MSc Computer Science with

MSc
COMPUTER
Data Analytics SCIENCE

PREPARING FOR YOUR STUDIES

Online Programme Module Speci ication Guide

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 Contents:

Big Data Analytics

Data Mining and Text Analysis

Algorithms and Data Structures

Advanced Programming

Computer Architecture and Operating Systems

Computer and Mobile Networks

Software Engineering

Arti icial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Research Methods

Research Proposal

Independent Research Project

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 Big Data Analytics

15 credits

Module Summary This module will provide skills in data

analytics, including the preparation of data,
data handling, formulating precise questions,
and using tools from statistics and data
mining. The module will also cover the
privacy aspects of big data and the
techniques to mitigate these risks.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

On successful completion of the module,
students will be able to:-
• Create a data set using modern
database models and technology,
• Manipulate a data set to extract
statistics and features,
• Critically evaluate and apply data
mining techniques/tools to build a
classi ier or regression model, and
predict values for new examples,
• Analyse and communicate issues with
scaling up to large data sets, and use
appropriate techniques to scale up the
computation,
• Critically discuss the need for privacy,
identify privacy risks in releasing
information, and use design techniques
to mediate these risks.

Indicative Reading • Data Mining: Practical Machine

Learning Tools and Techniques, 4th
Edition, Ian Witten, Eibe Frank, Mark
Hall, Chris J Pal, 2016
• Data Science, Kelleher & Tierney, 2018
• Principles of Database Management,
Lemahieu, Broucke, and Baesens, 2018

Assessment Essay/coursework
Written report

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 Data Mining and Text Analysis

15 credits

Module Summary The module aims to provide concepts

underlying data mining and algorithms
commonly used in data mining tools. The
module will also look into text processing
where linguistic theory, algorithms and
techniques for computer-assisted text
processing will be provided. Students will
have the opportunity to apply the tools and
algorithms for data mining and text
processing to a variety of example data sets

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

Successful completion of the module will
demonstrate that students are able to:
• Analyse different data mining and text
processing tasks and the algorithms
most appropriate for addressing them,

• Critically evaluate and select the

appropriate open-source or
commercial data mining and text
processing toolkits and implement the
algorithms,

• Critically evaluate the algorithms with

respect to their accuracy of the results,

• Develop and communicate a data

mining and text processing solution to
a real-world problem,

• Identify and discuss the challenging

research issues in the area of data
mining and text processing.

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 Subject Content Weekly module content:

1. Data mining and data mining tasks
2. Classi ier techniques and association
analysis
3. Cluster analysis and anomaly detection
4. Linguistic theory and terminology
5. Algorithms and techniques for computer-
assisted text processing
6. Open-source and commercial text mining
and text analytics toolkits
7. Applications and research in text mining

Indicative Reading • Tan, Steinbach, Karpatne & Kumar,

Introduction to Data Mining, 2nd
edition, Pearson, 2019.

Assessment Essay/coursework
Written report

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 Algorithms and Data Structures

15 credits

Module Summary The aim of this module is to provide students

with techniques for using some algorithms
and their associated data structures. This
includes the concept of computational
thinking; the theoretical underpinnings of
Computer Science; programming including
data types, control structures, methods,
inheritance, arrays, graphics and the
mechanics of running and testing;
algorithms, their complexity and
implementation in programs; the application
of these ideas in a practical context.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

Successful completion of the module will
demonstrate that students are able to:-
• Express a problem solution
algorithmically using pseudocode

• Analyse the time complexity of an

algorithm

• Construct computer programs to

implement algorithms

• Test a computer program against the

speci ication.

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 Subject Content Weekly module content:

1. Java building blocks: data types,
operators and expressions
2. Program controls, methods and classes
3. Inheritance, JavaFX and packages
4. Pseudo-code conventions and algorithm
analysis
5. Linear data structures and sorting
6. Hash table and hash functions
7. Trees, tree algorithms and graphs

Indicative Reading • Quentin Charatan & Aaron Kans, Java in

two semesters, 4th edition, Springer,
2019.

