Welcome to the

School of Computer Science

Norman PatonPGT (Postgraduate Taught) Director

Who am I?

• Career:– Professor of Computer Science.– At Manchester since 1995, but new to this role.– Research: Databases, distributed information

management, bioinformatics.– Teaching: none at Masters!

• PGT Director:– Overall responsibility for masters programmes.– On the escalation route for problems or issues.

• Contacts:– Office: 2.20.– Email: npaton@manchester.ac.uk

• Please call me:– Norman.

Welcome

• I hope you are – well– excited– eager to embark on your MSc & MRes

programme

• ...but you might also be a bit– lost – confused– bursting with questions

Welcome to our Welcome Week • … prepare you for the next year in Manchester

• we explain – the school– the programme– the course units, etc.

• ...so that you are ready to start on your programme next week

– there is no ‘warming up’ period!

Welcome to our School of Computer Science • One of the major research institutes in Computer

Science in the world• Possibly the oldest Computer Science university

department in the world• The home of the earliest stored-program electronic

computer (1948)• One of the largest departments in the UK • This is your opportunity to make use of the staff

and facilities for education and research!

Welcome to the University of Manchester

• One of the largest student campuses in Europe ...and all that goes with that

• Good university facilities - sports, support, etc:see Student Union for a range of activities:

http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/

• Great ‘student life’

• Student Charter

Welcome to Manchester• Large, lively, and active city:

events, sports, nightlife, shopping... • Long history - centre of the industrial revolution • Football, Cricket, Cycling Centres• Great location with

beautiful surroundings:– Lake District– Peak District – Wales, Snowdonia– Coastal areas...

Who does what?• Organisation:

– PGT Director:•organisation and

planning

– Programme Directors:•advice and guidance

on academic and related matters

– Student Support Office•look after students•help with most

organisational matters•first point of contact

for questions that are not specific to a taught activity

• Teaching:– (Senior) Lecturers,

Readers, Professors•teach courses, set

exams, …•supervise projects•check how to address

them: often by their first name

– Lab demonstrators•help with labs,

coursework, example classes

Programmes & Directors The following are our programmes and their Programme Directors: • MSc in Advanced Computer

Science• Joshua Knowles.

• MSc in ACS and IT Management • Goran Nenadic

• MRes in ACS• Konstantin Korovin

• Part-time & Foundation Route• Alex Walker

• Continuing Professional Development• Andy Brass

Student Support OfficeRelevant people include: Chris Susie Richard Calland Hymas Ward

Exa

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Your MSc Year

T2 C1 T2 C2

T3 C1T1 C1 T1 C2 T3 C1

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Project

Assessment: • 50% Taught Course Units: • Coursework + Exams (end of semesters)

• 50% Project: • COMP60990 Research Methods & Professional Skills: Progress Report

• Dissertation.E

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COMP60990/Project

Period 1 Period 3Period 2 Period 4

Semester 1 Semester 2

Terminology: Ti Cj = Theme i, Course Unit j

By Friday you must have• Chosen which themes you wish to follow:

– Taking a theme involves taking two course units in the same semester.

– You need to choose two themes in the first semester, and one theme in the second semester (the latter taking account of dependencies).

• Chosen which pathway you wish to follow:– Taking a pathway involves taking certain themes.

• You may well have applied for a pathway, but in general you can change pathways at any time:– … but the security pathway is full.

Your MSc Project• Half of your MSc• Normally involves both research and system

development. • Preparation through COMP60990

– Technical Reading and Writing– Carrying out experiments, collecting evidence, ...

• Project allocation: – at the end of the first semester: December– Choose from a list of many suggested projects or talk to

staff about your ideas or areas of interest. – Supervisor to help and guide you through the project.

Your MSc Project• Assessment:

– Project Progress Report: May, 30 credits• must be passed to continue with project• background, first steps towards project, project plan• plus COMP60990 coursework

– Dissertation: September, 60 credits

T2 C1

T1 C1SM1

We

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ek Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4

Exa

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T2 C2

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SM2 SM3

Taster

Your MRes Year

Assessment: • 1/3 Taught Course Units: • Coursework (ongoing)• Exams (end of semesters)

• 2/3 Project: • Progress Report (April)• Dissertation (September)

Semester 1 Semester 2

Terminology: SM = scientific methods

Your Project

Your MRes Project• 2/3 of your MRes• Normally involves both

research and system development. • Preparation through Scientific Methods (SM)

units COMP80131, 80122, 80142: – Carrying out experiments, collecting evidence, ...– Technical Reading and Writing

• Project allocation: – Taster Project: around reading week– MRes Project: at the end of the first semester:

December– Choose from a list of many suggested projects or talk to

staff about your ideas or areas of interest. – Supervisor to help and guide you through the project.

Your MRes Project• Assessment:

– Taster Project: 10 credits, presentation– Project Progress Report: April, 30 credits

• must be passed to continue with project• background, first steps towards project, project plan

– Dissertation: September, 80 credits

This Week• See timetable in your pack• Content:

– Meeting your Programme Director – Introductory talks for themes & course units – Student Representatives Self Organisation– Introductory Laboratory Session:

• getting to know the MSc Labs, tools, eLearning tools, ...

