Why Study Computer Science at UCD?

Do you need language to think? Why the eye is not like a camera? How do search engines, Skype, Facebook, Internet banking or computer games work? If you are interested in finding the answers to these questions and are a logical thinker who likes problem solving, a degree in Computer Science could be for you.

Bachelor in Computer Science

This four-year degree programme is taught by the UCD School of Computer Science and Informatics and is available through one Denominated entry route – DN201.

What do Computer Science graduates say about the Degree?

“The programming and operating systems skills I developed in UCD Computer Science enabled me to become a Quality Assurance engineer for the Solaris operating system which is used by telecommunication companies and government agencies worldwide. Training and instructing in the UCD Taekwon-Do Club helped me develop the teamwork and teaching skills that I use in my occasional role as a trainer for new engineers in our Dublin, Prague and San Francisco Offices.” 
Chris Quinn, a UCD Computer Science graduate and Team Leader in Sun Microsystems

“Studying Computer Science is a great way to learn how to solve problems in a logical and innovative way. You can apply these skills to develop new business ideas or to work within existing companies in areas as diverse as search engine design or bioinformatics where computers are used to speed up the development of new drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.”
Dr Maurice Coyle, a UCD Computer Science graduate and entrepreneur for the company HeyStaks.

“UCD Computer Science gave me an excellent grounding in the skills I use daily as a software developer. Knowing millions of people around the world are using mobile phone software that I helped develop gives me a huge sense of satisfaction, and travelling to work with international clients on location was an added bonus.” 
Derry O’Sullivan, a UCD Computer Science graduate and employee of Amdocs Interactive.

What will I Learn?

Below are some of the highlights from each Stage of the degree. For a complete list of modules visit the MyUCD Computer Science page.

• Stage 1 - Stage 1 in Computer Science gives students an insight into life in Computer Science. Here they will be shown a diverse range of subjects and will be given your first experience of programming using the C language.
  
  Modules such as Algoritmic Problem Solving will giving you an insight into algorithms; a core concept in programming. Software Engineering Project I will give students the ability to put what they learnt into practice and learn to participate in groups.
  
  Computer Science in Practice will then show students an insight into the different aspects of Computer Science with a different lecturer giving a talk each week in their specific work or research. Visits to different companies such as Google, IBM and Microsoft will also give more of an understanding to students.
  
  Semester 1 will comprise a 15-week “immersion” experience where students take only Computer Science and some Mathematics tailored to the needs of Computer Science.

Photo of the UCD Computer Science Active Learning Laboratory where students spend a significant amount of time.
 

• Stage 2 - In addition to continuing to build upon the basic programming and logical reasoning skills established in Stage 1, 
  our Web Multimedia module will teach you the basic design principles involved in the creation of all websites. You will be exposed to technologies like (x)HTML, Authoring Tools, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Graphics and Imaging, Javascript, XML, and Web 2.0. You will also investigate the importance of human computer interaction in web design.
  
  Stage 2 will allow you to explore fields as diverse as Computer Forensics, Web Multimedia and Cognitive Science as electives. Computer Forensics will allow you to understand viruses and hacking. Using software developed by researchers at the UCD Centre for Cybercrime Investigation you will witness the real-time detection of cybercrime on the Internet.
   

• Stages 3 & 4 - For the remaining 2 stages of your degree you will have the opportunity to specialise in different application areas such as Computer Graphics, Parallel Computing, Wireless Networking and Data Mining. Another popular area of specialisation is Artificial Intelligence. Examples of AI applications include systems capable of recommending products to customers, automatically translating from one language to another or robots that can play football and find their way out of a maze.
  
  Our Networks and Internet Systems module will explain how all modern communications are designed and implemented for example email, web browsing, mobile phones, file sharing and social networking applications. A project in the module involves building your own e-mail client.
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Q Do I need to be a competent programmer or gamer to apply for this course? 
A No, the DN201 Computer Science degree is suitable for students at all levels of experience. UCD recognises that this is the first time that many students will have studied computing and provides a Computer Science Support Centre where students receive free one-to-one tuition.

Q Do I need Higher Level Maths in my Leaving Certificate?
A No. The minimum requirement is a B3 in Ordinary Level Mathematics, however Computer Science requires a competency in mathematics and higher level is encouraged..

Q Is there a lot of Maths in Stage 1 (First Year)?
A Students must study 3 Mathematics modules in first year. UCD provides a free Mathematics Support Centre for all students who may need additional help with their studies.

Q Are there any opportunities for internships or studying abroad? 
A In Stages 3 or 4 we hope to arrange internships with major companies for at least the top 25% of students in companies such as Google, Microsoft or IBM. UCD also has strong ties to Universities in Europe, China and the USA and there are study abroad options in Stage 3.

Careers in Computing and Technology

• Download DN201 Computer Science brochure (pdf) for more information on the types of careers for graduates.
• Visit the UCD Science Careers page for more testimonials.
• Read pages 14 to 18 of the Brightwater Recruitment 2010 salary survey for current salaries in Dublin, outside of Dublin and in Belfast.

This article is taken from http://www.ucd.ie/science/news/10feb/100210_computer_science.html

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