Master of Computer and Information Sciences
Programme Code: AK3688
Level: 9
Points: 240
Duration: Two years full time
Venue: City Campus
Starting date: 2 March 2009 / 20 July 2009
AUT encourages early applications.
Late applications will be accepted if the programme is not full.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The MCIS is designed to meet the needs of those interested in taking their undergraduate qualification further, in bettering their career opportunities, or in exploring further a specialist area of interest.
The programme combines research and professional practice to deliver skills and knowledge that can be applied in both industry practice, and industry or academic research. Its aim is to produce graduates with the capability, credibility and judgement to manage and lead teams of IT professionals. Successful masters graduates can pursue further studies at doctoral level.
WHAT THIS PROGRAMME COVERS
The first year includes compulsory papers in Contemporary Issues and Research Methods. Students can then focus their studies on one of the discipline clusters, which underpin the programme, or can combine papers:
- Systems Design and Development (papers include Usage Centred Design, eSystems Design and Development, Ubiquitous Computing, Computer Graphics and Animation, Software Requirements Engineering, Middleware);
- Knowledge Engineering and Management (papers include Bioinformatics, Health Informatics, Data Mining and Knowledge Engineering, Data Warehousing, Collaborative Computing and Workflow);
- Information Technology Management (papers include Net-centric Computing, Information Security, IT Strategy and Policy, Integrating IT and the Enterprise, ICT Issues in the SME Sector, Strategic IT Contract Management).
The second year of the masters programme is dedicated to independent research work under the guidance of an experienced academic supervisor. Students can take either a one year thesis, or a one semester dissertation. A thesis is normally developed as a full scale research project often involving the creation of a software artefact, whereas a dissertation could be based on secondary research only.
Research topics can vary from interdisciplinary to specialised within a number of research areas, such as data mining, knowledge engineering, information systems, robotics, bioinformatics, health informatics, mobile applications, RFID, Artificial Intelligence, IT security and computational astronomy.
Student research is often aligned with one of the School’s research institutes and laboratories, where students are given access to specialist tools and facilities and work alongside world-class research experts.
Suggested and current thesis topics
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for whom English or Māori is not their first language are required to provide proof of an acceptable pass/grade gained in an accepted English language test. For more details, please refer to English Language Requirements in AUT's Academic Calendar or visit www.aut.ac.nz/calendar.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
- Chief information officer/Chief technology officer
- Database architect
- E-Commerce solutions architect
- General manager IT
- Integration architect
- IT director/manager
- Programme manager
- Project director/manager/leader
- Senior technical consultant
- Software developer/architect
PAPERS
COMPULSORY CORE PAPERS (30 points, 300 hours)
408218 Contemporary Issues in Computer and Information Systems (15)
408220 Research Methods I (15)
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:
OPTION ONE
Elective Papers (90 points)
409102 Thesis (120)
OPTION TWO
Elective Papers (120 points)
409105 Thesis (90)
OPTION THREE
Elective Papers (150 points)
409222 Dissertation (60)
ELECTIVE PAPERS
* Enrolment in elective papers is subject to meeting the requirements as detailed in the paper selection form sent to all enrolling students, as well as to space availability.
408200 Readings (30)
408203 Net-centric Computing (15)
408204 Usage Centred Design (15)
408205 Middleware (15)
408206 Collaborative Computing (15)
408207 Ubiquitous Computing (15)
408208 Information Technology Strategy and Policy (15)
408209 Strategic Information Technology Contract Management (15)
408210 Integrating IT and the Enterprise (15)
408211 ICT Issues in the SME Sector (15)
408212 Service Relationship Management (15)
408214 Special Topic (15)
408215 BioInformatics (15)
408216 Data Mining and Knowledge Engineering (15)
408217 Information Security (15)
408221 Research Methods II (15)
408811 Co-operative Education (60)
409218 Computer Graphics and Animation (15)
409219 Health Informatics (15)
409220 Software Requirements Engineering (15)
409221 eSystems Design and Development (15)