Transcript Inside Information: Studying Informatics in Edinburgh www.inf.ed.ac.uk Degrees in the School of Informatics Single honours degrees: • Computer Science • Software Engineering • Artificial Intelligence • Cognitive.

Inside Information: Studying
Informatics in Edinburgh
www.inf.ed.ac.uk
Degrees in the School of Informatics
Single honours degrees:
• Computer Science
• Software Engineering
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cognitive Science
Joint degrees with:
• Mathematics
• Psychology
• Physics
• Management
• Electronics
www.inf.ed.ac.uk
What is Informatics?
• The science of information – how natural and artificial systems
process, store and communicate information
• Informatics includes Computer Science
• Computational thinking applies to systems, biology, language, and
thought itself
• Information is everywhere
"In their capacity as a tool, computers will be but a ripple on the
surface of our culture. In their capacity as intellectual challenge,
they are without precedent in the cultural history of mankind."
Edsgar Dijkstra, 1930--2002
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Information is everywhere
• Huge increase in information capture
• All settings: work, home, leisure, …
• 18.3m UK households - 70% of homes - now have an internet
connection, compared with 54% in 2006
• Underpins stock markets, communications, industry, science and
entertainment
• Embedded in devices: mobiles, MP3 players, games consoles,
security systems, cars …
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Computing for business and commerce
• Financial Services – service manufacture
• Entertainment industry
• Security and safety
• World wide web
• Enabling global collaboration
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Computing for science and engineering
• Climate modelling
• In-silico drug design
• Materials science
• Design and testing of vehicles, buildings …
• Modelling whole organisms
• Modelling human intelligence
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Human information handling
• The brain inspires new ways to
process information
• Modern imaging is a key tool
and challenge
• Neuroinformatics:
a
new
science built on Edinburgh’s
strengths in Biology, Medicine
and Informatics
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Why study Informatics?
• Interesting
• Challenging
• Interdisciplinary
• Science in its own right
• With lots of practical
applications
• Wide range of careers will be
open to you
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Skills
• Logical thinking
• Problem analysis and solution
• Project management
• Business skills
• Programming (of course!)
• Not just using a computer but
making computers do new things
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Alumnus Profile: Ian Stevenson
• Graduated with BEng Computer Science and
Electronic Engineering 1997
• Currently Chief Technical Officer at CHIL, a
company
providing
business
software
solutions for the telecommunications industry
• A pioneer in fields such as camera firmware
and video streaming
• Saltire Fellow 2008
• Keen SCUBA diver, qualified as Dive Leader
and Assistant Instructor
‘I learned a lot as a student in Edinburgh
and made friends that I still see today
including my wife Ruth!’
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Careers
• Our reputation means our graduates are
highly regarded by employers
Types of jobs:
• 70% of our graduates go into employment
in many different areas:
database administrator,
information systems
manager, applications
developer, IT consultant,
multimedia programmer,
network engineer,
systems business analyst,
systems designer, etc…
– Media
– User-friendly technology
– Mobile systems
– Medicine
• Average starting salary is above average
at £24,000
• Almost 20% of our graduates go on to
further study!
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Why study Informatics in Edinburgh?
• Best and largest informatics department in
the UK
• 220 research staff, over 350 postgraduate
students, 400 undergraduates
• Classed as ‘excellent’ for teaching quality
• Edinburgh came top in the last two Research
Assessment Exercises
• We contribute 10% of the UK's world-leading
research in the Computer Science and
Informatics Unit of Assessment - 69% more
than our nearest competitor!
• We attract the brightest and best from all over
the world – we have students from over 60
countries outside the UK
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Why study Informatics in Edinburgh?
• Wide choice of degrees
• Most degrees accredited by the
British Computer Society and may
also be recommended for Chartered
Engineer Status (CEng)
• Flexible degree structure
• Wide choice of honours courses,
many unique
• You will be taught by the leaders in
the field
• You will study a fascinating subject in
the UK’s best department and in one
of the world’s most beautiful cities!
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Why study Informatics in Edinburgh?
• Excellent network of support for our
students
• Personal Tutor
• Dedicated administrative team Informatics Teaching Organisation
• CompSoc – a student-led network of
support
• Hoppers – a student-led organisation
for women in technology
• Excellent facilities - 24-hour access
computing labs
• Excellent links to industry
• £8.4M investment in commercialisation
and entrepreneurship training
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Industry links = Opportunities for you
• Scholarships are available from KAL of £1,000 per year
• Prizes
• Paid 1 year long work placements between 3rd and 4th year
• Internships
• Sponsorship for research projects
www.inf.ed.ac.uk
Degrees in the School of Informatics
Single honours degrees:
• Computer Science
• Software Engineering
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cognitive Science
Joint degrees with:
• Mathematics
• Psychology
• Physics
• Management
• Electronics
www.inf.ed.ac.uk
Typical degree structure
120 credits
per year
40 credits
40 credits
40 credits
1st year
Informatics
Mathematics
joint subject or course
of your choice
2nd year
up to 80 credits Informatics
Mathematics and/or joint subject
3rd year
Specialist honours courses, including a major group project
4th year
More honours courses
Emphasis on project work & dissertation
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Masters of Informatics (MInf)
• 5-year degree
• Matches the Bologna structure signed by all EU member states
• Greater emphasis on project work in years 3-5
• Masters level courses in the final year
• Increased mobility within Europe for both higher education and
employment
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Examples of honours courses
• Algorithms and Data Structures
• Computer Graphics
• Computer Communications and
Networks
• Data Integration and Exchange
• Computer Security
• Database Systems
• Enterprise Computing
• Automated Reasoning
• Embedded Software
• Energy Aware Computing
• Formal Programming Language
Semantics
• Cognitive Modelling
• Parallel Programming
Languages and Systems
• Operating Systems
• Theories of Mind
• Advanced Vision
www.inf.ed.ac.uk
Visit our facilities & talk to our staff
and students
• Our students are ready
to take you on a tour of
the facilities they are
using
• Talk to staff at our
enquiries desks
• Talk to our students
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