An innovative new Masters of Science degree that will equip entrepreneurs and technologists with the know-how and business savvy to succeed in the digital economy was unveiled at yesterday’s DotConf by the National College of Ireland.
The MSc in Web Technology course has been constructed in such a way that it makes use of input from senior executives based at some of the major internet and software operations in Dublin, like Microsoft, Google and PocketKings.
Unveiled at yesterday’s DotConf at the college, where more than 350 people turned up to gain insights into digital business from Facebook, Microsoft, Decisions for Heroes, Digitary, Webstrong, Calom Technologies, Tapadoo, Contrast and Mark Little’s Storyful.
The course, which will be a year long for technology graduates and two years for graduates in other disciplines, will teach students how to create and deploy a commercial web application, make use of enterprise and web application frameworks, become expert in cloud computing, develop internet rich applications using Silverlight and perform usability testing using wire framing, eye tracking and web analytics.
The business side of the course will feature a number of Dragons’ Den style pitching and evaluating, as well as making use of a new simulation technique called Enterprise Game that is based on a set of software developed in Cambridge and used by MIT that throws challenges at students throughout the course.
Who is suited for the Masters in Web Technology?
Course director for the new Masters in Web Technology Keith Maycock explained that the course will be ideal for people with undergraduate qualifications who want to specialise in the web but who are also seeking entrepreneurial opportunities in digital media and the cloud computing space.
“The course relates to all areas of web technology and is ideal for people who are working in the web industry but lack a formal qualification.”
Maycock said the course was in development over the past year and the organisers at the National College of Ireland liaised with senior industry executives, including Google and Microsoft.
Robert Ward, director of marketing at the National College of Ireland, emphasised the business aspect of the course.
“Commercialisation will be a strong theme throughout and the course will be paced in such a way that students will learn the most relevant technologies but at the same time be taken to a level of realism that will stand them well in this exciting industry.”
The Masters of Science in Web Technologies will kick off in September and there will be up to 30 places available. To learn more or apply online, go to the website.
