Issues CIS, L4, 20

COM137 Mathematics for

Computing C&M L4, 20

Semester 1

COM135 Software Development I

CIE, L4, 20 Semester 2

COM167 Computer Hardware

SE, L4, 20 Semester 3

Programme structure 2

Year 2 COM138

Software Development II CIE, L4, 20

NEW Networks

SE L5, 20

Semester 1

COM141 Information Systems & Organisations

C&M, L4, 20 Semester 2

COM350 Human Computer Interaction

CIS, L5, 20 Semester 3

Programme structure 3

Year 3 COM326

Object-Oriented Programming CIS, L5, 20

NEW Communications

SE L5, 20

Semester 1

NEW Database Systems

CIE, L5, 20 Semester 2

COM311 Dynamic Web Authoring

C&M, L5, 20 Semester 3

Programme structure 4

Year 4 EEE502

Embedded Systems Design SE, L6, 20

COM624 Engineering Process

and Techniques C&M L6, 20

Semester 1

COM594 Applied Mobile Technologies

CIS, L6, 20 Semester 2

NEW Web Applications Development

CIE, L6, 20 Semester 3

Programme structure 5

Year 5 COM562 Project

All, L6, 40 Semester 1/2/3

Teaching & Examination Schedule

Semester 1 Teaching ExamsVacation

24 Sep 14 Dec

9 Jan to 21 Jan

Semester 2 Teaching Exams

Teaching

Vacation2 wks

Revision

Summer period

September

Exams

Teaching

Teaching

Examinations TimetableSemester 1 Examination: 7 - 19 January 2013

Semester 1 07/01/13-19/01/13

Provisional timetable available from Tuesday 27 November 2012Final timetable available from Wednesday 5 December 2012

Semester 213/05/13-28/05/13

Provisional timetable available from Tuesday 26 March 2013Final timetable available from Friday 12 April 2013

Semester 302/09/13-06/09/13

Final timetable available from Monday 5 August 2013

NB Always check the portal closer to the time for confirmation of these dates

Module assessment 50% examination, 50% Coursework or 25% examination, 75% Coursework

or 100% Coursework ---check the module specification Exam:

2 hours (year 1 examinations)3 hours (year 2 & 3 examinations)Past papers available in the library

Coursework: number and form of assignments vary per moduleprovides you and course committee with feedback about your progress

Effort: 10 hours per credit point (200 hours per 20 point module, 300 hours for 30 point project)

Preparation and submission of coursework Read carefully, clarify uncertainties, note hand-in date, plan your work,

allow for slippage.

Individual assignments must be your own work - plagiarism is an academic offence. You must make yourself familiar with the university policy on Plagiarism. Please refer to the course website.

Keep a copy of all your marked assignment work – may be required for inspection by the External Examiner.

Complete the assignment coversheet - Receipt

EC1 form – Extenuating Circumstances If you cannot submit coursework by deadline, or if you miss an examination,

extenuating circumstances must be provided on EC1 form. (see course website for a copy).

Valid reasons, i.e. “extenuating circumstances” must be given. The EC1 form must be submitted to the school office or your course director within 5 working days of the circumstance occurring).

You will be given a receipt. No Receipt = No EC1 submission. Keep a copy of your own submissions

School office 16G24.

Will be considered by School panel and feedback given.

Regulations and progression

Failure in modules with an overall value up to and including 40 credit points

Repeat specified examinations and/or coursework in the failed modules in the following academic year.

Progress to next year of study permitted.

Failure in modules with an overall value of more than 40 and up to and including 80 credit points

 

Repeat specified examinations and/or coursework in the failed module(s) with or without attendance.

Progress to next year of study not permitted.

Failure in modules with an overall value of more than 80 credit points

Withdraw from the programme.

 

Failure in Years 1, 2 and 3In each of years 1, 2 and 3. the consequences of failure shall normally

be as follows (credits include all modules studied within the year, including modules being carried from previous years):

Failure in modules with an overall value up to and including 60 (maximum 40 at level 6) credit points

Repeat specified examination(s) and/or coursework in the failed module(s) in the next academic year.

Progress to next year of study permitted if appropriate.

Failure in modules with an overall value of more than 60 (or more than 40 at level 6) credit points

Withdraw from the programme.

 

Failure in Years 4 and 5 In years 4 and 5 the consequences of failure shall normally be as follows (credits include all modules studied within the year, including modules being carried from previous years):

Regulations and progression

The following regulations take precedence :

• Candidates who fail any level 4 or 5 module at the third attempt will be required to withdraw from the programme.

• Candidates who fail any level 6 module at the second attempt will be required to withdraw from the programme.

• Candidates who have not successfully completed all modules in a particular year of the course structure may not progress beyond the subsequent year. For example, a student who has not yet passed a year 1 module for whatever reason, cannot progress beyond year 2.

Regulations and progression

Attendance and illness Attendance is monitored.

Please inform your Course Director if you are absent.

If through illness or other extenuating circumstance you cannot sit an exam or submit coursework, reasons should be submitted to Course Director – using EC1 form as above.

Deregistration Students who withdraw must complete an on-line

de-registration form (Portal) This records the date of withdrawal and avoids

financial problems with fees or overpayment of bursaries.

Studies Advice problems with a particular subject area

talk to lecturer concerned

general course related problemsspeak to course director or raise through student/staff committee

Who is your Studies Advisor?: Year 1 Advisors are Dr Mark McCartney and Mr Roy Sterritt. List will be posted on website.

Student Support Services also available (counselling and guidance) Library induction talk will take place during Study Skills module and is usually

delivered by the librarian Mick Carragher

Course ManagementStudent/Staff consultative committee

• meets once each semester (normally week 5 or 6)• a forum for exchange of views and ideas between students and their lecturers,

support staff, etc.• attended by student representatives (1 student from each year)

Course Committee• chaired by the Course Director, responsible for the running of the course

Board of Examiners• chaired by Dean of Faculty, takes decisions on student progress

External Examiner• senior academic from another UK/Ireland institution, responsible for moderation

and quality assurance of examinations and assessment

Examination Board and Enrolment Your course is run as a 3-semester model The examination board is held in Septemebr

each year. Students who are returning to years 2,3,4 and 5

can enrol on-line but only 24 hours after the examination board has met.

Programme related resourceshttp://scm.ulster.ac.uk/~e62901/CD/CS.htm

ICT Acceptable Use Policyhttp://www.ulster.ac.uk/isd/itus/docs/policies/Compositedoc.html

http://www.ulster.ac.uk/isd/itus/docs/policies/aucop.htm PDSUse of PACE tool will add considerably to your ability to

reflect.http://pds.ulster.ac.uk