Key information
Duration - 3 years: 1 year pathway + 2 years degree
Start Dates - January
Pathway Tuition Fee - £15,295.00
English Language Requirement - IELTS 5.5 with no less than 5.5 in each component.
The IS2 is the equivalent to the second year of a four-year Scottish undergraduate degree. This programme is designed to help you develop your academic knowledge and skills within your subject area.
You will also focus on improving your English academic literacy in preparation for continuing onto your chosen Edinburgh Napier undergraduate degree. Studied across three terms, you will continue straight onto year three of your degree course at Edinburgh Napier University once you have successfully completed the pathway.
Available Progression Degrees
Students can progress onto a range of degrees following successful completion of the business pathway programme:
- BEng (Hons) Computer Systems and Networks
- BEng (Hons) Computing
- BEng (Hons) Cybersecurity and Forensics
- BSc (Hons) Computer Science
- BSc (Hons) Computer Science (AI)
- BEng (Hons) Software Engineering
- BSc (Hons) Games Development
What you will study
Alongside core modules, you will study subject-specific modules that will equip you with a foundation of knowledge for your chosen field of study.
Common module across all IS2 pathway routes
English and Skills for Advanced Study
The approach throughout this module is to direct skills learning and development towards application within an academic environment. Attention is paid to the acquisition of formal language required for production of essays, reports and presentations, for drawing information from lectures and academic texts and for an appropriate contribution to academic discourse. The whole module is set within the context of higher education in the UK and emphasis is placed on developing the skills you require for more advanced study, for example, research methods, critical analysis of learning materials, academic writing and team building.
30 Credits
Course specific modules
Database Systems Applications
The module aims to introduce you to a number of key aspects relating to databases. These include database theory, which helps you understand how the technology behaves, database design, a key skill for software engineers and business analysts, database use, particularly the ability to retrieve required data through well-designed queries, database administration, which involves backing up and restoring databases and the use of scripts to automate database management, and techniques dealing with database security.
20 credits
Operating Systems
In this module an emphasis will be placed on both design issues and fundamental principles in contemporary systems and providing a solid understanding of the key structures and mechanisms of operating systems by focusing on Unix based Operating Systems and Windows. The module examines the software components that run current devices, and how they support user operations. Through a popular Linux distribution, you will gain practical experience in Unix and Unix scripting, which is an important technology that, running on servers, underpins much of the modern computational infrastructures.
20 credits
Software Engineering Methods
This module integrates DevOps techniques to deliver a software product. The aim of the module is for you to appreciate the core ideas of modern software development workflows, agility, leanness, and automation. The range of techniques are diverse, but the areas you will study provide a sufficient overview of the practical and personal skills required for modern software delivery. You will also consider important areas around ethics, professionalism and security in the context of software development.
20 credits
Object-Oriented Software Development
This module introduces you to the principles and techniques associated with Object Oriented software developing using C#. The module content includes problem solving approaches and algorithmic expression, object-oriented development in C#, an introduction to data structures using C# collections, design and development of user interfaces using C# controls and practical testing techniques.
20 credits
Algorithms and Data Structures
In this module you are introduced to a variety of data structures & algorithms, as well as some related topics such as how to decide when a data structure is appropriate to use, or whether an algorithm is better (or worse) than another in a given situation. You will cover fundamental concepts of data structures & algorithms starting with linear data structures such as arrays, lists, queues, & stacks then look at associative data structures such as sets, dictionaries, hash tables, graphs, & trees. The study of these data structures will cover their capabilities, performance characteristics, and applications. Once you are able to store data you will consider how to perform operations on it using algorithms.
20 credits
Scripting For Cybersecurity And Networks
Applicable to students who are progressing onto the field of Cybersecurity and Forensics instead of ‘Software Engineering Methods’:
The aim of the module is to deepen your understanding of fundamental programming concepts and introduce more advanced concepts for applications development. Throughout the module, the concepts will be contextualised through case studies relevant to your intended programmes of study, namely cybersecurity, digital forensics and networking. Additionally, the module integrates some fundamental aspects of mathematics, particularly discrete maths, which are important in Computing and Cybersecurity. Python is introduced and used throughout as this is a general purpose programming and scripting language which is used extensively in computer security and related fields.
20 credits
Digital Forensics
Applicable to students who are progressing onto the field of Cybersecurity and Forensics instead of ‘Object-Oriented Software Development’:
The aim of the module is to investigate the principles of digital forensics, focusing on computer forensics (client-side PCs and laptops). The module includes significant practical sessions in applying computer forensics in realistic real-world scenarios, allowing you to analyse and evaluate digital evidence through the use of forensic tools and techniques. The tools examined will be mainly public domain tools. The practical sessions will be complemented with considerable theoretical knowledge of computer information as digital evidence and the basic techniques associated with gathering, preserving and presenting digital evidence.
20 credits
Practical Networks 2
Applicable to students who are progressing onto the field of Computer Systems and Networks instead of ‘Algorithms and Data Structures’:
The aim of this module is to develop your knowledge and understanding of the architecture, structure, functions, components, and models of the Internet and other computer networks. Building on your prior studies of networks, you learn about network operating systems, the Ethernet, IP addressing, subnetting IP networks and safeguarding network security.
20 credits