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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2011/2012
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Physics and Astronomy : Postgraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Postgraduate Course: Software Development (PGPH11081)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Physics and Astronomy CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Course typeStandard AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaPostgraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionSoftware development is more than just writing programs and this course provides an introduction to the
complete range of software development activities, from gathering requirements through to evaluation of
a finished product. The course describes how software development projects are created and managed
to achieve the delivery of high-quality, efficient, robust, portable, usable software products. You will be
introduced to areas of increasing prominence in both academia and industry including the importance of
software sustainability and the rise of agile methods and extreme programming. The course provides you
with valuable and practical software skills which are vital to the fields of HPC, computational science
and engineering.

The course covers the following topics:
- What is the software for - capturing requirements.
- What makes a good design and how we can tell.
- From design to code - detailed software design, abstract data types and GUI prototyping.
- Designing easy-to-use software - usability.
- Does the software meet its requirements - testing and test management.
- From requirements to products - software projects.
- Who does what - team working and roles.
- How the team interacts - project communications.
- How is the software developed - development models.
- What is done, when and how long for - task planning and estimation.
- Planning for the worst and keeping on track - managing risks and change.
- A more flexible approach - extreme programming and agility.
- Ensuring software lives on - sustainability and open source.
- Protecting ideas and people - licencing, IP and data protection.

Lectures are followed by tutored practical sessions illustrating the key concepts.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1) WebCT enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Location Activity Description Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
King's BuildingsLecture1-11 14:00 - 14:50
King's BuildingsLecture1-11 14:00 - 14:50
King's BuildingsTutorial1-11 12:10 - 13:00
First Class Week 1, Monday, 14:00 - 14:50, Zone: King's Buildings. Room 5327 JCMB
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours:Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course you should be able to:

- Understand the distinction between computer programming and software development.
- Appreciate the fundamental importance of requirements.
- Understand the basics of good design and how to assess designs against requirements.
- Understand the different types of software testing.
- Recognise and implement the key stages in software development projects.
- Understand the main roles in software development teams.
- Propose approaches to manage change and risks in a project.
- Understand legal issues relating to the production and use of software and data.
- Develop a professional approach to software development.
Assessment Information
100% examination consisting of a two hour exam
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsSD
Contacts
Course organiserDr Judy Hardy
Tel: (0131 6)50 6716
Email: j.hardy@ed.ac.uk
Course secretary Yuhua Lei
Tel: (0131 6) 517067
Email: yuhua.lei@ed.ac.uk
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© Copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 16 January 2012 6:36 am