(MSc) Master of Science
Computer Networks and Security
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (School of)
Colchester Campus
Masters
Full-time or part-time
None
MSC H60112
25/09/2012
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
A degree with an overall 2:1.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
Dr Ning Wang
Lecturer in Networks
The University of Surrey
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
To provide postgraduate training in Computer Networks and Information Systems and to produce engineers with an understanding of the principles and practice of computer networks and the services they support.
To prepare students for careers in advanced research and/or industry by extending their knowledge and skills in a specialised area of computer and information networks.
To enable students to contribute to future developments in their field by providing them with an understanding of recent advances and current research activity.
To develop students' ability to make a critical evaluation of the theories, techniques and systems used in their chosen area of specialisation.
To develop research and problem-solving techniques in their chosen area of specialisation.
To develop students' ability to undertake research through practical project experience.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: The principles that underlie computer networks and the design and implementation of modern networks.
A2: Practical issues concerning computer networks, including planning, configuration, monitoring and security.
A3: The fundamentals of networked information services and detailed knowledge of the most important ones.
A4: The implementation of at least one networked service in a suitable programming language.
A5: Advanced topics in selected areas of modern computer networking and networked information systems.
A6: A selected current research area, including practical experience in it.
Learning methods
A1 and A3 are developed through lectures and coursework.
A2 is developed through lectures and network laboratory experiments.
A4 is developed through lectures and software laboratory experiments.
A5 is developed mainly through lectures that involve, in some cases, industrial lecturers who emphasise current industrial practices, and project.
A6 is developed principally through a research project.
Assessment methods
A1-A4 are examined through coursework, tests, and examinations.
A5 is assessed through examinations, one module through exam and course work, and project.
A6 is assessed by means of a written report and oral defence.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Integrate knowledge and information in order to explain and evaluate computer networking technologies.
B2: Use data and knowledge in order to plan a modern computer network.
B3: Assimilate and link information presented in different courses.
B4: Plan and conduct an independent research project under the guidance of a supervisor.
Learning methods
B1 and B2 are developed principally through lectures, problem classes, seminars and practical work.
B3 is mostly developed through problem classes, research project, course work and practicals.
B4 is developed through research project guided by the supervisor.
Assessment methods
B1 and B2 are assessed through written examinations and oral assessment in the networks laboratory.
B3 and B4 are assessed principally through reports on practical work, including the project report.
C: Practical skills
C1: Developing computer programs that implement network services.
C2: Making effective use of software packages for the handling, analysis and presentation of experimental data.
C3: Writing and reporting complex technical concepts concerned with computer networks in a readable and balanced way.
C4: Demonstrate inter-personal skills and participate actively in teamwork.
C5: Show self-motivation, self-discipline and initiative.
Learning methods
C1 are developed in lectures and practicals in the networks and software laboratories.
C2-C5 are developed in the laboratories and in project work.
Assessment methods
C1 and C2 are assessed in reports on laboratory experiments.
C3 is assessed principally in the project report, and to a lesser extent in reports on experiments.
C4 and C5 are assessed through oral examination of selected practicals and the project oral.
D: Key skills
D1: To report effectively, both written and oral, in structured fashion on independent and group work.
D2: To use current computer systems for communication, data acquisition, data management, and data analysis.
D3: To analyse technical problems involving numerical values.
D4: To learn top-down/bottom-up approach and systematically explore, combine, deduce techniques for solving complex problems.
D5: To work as part of a group to set-up experiments and do measurement, and analyse the associated results.
D6: To evaluate background knowledge, assess learning pace, plan work with realistic targets.
Learning methods
D1, D2 are developed through course work and project work and project reports.
D3 and D4 are developed through problem classes, project work, and course work.
D5 is developed through practicals.
D6 is developed through project work, practicals, and course work.
Assessment methods
D1 is assessed through oral and written project report and laboratory report.
D2 is assessed through project work, laboratory work, and course work.
D3 is assessed mainly through the examination.
D4 is assessed through the examination, project work and coursework.
D5 is assessed through the laboratory work.
D6 is assessed through project.