The new Computer Science Masters Degree

of FCT/UNL

“Course outline”

FCT/UNL’s MSc degree in the late 80’s

Since 30 years ago, FCT/UNL provides an engineering degree (BSc) in Computer Science with a 5 years duration

By the late 80’s we started a MSc degree course: Main initial goal: to provide a path for academic

progress for young teaching assistants During the first year the student should pick 6 or 7

different courses (40 ECTS) among a broad offer and elaborate a MSc thesis during the 2nd year Initially, the MSc course had a small number of students

- in general already enrolled with the university

FCT/UNL’s MSc degree in the late 90’s

By the late 90’s the MSc course degree attracted more students (coming with our own BSc degree as well as with similar degrees from other universities)

The number of offered course options was higher, and

There was a certain overlap between the contents of courses of the BSc fifth year and the ones of the MSc first year

We then started a major restructuring of the MSc degree

The current Computer Science MSc degree

Type B courses - deepening courses (well grounded material, behind the fundamentals)

Type A courses - introduction to research

4 different non overlapping tracks (specializations) - Artificial Intelligence, Computer and Network Systems, Software Technology, and Technology of Information Systems

The student is required to: to take at least 4 type B courses and 2 type A courses, to take at least 50% of the credits in the same track, elaborate a Master Dissertation on its specialization

Integration of the Computer Science BSc and MSc course degrees

Nowadays, type B courses are common to the 5th year of the engineering degree (BSc)

MSc students coming from our BSc (or similar Computer Science Engineering degrees) are exempt from type B courses

One good student, coming from a good 5 year BSc degree, can finish the Master in one year (2 type A courses plus the master thesis in one year) thus finishing a BSc and a MSc in 6 years

The “Bolonha conformant” Computer

Science (CS) MSc degree of FCT/UNL

“Outline of the course proposal”

Agenda

Approach and methodologySkills and competences to be acquired by

studentsCurriculum structureOffered courses and their structuringThe new concept of specializationHow we compare our degree proposal to

similar ones

Course positioning

F o r m a ç ã o 1 º c i c l o F o r m a ç ã o 2 º c i c l o

F o r m a ç ã o 2 º c i c l oF o r m a ç ã o 1 º c i c l o

F u n d a m e n t o s

c i ê n c i a e

e n g e n h a r i a

M a t é r i a s

e s s e n c i a s

d o c u r s o

L i c e n c i a t u r a =

p i v ô p a r a a M o b i l i d a d e e

E m p r e g a b i l i d a d e

I n s t i t u i ç ã o P a r c e i r a

F C T / U N L

3 a n o s 2 a n o s 3 o u 4 a n o s

M e s t r a d o =

p i v ô p a r a a M o b i l i d a d e e

E m p r e g a b i l i d a d e

F o r m a ç ã o 3 º c i c l o

F o r m a ç ã o 3 º c i c l o

I n s t i t u i ç ã o P a r c e i r a

F C T / U N LF C T / U N L

I n s t i t u i ç ã o P a r c e i r a

A c t i v i d a d e P r o f i s s i o n a l

B l o c o I n i c i a l

B l o c o P r i n c i p a l

B l o c o c o m p l e m e n t a r

E s p e c i a l i z a ç õ e s

Methodology

Two years degree (second cycle) after a three year first cycle At course entrance, students must already master the basics of

Computer Science (ACM and IEEE curriculum) — this will be enforced by an admission exam if required

Flexibility is paramount - the course allows flexible curriculum tracks and emphasis; the course must allow the student: to master state of the art engineering practices and to get an introduction to computer science research

Students, helped by a tutor, are co-responsible for their course choices - almost no mandatory courses

Besides CS, students must improve their skills in several disciplines namely: mathematics, technical and scientific communication and economy and management

Optionally, students may become specialists in a branch of CS by following a concentrating of optional courses

Course goals and students skills

To deepen parts of the ACM/IEEE Computer Science (CS) curriculum

State of the art engineering practices and introduction to research

Communication and management skills System vision, ability to deal with complexity Autonomy and self-learning skills

Curriculum structure: scientific areas

Main area: Computer Science (Informatics)

Complementary areas: Mathematics Human and Social Sciences Economy and Management

Electronics Engineering, ...

Scientific areas

Scientific area Label ECTS

Computer Science (Informatics) INF 93

Mathematics MAT 6

Economy and Management EG 6

Human and Social Sciences CHS 3

Open 12

Total 120

Mandatory courses

Introduction to Operations Research (MAT - 6 ECTS)

Economy and Management (EG - 6 ECTS)

Technical and Scientific Communication (CHS - 3 ECTS)

Masters Dissertation (INF - 42 ECTS)

Optional courses

Optional courses in Computer Science (INF - from 51 to 63 ECTS )

Optional courses in different scientific areas (from 0 to 12 ECTS)

Structure of the Computer Science (INF) optional courses (from 51 to 63 credits)

Initial or basic set courses Students must obtain at least 18 ECTS in this subset

Complementary courses No other constraints besides “course pre-requirements”

Advanced topics courses No other constraints besides “course pre-requirements”

The initial or basic set

Knowledge Representation and Reasoning Database SystemsHuman Computer InteractionConstruction and Analysis of Software

SystemsSoftware ArchitecturesDistributed Systems

The advanced topics set

Advanced Topics on Decision Support and Artificial Intelligence

Advanced Topics on Parallel and Distributed Computing Tópicos Avançados em Linguagens e Modelos de

Programação Advanced Topics on Constraint Programming Advanced Topics on Distributed Systems Advanced Topics on Information Systems Advanced Topics on Software Engineering Advanced Topics on Visualization

Other Computer Science courses

Several different courses Some deepen the initial setSome introducing new topics

Please see table

Other optional courses (from 0 to 12 credits)Applied StatisticsStochastic MethodsWireless communicationsDigital Systems SynthesisComputing and Cognitive SciencesEthics and Computer SystemsProject Management.....

Specializations The course allows the student to optionally

concentrate the credits obtained in CS in a specialization

Each CS course can contribute to 0, 1 or more specialization

If the student concentrates up to 30 ECTS in a concentration (chooses courses contributing to that specialization), and presents a dissertation in the same area, it will get a Masters degree with the suffix, “Specialized in ....”

The specialist concentrates 72 in 93 credits in a special course track

Available Specializations

Decision Support and Artificial Intelligence Graphical and Multimedia Systems Information Systems Technology Computer Systems and Networks Software Construction and Analysis Software Engineering

See the course table

What is a specialization ?

A specialization is not necessarily a sub scientific area

It can be presented by a menu metaphor — besides the “menu a la carte” there are several pre-composed menus or pre-defined tracks

These menus have different “budgets” and focus

Student tutor

Supports the student in her choices; explains the course structure and the future implications of her choices

Freely chosen by the student or appointed by the degree coordinator

The thesis advisor becomes the student tutor in the second year

How does this course compares to similar ones ?Very flexible set of curriculum tracks

Several specializations providing from state of the art engineering practices up to introductions to research

( 15 + 12 ) / 120 = 22.5% credits can be obtained in areas complementary to the main course area