• Cormen et al. Introduction to

Algorithms, 3rd edition, MIT Press,
2009

Assessment Essay/coursework
Practical programming report (30%
weighted)

Open examination
Limited time open exam (70% weighted)

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 Advanced Programming
15 credits

Module Summary This module aims to build on the concepts of

programming from the Algorithms and Data
Structure module and provide students with
advanced programming concepts such as ile
manipulation, event driven programming,
multithreaded programming and the use of
packages and documentation. The module
also explores how to program for big data
analysis, and discusses the social context of
computing: social impact of computers and
the Internet; professionalism, codes of ethics,
and responsible conduct; copyrights,
intellectual property, and software piracy.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

Successful completion of the module will
demonstrate that students are able to:
• Demonstrate critical understanding of
the theory and application of advanced
programming techniques

• Design and implement programs for

real world problems

• Communicate design decisions for the

selection, storage and manipulation of
data

• Critically evaluate the legal and ethical

impact of software developments
within real world contexts

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Subject Content Weekly module content:

1. Data types, data collections, decisions
and control structures
2. Event driven programming
3. Multithreaded programming
4. Data storage and processing
5. Statistics, plotting and visualisation
6. Regression and clustering
7. Legal and ethical issues

Indicative Reading • McKinney, Wes: Python for Data

Analysis: Data Wrangling with Pandas,
NumPy, and IPython, 2nd edition,
O'Reilly Media 2017.

Assessment Essay/coursework
Coursework

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 Computer Architecture and Operating Systems

15 credits

Module Summary The module aims to provide students with an

understanding of the concepts of modern
computer architectures and system software.
This module starts with an overview of
computer architecture, then progresses to
topics on how computer systems execute
programs, store information, and
communicate. It will provide the principles,
design and implementation of system
software such as operating systems.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

On successful completion of the module,
students will be able to:-
• Recognise the main components of a
typical computer, analyse and
communicate their individual
behaviour, as well as their interactions,

• Identify the main components of an

operating system (OS), analyse and
communicate the structure and
behaviour of OS components in
isolation, as well as their interactions,

• Apply the principles of resource

management and concurrency to
analyse the main design problems at
the Operating System level, and
critically evaluate the approaches taken
by modern-day operating systems in
solving them,

• Critically evaluate security risks in

operating systems and the role
operating systems can and should play
in establishing security.

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 Subject Content Weekly module content:

1. Computer architecture and processor
principles
2. Operating systems and their
architectures
3. Processor management:
multiprogramming, scheduling,
synchronisation and communication
4. Memory management: basic techniques,
virtual memory, paging and
segmentation
5. Device management: drivers and storage
management
6. File management: structure, protection
and integrity
7. Performance analysis, system
administration, and analysis of popular
operating systems

Indicative Reading • Stallings, W. Computer Organization

and Architecture: Design For
Performance (8th Edition) Pearson
2010.

• Silberschatz A., Galvin P.B., and Gagne

G. Operating System Concepts (8th ed.)
Wiley 2009.

Assessment Open Examination

Limited time open exam

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 Computer and Mobile Networks

15 credits

Module Summary The module aims to provide a sound

understanding of the Internet architecture,
protocols and technologies. This includes
discussion of modern computer networks
and the Internet, network architectures,
communication protocols and their design
principles, the components and layers of the
TCP/IP network model used on the Internet
from the physical layer to applications,
wireless and mobile networks; network
security issues and networking standards.
These are presented together with their real-
world applications. The module will also
cover the social, privacy and copyright issues
related to computer networks and the
Internet.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

Successful completion of the module will
demonstrate that students are able to:
• Critically analyse the core concepts in
modern computer networks such as
LANs and WANs, network architecture,
communication protocols and their
design principles, the layered
organisation of computer networks,
and mobile networks,
• Apply network concepts and design
principles, design/communicate and
implement a networked application,
• Critically evaluate and apply tools for
computer network performance
analysis,
• Critically evaluate network security
techniques,
• Critically evaluate the legal and ethical
impact of computer networks and
Internet.

