Outline

The evolution of web-based technologies has now led to what is know as "Web 2.0": a semantically enriched information source with advanced potential to provide specialised software applications "on the fly". A plethora of standard PC-based applications is now appearing online (calendar and diary tools, text editors, spreadsheets, among other) that can be used in a distributed collaborative setting. Developing such applications is particularly challenging, partly due to the wide background required but also the rapid emergence of new technologies. This MSc is intended to equip students with a sound understanding of the area and its emerging trends, while at the same time providing a very hands-on approach to current technologies such as .Net.

The market

Articles about Web Applications and Web Services can be found daily in the computer press, highlighting the fast development of this area in a technical sense, but also its commercial relevance for businesses all over the world. One example is the article Web Services Market to Explode, which says:

This prediction has been confirmed by the article IBM has high hopes for Next Big Thing in software published by the Financial Times in April 2006:

Course Structure

The course comprises six compulsory modules (including an individual project) and three optional modules.

Compulsory modules

• Individual project
• Personal and Group Skills
• Advanced System Designs
• Advanced Web Technologies
• Semantic Web
• Service-Oriented Architectures

Optional modules

Three of the following, at least one of which must be from column 1

*These modules are run by the Department of Mathematics and can only be taken with the permission of the relevant module convenor.