PDip (Cloud Computing and Software Development)

Taking the strengths from our previous ICT Skills Springboard+ conversion programme, the Higher Diploma in Software Design and Development "Industry Stream", the School of Computer Science in NUI Galway has developed a brand new replacement programme, the L9 Postgraduate Diploma in Cloud Computing and Software Development. This new programme has been carefully designed in conjunction with our 12 industry partners and in consultation with regional skills fora. The programme a fully online part-time course, designed to meet the challenges of reskilling and upskilling students in a modern economy where many applicants are working full-time and require flexible delivery options.

It is designed in tandem with industry to meet the growing skills shortage for software developers with a knowledge of Cloud infrastructures. It is a conversion course which means that it is open to applicants from non-computing backgrounds. They facilitate individuals wishing to change career, reskill or potentially upskill to improve their employment prospects. The minimum requirement is that students have a L8 undergraduate degree, L7 entrants can also apply but will need to demonstrate at least two years industry experience within the computing sector to be considered. In addition, both courses offer an 8 month internship in industry in semester two of year two, which effectively means that participants will be working full-time in industry after 18 months. The courses are fully online and part-time, meaning that applicants can maintain their existing full-time or part-time employment whilst taking the course. 

This sector is experiencing rapid expansion at the moment, and there is a growing skills shortage for ICT graduate roles that these students are ideally suited to fill. The highly intensive programme is designed for those with little or no knowledge of software development, but we are particularly keen to receive applications from those who have had some exposure to coding and feel that this is something they potentially have a flare for. People with technical or strong numerical backgrounds often perform best in these types of programmes and we strongly encourage applicants who have strong logical reasoning or maths skills. This could be a strong maths result from their leaving cert or from certain modules in their undergraduate degree. This isn’t essential, but often indicates a strong problem solving and logical skillset.

This is a two-year part-time Springboard+ online programme with awards of 60 ECTS in total.

This course provides:-

A solid foundation in key computing knowledge, including extensive experience with programming languages such as, Java, Java Enterprise, JavaScript (NodeJS) all at the level expected by industry.

A specialisation in cloud computing, enabling you to build critical knowledge of cloud application development, as well as cloud infrastructures and platforms such as Google’s Firebase and Amazon Web Service.

A structure for industry collaboration, which allows industry to influence the development and training of participants, through an upgraded 8-month internship programme.

Year 1

Semester 1:

• 15 ECTS
• Cloud Web Application
• Algorithms and Data Structures 
• OO Programming 1 

Semester 2:

• 15 ECTS
• Enterprise Java Programming 
• Fundamentals of Cloud Computing 

Year 2

Semester 3:

• 15 ECTS
• Cloud DevOps
• Database Systems 
• Architecture, Operating Systems & Networks

Semester 4:

• 15 ECTS

Internship or group project: A large 8 month internship will be provided for those interested in gaining valuable work experience. Those who opt not to do the work placement can instead partake in a capstone group project supervised by an academic and potentially with an industry specified project.