Overview

The objective of the Graduate Diploma programme is to provide participants with the skills necessary for the analysis, design, testing, implementation and maintenance of computer based information systems in a commercial or industrial environment. Since its inception in 1979 it has been highly successful in achieving this aim.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this programme, students will have the skills, knowledge and abilities to:

Knowledge - breadth & kind:

• Identify and describe the major components of a modern digital computer
• Explain the use of the system development life cycle, and other versions of the life cycle, in the software development process
• Explain the relevance and explore the fundamental principles of database technology.
• Explain the key terminology in software testing and inspection.

Know-how and Skills - range and selectivity:

• Write programs and program fragments in a specified high level programming language to solve particular problem specifications.
• Design database models and create efficient database solutions.
• Modernize or integrate a legacy system using current technologies, or by applying various re-documentation or code renovation tools.

Competence - context and role:

• Illustrate the representation of data in a computer system, and discuss the fundamental processes involved in both the storage and the processing of this data, from both a software and a hardware context.
• Identify, describe, discuss, and evaluate approaches to Data Migration.

Competence - learning to learn:

• Compare and contrast the use of different techniques (structured, prototyping, JAD, ObjectOriented) to construct conceptual models of software systems.
• Co-operate as part of a team in the implementation of a substantial software development project.

Competence - insight:

• Analyse a program specification or a program to identify test cases.  Design black box and white box test cases.
• Assess software quality via inspections and code walkthroughs.

CONTACT

Department of Computer Science and Information Systems
Course Director: Dr Nikola Nikolov
Tel : 353-61-233284
Email : nikola.nikolov@ul.ie
Web : www.csis.ul.ie

Graduate Profile

Graduates typically begin their careers as programmers or programmer/analysts; they progress to become analyst/designers, software engineers or software consultants.  By combining your initial degree qualifications with the skills obtained in the Graduate Diploma in Computing an even wider range of career opportunities can become available to you.

Programme Content

Details about the content of each module are available here

Entry Requirements

A primary degree (Level 8 - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland) in a discipline other than computing is the key requirement. Preference will be given to the candidates with a first or second-class honours degree, or with relevant work experience.

WHAT TO INCLUDE WITH YOUR APPLICATION:

• Qualification transcripts and certificates
• English language qualification if English is not your first language
• Certified English translations of your transcripts/certificates where the originals are in a language other than English.
• A copy of your birth certificate (long document)

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of either prior successful completion of a degree qualification taught through the medium of English or meet one of the criteria below (no longer than  two years prior to application):

Acceptable English Language qualifications include the following:
 
Matriculation examinations from European countries where English is presented as a subject and an acceptable level is achieved

• Irish Leaving Certificate English –Ordinary Level Grade D or above
• TOEFL – 550 (paper based), 213 (computer based), 80 (internet based)
• IELTS – Minimum score of 6.5* for Business, Arts, Humanities or Education programmes. Minimum score of 6.0* for Science, Engineering, Informatics or Electronics programmes *with no less than 6 in any one component.
• English Test for English and Academic Purposes (ETAPP) – Grade C1
• GCE ‘O’ level English Language/GCSE English Language – Grade C or above
• University of Cambridge ESOL –Certificate of Proficiency in English - Grade C / Certificate in Advanced English - Grade A
• GCE Examination Boards – Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations – Grade C / Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate – School Certificate Pass 1-6 / University of London Entrance and School Examinations Council – School Certificate Pass 1-6

Results in examinations other than those listed above may also be accepted as meeting our English language requirements. Contact the International Education Division for advice.