– Welcome Fair in Student Union & Events for Overseas Students

– Uni Sport & Library – eLearning/Blackboard intro:

• Plagiarism On-Line course • English Language testing• Health & Safety

even if – English is your

mothertongue – you are fluent– you have an English degree– ...

English Language Classes •Free.•Throughout semester 1.•In the School, targeted at CS students. •Mondays 17:00 - 19:00. •Wednesdays 16:00 - 18:00.•It would be foolish not to:

•time spent here will likely be saved later.

Attendance at lectures, labs, project...

• is compulsory– slide hand-outs won’t give you the same insight– full picture, details, important points, etc. only in lecture

• is monitored, through– clickers, electronic coursework submission or– signatures on roster

• if you have to miss classes, let lecturers know• during your main project phase, June -

September – you are here in Manchester and – work full time on your project and dissertation

Documents Online • Masters Handbook

– general information about all MSc & MRes– project, course units, rules, regulations, responsible

people– must be read!

• Timetable– some last minute changes sometimes have to be made

• Per course unit: – syllabus: what is learned? – web-site: what is happening?– eLearning (Blackboard or Moodle):

• coursework, assignments, hand-in, deadlines,... • discussion, questions, announcements,…• material, pointers,…

Some warnings…• the year will be long & you will need to work

hard– you might struggle

• success is not guaranteed– even if you work hard

• academic malpractice (collusion, plagiarism, …) – is taken very seriously in this university– … any offence

• will be prosecuted, normally by a jury in the school or at Faculty

• leads to loss of marks, resubmission of work, and sometimes worse.

• … make sure you understand academic malpractice– complete Plagiarism On-Line course– ignorance is no excuse

Computer Science Facilities• Senior Common Room, 1.23

– with hot and cold food, a good place to meet & work informally• Resource Centre

– Room LF21 - all course textbooks and other resources. • Student Support Office

– Room LF21 - For administrative and general support– Ask Here First - after having looked in the MSc Handbook

• Your Master Labs:– Room 2.25 a,b

Computer Accounts and Intro Labs• See the Welcome Sheet & Intro Labs • If you experience any computer problems:

– submit details of problem via www.manchester.ac.uk/itservices

– phone the University's IT Service Desk on 0161 306 5544– visit the Helpdesks in the John Rylands Library or the Joule

Library in person

• Read your university email regularly – especially regular “Masters News”– sometimes used for formal communicatons – use account forwarding for your convenience

• Access the School’s website for documents & information

• Make sure that you are ready to start next Monday

Java• It is essential that you know Java and can

program confidently in it– for coursework and perhaps for your project

• If you don’t know it or need further help, – there is an on-line course for you to take. – Go to

• http://moodle.cs.man.ac.uk/course/• Self-Study Courses • Introduction to Software Development in Java• and follow that class

School Seminars• The School runs regular research seminars on

Wednesday, 2.15pm • These are given by eminent speakers from

around the world• A great opportunity to learn about many new

topics and the latest stage of research in an area.

Student Representatives• Student reps from part of PGSSCC:

http://intranet.cs.man.ac.uk/csonly/committees/C_PG_SSCC.php

• Student reps are responsible for specific areas:– one per programme (ACS, ACS&ITM, MRes)– one for part timers– MSc lab computers, emails, accounts– social events– eLearning environments– taught course units– common rooms, general infrastructure, – etc.

• You self-organise in Common Room – tomorrow (Tuesday) during Lunch Break 13:00-

14:00

Help• Related to taught part or project

– you haven’t understood some stuff in lecture/meeting– you miss some knowledge/skills that

• lecturer assumes• project requires

– you don’t understand what you are supposed to be doing➡ check course material➡ ask

- your co-students who probably have similar problems- either directly or through Blackboard/Moodle- your lab demonstrators - your lecturer

Help• Related to organisation of MSc programme

- when or where lectures/labs/… take place- how course units are assessed- how projects are allocated- ...➡ check out school’s PGT web site ➡ look at Masters Handbook➡ ask the student support office➡ ask your Programme Director

Help• Related to your personal & family life, health, etc.:

– finding your way in a new city/country/Uni/continent can be stressful & difficult

– you might need help to find your way around– you’ll probably have to work hard -- but that should be an

enjoyable experience

• Help is available from numerous sources:– Your Programme Director– Student Support Office– http://www.sos.eps.manchester.ac.uk/– many many more, e.g., see MSc Handbook

Help: if • your circumstances

– health, – family, – personal, ...

• prevent you from concentrating on your studies• we need to know in time to help

➡ mitigating circumstances process and ➡ mitigating circumstances form ➡ ask SSO ➡ talk to your Programme Director

• ...the process is confidential and there for you!

Thursday Excursion• A great opportunity to

– make friends & meet people

– learn about Manchester United: the teamthe multi-national organization & its information processing needs

• Meet Thursday, 13:00 – for coach to Old Trafford

• Return (approximately) 17:00

• ...it would be a pity not to!

Masters Student Representatives

Self-Organisation

Please email your names to sso@cs.man.ac.uk