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Subject Content Weekly module content:

1. Computer networks and their
applications
2. The physical layer and data link layer,
LAN and WAN
3. The network layer and IP
4. The transport layer and TCP
5. The application layer, DNS, email and FTP
6. Wireless and mobile networks
7. Network security

Indicative Reading • James Kurose & Keith Ross, Computer

Networking: A Top-Down Approach,
7th Edition, Pearson, 2017.

Assessment Essay/coursework
Report with an executive summary

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 Software Engineering
15 credits

Module Summary This module focuses on designing and

building software systems, which these days
are often large, complex and long-lived. They
are worked on by teams of engineers, and
changed constantly over their lifetimes. We
will look at principles and patterns of
software design, where to apply them, and
how they may inform our design choices. We
will also look at techniques for ensuring that
systems you build behave correctly. We show
how the application of these makes it
possible to evolve systems effectively in a
rigorous way.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

On successful completion of the module,
students will be able to:-
• Investigate and analyse a problem,
write a software requirement
speci ication and design blueprint
expressed in UML which provides a
basis for code generation,
• Apply a range of design patterns and
principles to solve particular design
problems,
• Apply a range of refactoring techniques
to improve code quality
• Critically evaluate and apply a range of
tools and techniques for automated
software testing, including test-driven
development,
• Manage risk in making changes to an
existing software system through
rigorous engineering practices,
• Critically evaluate the appropriateness
of different software engineering
techniques/tools in different
circumstances, and on the quality of the
design of an application.

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 Subject Content Weekly module content:

1. Software development process
2. Requirement capture and modelling
3. Requirement analysis and speci ication
4. High-level and lower level design
5. Design patterns and state machines
6. Refactoring and software testing
7. Software risk and quality management

Indicative Reading • Bennett, Simon; McRobb, Steve;

Farmer, Ray, Object-Oriented System
Analysis and Design, 4th Ed, McGraw
Hill, 2010.

• Sommerville I., Software Engineering,

9th edition, Addison Wesley, 2015.

Assessment Essay/coursework
Practical software modelling report (30%
weighted)

Open Examination
Limited time software engineering exam
(70% weighted)

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 Arti icial Intelligence and Machine Learning

15 credits

Module Summary This module will explore the ield of arti icial
intelligence and study the principal ideas and
techniques in three core topic areas: solving
problems by searching, logic, and machine
learning. It will help students to develop
practical skills in AI problem-solving and to
understand the legal and ethical implications
of AI for business and society.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

On successful completion of the module,
students will be able to:-
• Critically analyse the principal ideas
and techniques of Arti icial Intelligence,

• Apply AI search to solve problems that

may be represented as states,
transitions and goals,

• Design logical systems that are able to

represent knowledge and make
decisions,

• Apply machine learning techniques to

create AI agents that can learn from
observed data,

• Critically evaluate the societal impact

of AI including legal and ethical issues.

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 Subject Content Weekly module content:

1. Arti icial intelligence and its application
areas
2. Basic AI search algorithms
3. More advanced AI algorithms
4. Basics of logical systems
5. More advanced topics in provisional
logical systems
6. Overview of the three main types of
machine learning: supervised,
unsupervised and reinforcement
7. Theory and examples of supervised
learning on a range of methods

Indicative Reading • Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig,

Arti icial Intelligence: A Modern
Approach (3rd ed. 2009)

Assessment Open Examination

Limited time exam

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 Research Methods
15 credits

Module Summary This module introduces a range of research

methods and types of research projects. You
will learn how to formulate a research
question and to ind answers using both
quantitative and qualitative methods.

Module Aims The module aims to introduce the student to

a range of possible approaches to research
and types of individual research project that
they may undertake. Students will have the
opportunity to formulate research questions
appropriate to an area of interest and to
evaluate the relationship between question,
methodology and method.

