Big Data Analytics
Course Code: COMP 6362
Credits: 3
Duration: 6 weeks
Assessment: Coursework & Exam
This course examines the theoretical and practical techniques used in the analysis of large data sets. It covers data collection, data pre-processing, predictive, prescriptive and descriptive analytics as well as social network analytics. The course will facilitate discussion of case studies that involve big data analytics including fraud detection, web analytics and recommender systems. This course targets students who intend to pursue careers as data scientists work in the field of data analytics. Due to the data and technology intensive nature of the material, this course will be delivered primarily through face-to-face instruction and hands-on lab sessions.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the analytics process model
- Identify the requirements of the analytical model
- Explain the nomenclature used in data analytics
- Prepare data for pre-processing and collection
- Produce cleaned data to be used for analysis
- Analyse large data sets using different techniques
- Recommend data collection and analytical approaches to use based on project requirements
Capstone Project Preparation
Course Code: COMP 6514
Credits: 0
Duration: 12 months
Assessment: Progress Report
This course provides guidance and feedback to students as they work on various aspects of the capstone or mini capstone research project. Course topics will include: creating a research timeline (or work breakdown structure), clarifying a research problem or business idea; identifying/ defining methodologies; creating a research plan. This course is imperative for students in the Master’s programme because it will help them complete their research project within the allotted timeframe. The skills developed will benefit students who are pursuing careers in IT management; or who will become team leaders in a technological development environment.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Define a research question
- Give examples of properly scoped research projects
- Create milestones for completing a research project
- Evaluate research and/or development methodologies
- Apply the correct methodology to their research or development problem
- Create a draft research plan
- Present their research plan and progress reports
Cloud Computing
Course Code: COMP 6361
Credits: 3
Duration: 6 weeks
Assessment: Coursework
The course exposes students to the important concepts, technologies and architectures that form the cloud computing paradigm. Topics that will be covered in this course include: fundamental concepts and models, cloud enabling technology, cloud infrastructure mechanisms, cloud security mechanisms, cost metrics and pricing models and service quality metrics and SLAs. Students who are pursuing careers as application developers, a web developers, or a system administrators; or those desirous of fostering a clear understanding of cloud computing, as well as the ability to clearly articulate the business case for cloud computing will benefit from this course. The delivery mechanisms used for this course include face-to-face lectures, online and in-class discussions, class presentations and hands-on labs.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Define cloud computing
- Describe the fundamental concepts, models and enabling technologies of cloud computing
- Express the fundamental characteristics of cloud security
- Give examples of cloud computing architectures
- Design a cloud computing solution
- Develop a cloud computing solution
- Recommend cloud computing architectures for organizational use
- Summarize delivery and pricing models, service quality metrics and SLAs
- Evaluate cloud infrastructure mechanisms
- Critique cloud computing adoption and deployment strategies
IT Project Management
Course Code: COMP 6323
Credits: 4
Duration: 8 weeks
Assessment: Coursework
This course explores the practical skills required to: start a technology project with a clearly defined scope; set and manage stakeholder expectations; manage changing client requirements; and meet quality standards. Students will also be able to identify and overcome the typical pitfalls inherent in technology projects.
The course assumes a basic understanding of software development and the software development life cycle and uses this basis to discuss methods for delivering IT projects involving networks, hardware acquisition, process changes, data development, etc., on time, within budget, and to specifications.
However, it assumes no prior knowledge in management techniques and will instruct students in how to develop approaches and styles of management specific to technology projects. Students who desire to be IT managers, application development team leaders or IT project managers will benefit from this course. Course content will be delivered primarily by face-to-face instruction. Some aspects of the course will be delivered online and through in-class discussions.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify the communication mechanisms for different audiences
- Outline how to work with local and remote teams
- Identify the unique risks, issues, and critical success factors associated with technology projects
- Describe measurement theory for the management of technology projects and how to communicate the results
- Differentiate among the project management of technology initiatives from other kinds of projects, including hardware, technology and vendor relationships
- Apply project management principles and techniques related to technology project planning, implementation and tracking
- Apply the appropriate product and process metrics and analytical techniques to a project
- Infer the optimal time for product release
- Create a project management plan
- Evaluate the use of technology project management philosophies, principles, methods, tools, and standards
- Compare various techniques for managing a technology development team
Fundamentals of Secure Software Design
Course Code: COMP 6363
Credits: 3
Duration: 6 weeks
Assessment: Coursework
This course equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to build software that is difficult to exploit. It covers the technical aspects of secure coding with additional focus on the software design process to ensure that security is part and parcel of the design rather than an afterthought.
