The aim of the programme is to provide you with high-quality education, at postgraduate level, in Internet Systems Engineering to enable you to develop a balance of theoretical knowledge, practical skills and experience to enhance your professional development and future employment in industry or academia.

As part of this programme you will study distributed objects engineering, internet applications and web services, secure software systems development and either multimedia design or data mining. You will then be able to specialise your study by selecting a dissertation topic that suits your needs.

The Internet plays a major role in almost every part of human activity. As a result, Internet Systems Engineering is an area that is growing exponentially and the demand for internet systems engineers is rapidly increasing. The MSc Internet Systems Engineering at UEL is a unique programme that:

- is focused on the engineering of internet systems rather than just development;

- provides a distinctive knowledge of the integration of security and software engineering for the development of internet systems;

The entry requirement for the programme is satisfied by possession of one of the following:

• An honours degree in Computing, or an appropriate and related subject with a substantial computing element, with a British award classification of no less than a lower second class honours (2:2)
• A degree qualification of a standard equivalent to (i) obtained after a programme of study in a recognised university outside the UK.

Applicants having appropriate professional experience will be considered if they are able to provide a satisfactory outcome based on the process of Assessment of Experiential Learning (AEL). This assessment will be carried out with the School’s AEL committee and a standard fee will be payable dependent upon the time involved in establishing the AEL claim.

Applicants, whose first language is not English and their first degree is not from an English-teaching university, will also be required to meet the University standard for competence in English language and therefore need to supply evidence of proficiency in English equivalent to IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 250/600.

This programme utilises a mixture of learning methods that focus on and maximises the student learning experience through:

• A series of lectures and seminars that promote your active participation
• A number of tutorial and practical sessions that enforce your learning
• A number of problem solving, individual and group, activities that enhance your understanding and skills
• A series of student based activities such as presentations
• A web-based learning system that supports you in various aspects of your studies

To reflect the programme objectives and learning outcomes each taught module is usually assessed through a combination of appropriate assessment techniques. These typically include group and individual work, written reports, examinations, and essays. The dissertation module is assessed in terms of a proposal and the dissertation.

The programme will provide you with opportunities to be engaged in a number of project related activities:

• Group –based projects as part of some of your taught modules
• Individual projects as part of your MSc dissertation and some of your taught modules.

Such projects will enable you to put into practice the theoretical knowledge obtained during the postgraduate programme and enhance your understanding of Internet Systems Engineering.

The programme will provide you with the appropriate knowledge and skills to pursue a successful career in Internet Systems Engineering. You will learn about the latest technologies and become familiar with all the Engineering issues involved in Internet Systems Engineering. The programme is also in line with the latest research findings in the areas of internet, software and security engineering and it will provide you with an in depth understanding of how to engineer a secure Internet based system. With all the security related issues faced by most of the internet-based systems, this is an important aspect for a successful career in Internet Systems Engineering.

The proposed programme enables successful candidates to pursue a career in a wide range of internet related industrial jobs including Internet Service Providers, web design companies, web services providers, and IT departments. Moreover, the programme provides the necessary knowledge for graduates who wish to engage in further study for a PhD degree and possibly follow a career in academia.

UEL and the School of Computing, Information Technology and Engineering have in place a number of mechanisms to support you throughout your studies. A personal tutor is allocated to each student at the start of the programme. The personal tutor is available to help you in your academic progress as well as in any general issues that you might face during your studies. An appropriate project supervisor is also allocated to every student who takes the dissertation project to provide support and knowledge throughout the project duration. For each module there is a module leader who can help with any issues around that module. There is also a programme leader to help you with any issues you might have with the programme. Last but not least, counsellors are available for consultation through the student services.