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 Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

On successful completion of the module,
students will be able to:-
• Formulate potential research questions
appropriate to an area of interest
• Consider the role of theory in research
• Outline basic methods of conducting
and analysing quantitative and
qualitative research
• Evaluate different methods of
investigating an area of research
interest and consider the nature of the
relationship between research
question, methodology and method
• Critically assess the key characteristics
of qualitative and quantitative research
methods
• Consider the nature of different types
of independent study; a study in a
workplace setting, a non-work-based
literature based study and a non-work-
based study using primary or
secondary data

Indicative Reading • Saunders, M.L. and Lewis, P., 2009. P.

and Thornhill, A.(2009). Research
methods for business students, 4.
• Wellington, J. and Szczerbinski, M.,
2007. Research methods for the social
sciences. A&C Black.
• Cameron, S. and Price, D.,
2009. Business research methods: a
practical approach. Kogan Page
Publishers.
• Hart, C. 2005 Doing your masters
dissertation. Sage,.
• Silverman, D., 2011. Interpreting
qualitative data: A guide to the
principles of qualitative research.

Assessment Essay/coursework
2500 word assignment

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 Research Proposal
15 credits

Module Summary The research proposal (RP) is an extended

research proposal for the students’ inal
Individual Research Project (IRP). The
module is designed to ensure that students
have planned their IRP in suf icient depth
before they undertake their inal study. The
module has been designed to give students
the lexibility of developing a proposal which
explores a work based problem or one that is
more driven by indings in the literature.

Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

On successful completion of the module,
students will be able to:-
• Identify an individual research project
within the area of specialism of the
degree programme,

• Apply knowledge of research

philosophy and methods to justify an
appropriate approach for a speci ic
research question,

• Critically analyse signi icant bodies of

literature in the chosen topic area to
justify an area of research,

• Develop a research plan for a

researchable problem,

• Identify and address ethical issues

associated with a speci ic piece of
research, and attain ethical approval
for the project.

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Indicative Reading • Projects in computing and information

systems: a student's guide. Pearson
Education. C.W Dawson. 2009

• Research Design, Qualitative,

Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Approaches. John W Creswell. Fourth
edition. SAGE publication, 2014

• Writing for computer science, 2nd edn.

Zobel, J. Springer 2004

• Dissertations and Project Reports : A

Step by Step Guide. Cottrell, Stella,
2014. Basingstoke : Palgrave
Macmillan. Palgrave Study Skills. Web.

Assessment Essay/coursework
Research proposal report

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 Independent Research Project

30 credits

Module Summary The 30 credit Individual Research Project

(IRP) builds on the Research Proposal
module (which is a pre-requisite module)
where students will have de ined and
developed a plan for a researchable question
within the area of specialism of the degree
programme.

The IRP is the implementation and the write-

up of the results of this plan. It provides an
opportunity to develop understanding and
skill in the methods and techniques of
research in Computer Science, ranging from
software or hardware engineering needed
for implementation-based investigations to
the scienti ic method of hypothesis
generation and experiment, or other
appropriate and rigorous methods
depending on the topic of the project.

By undertaking a longer piece of sustained

research and writing, students will
demonstrate: critical analytical skills; ability
to gather and synthesise literature and/or
data from a range of sources; writing skills;
subject-speci ic knowledge. As a self study
module, they will also draw on the skills they
have acquired through their whole degree,
including self-management, working to
deadlines, and subject knowledge.

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 Module Learning Outcomes Academic and graduate skills

On successful completion of the module,
students will be able to:-
• Critically evaluate and apply new
techniques and tools,

• Develop artefact, as appropriate,

serving the purpose of the experiment,

• Apply knowledge of research

philosophy and methods to undertake
empirical research involving collection
of primary data (where appropriate)

• Undertake secondary analysis of

existing data and information (where
appropriate)

• Critically analyse signi icant bodies of

literature in the chosen topic area
particularly in the context of the
research indings

• Communicate complex computational

problems and their solutions in well-
presented written format.

Indicative Reading • Dawson, CW, 2009, Projects in

Computing and Information Systems: a
student's guide, 2nd edition, Pearson
Prentice Hall

• Zobel, J, 2014, Writing for Computer

Science, 3rd edition, Springer

Assessment University - project

Research project report

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