Topics covered in this course include: an introduction to cryptography; understanding current and emerging threats; securing the network, operating system and database environments; vulnerability mapping and incorporating security into the software development process. This course is a prerequisite for students who are desirous of becoming IT security consultants, secure software developers or IT security auditors. Face-to-face lecturers, online presentations, hands-on lab sessions, and in-class discussions will be used in the delivery of the course material.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify threats to the software, network, operating system and database environments
- Identify mitigation techniques
- Identify how security affects the software design process
- Apply common techniques for improving system security
- Apply disaster and recovery techniques to operating systems
- Apply a security approach to database management
- Analyse weaknesses in existing systems
- Design an investigation into the programming languages used in the system
- Develop a secure system
- Evaluate the elements of the requirements document that assert security
Course Code: COMP 6108
Credits: 0
Duration: 4 weeks
Assessment: Coursework
The course will enable students to develop knowledge and gain the insight required to identify opportunities that are best suited for technological solutions and the creation technological businesses around those solutions. Aimed at all students enrolled in the IT programme, it fosters an entrepreneurial approach to identifying and providing IT solutions. The course will be beneficial to all students desirous of successful IT careers; and those who wish to undertake IT leadership roles. The material in this course will be delivered using face-to-face lectures, online and in-class discussions and student presentations.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Discuss methods of marketing and branding a business
- Discuss capital sources
- Discuss launch strategies
- Justify the need for a business plan
- Explain how to move brick-and-mortar organisations online
- Apply accounting and legal requirements to a business
- Classify risks and uncertainty in the technological business environment
- Analyse the components of a business plan
- Construct a revenue/business model
- Appraise a running business
- Evaluate an idea and find a niche market.
System Administration
Course Code: COMP 6364
Credits: 3
Duration: 6 weeks
Assessment: Coursework
This course equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to manage the technological infrastructure of a small IT environment that supports 100-500 employees. Topics to be covered include architectures, heterogeneous systems, authentication and security, network services including firewalls, storage services, performance analysis and tuning, management and configuration of services and system resources, system initialization, drivers, cross-platform services, policies and procedures. Students pursuing careers in system administration, network administration or software development; or those who desire deeper knowledge of how to manage the systems that are the foundation of all IT organizations will find this course beneficial. The course is very practical in nature and will be delivered by face-to-face instruction in the form of lectures and lab sessions. Some aspects of the course will be delivered online and through in-class discussions.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the role of the system administrator
- Explain the organization of IT systems
- Apply techniques to interoperate computer systems comprised of Linux and Windows machines
- Manage effectively users, files, and software on a computer system installation consisting of clients and servers
- Install and configure networking services for intranet and Internet domains
- Demonstrate the installation and configuration of Linux and Windows virtual machines
- Analyse network security policies in Linux and Windows environments
- Develop scripting mechanisms and automated scripts for performing complicated administration tasks
- Evaluate alternative policies and mechanisms for providing reliability features of computer system services and operations
- Design and deploy systems to manage large amounts of data for a wide variety of users in a small to medium-sized business IT infrastructure
System Quality Assurance
Course Code: COMP 6209
Credits: 3
Duration: 6 weeks
Assessment: Coursework
This course focuses on software system quality assurance and its relevant metrics as an important part of the development of games, mobile applications and web applications. The reviewed techniques span the software development phases from requirements through delivery and maintenance. This is an essential module for students who are pursuing careers in application development, Web development, software testing or IT project management. The material in this course will be delivered using face-to-face and online lectures, hands-on labs, and class discussions.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Outline system quality philosophies, principles, methods, tools, and standards
- Explain the fundamental concepts related to verification and validation processes
- Describe the fundamental problems and risks associated with various technology development methodologies
- List examples of techniques for product release and defect archiving
- Select and define product/process metrics and analytical techniques
- Apply product/process metrics and analytical techniques
- Evaluate the impact of software system quality management principles on business objectives for games and mobile applications
- Design and implement technology quality programmes
- Create and evaluate test plans, execution documents and test strategies
- Create automated tests for games and mobile applications
- Create tests for complicated programming logic.
Specializations
The Enterprise Systems specialization facilitates students’ understanding of the available technologies that are best suited for IT solutions, as well as the issues involved in designing and developing IT solutions for organisations in the Caribbean. Students will acquire knowledge of how to design and develop enterprise IT services, develop strategies for identifying processes and issues that can benefit from technological solutions, and learn how to implement enterprise solutions.
The Web Development specialization will help students obtain the knowledge and skills required to create Web applications. In addition to creating applications, students will learn how to use application frameworks to build scalable, enterprise applications and use Web services to provide integration solutions.
The Mobile Applications specialization trains individuals in the development of applications for mobile devices. These applications have become a key part of the strategies of businesses and organisations due to the sheer number of mobile devices currently in use both in developed and developing countries. The programme provides focused training in areas such as Android and iOS application development, quality assurance, interaction design and security. The training provided in this programme is therefore essential for the development of local, regional and global businesses.
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