National College of Ireland

Cloud Computing

This course is being offered under the Springboard+ initiative for free for jobseekers and for a nominal fee for applicants in employment.

This course will provide you with the latest knowledge and competencies required by the fastest growing global industry: the Cloud. Cloud computing has become a multi-billion euro industry and this course offers specialisations in two key areas: infrastructure IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and development SaaS (Software as a Service). By focusing on the structured management of cloud architectural components, you will gain experience with the latest design principles, models, and technologies in cloud computing. The course is completely delivered by faculty and industry practitioners with proven expertise in cloud computing.

Who is the course for?
This course will appeal to computer science or engineering graduates, ICT industry experts, system administrators and those with an interest in gaining practical experience in cloud computing. This course is therefore for experienced ICT professionals and college graduates from cognate disciplines at level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Entry requirements

Academic Entry Requirements
A level 8 degree (2.2 award) or its equivalent in computer science or a cognate discipline (STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics with substantial computing skills).

The college operates a Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) scheme - meaning applicants who do not meet the normal academic entry requirements, may be considered based on relevant work or other experience. Non English speaking applicants must demonstrate fluency in the English language as demonstrated by the academic IELTS examination with score of at least 6.0 or equivalent.

Technology Requirements
This programme has a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy. Specifically, students are expected to successfully participate in lectures, laboratories and projects using a portable computer (laptop/notebook) with a substantial hardware configuration. Its minimal suitable configuration is 8GB of RAM (16GB are recommended); a modern 64-bit x86 multi-core processor (Intel i5 or superior); 250+ GB of available space in hard disk; WiFi card; and a recent version of Ubuntu, macOS, or Windows.

Duration

1 Year, 3 semesters from September to December 2019, January to May 2020 and late May to August 2020.

Indicative Schedule:
Tuesday and Thursday 18.00 - 22.00.

Please note that exams can be scheduled during the morning, afternoon or evening Monday to Saturday.

Careers or further progression

Career Prospects
Seven of the world's top ten cloud data centre operators are already in Ireland and various industry reports predict that Cloud Computing and virtualisation is steadily set to grow within the Irish market.

Depending on the PG Diploma specialisation chosen and graduate skills, some job titles might include:
• Cloud architect
• Cloud Technician
• Cloud Solutions Architect
• Cloud Developer
• Cloud Engineer
• Technical Cloud Consultant
• Cloud Implementation Engineer

Further enquiries

For Further Information Contact:
The Admissions Team
Telephone: 1850 221 721
Email: admissions@ncirl.ie
Web: www.ncirl.ie

Subjects taught

Course Structure
Year 1 / Semester 1
• Cloud Security
• Cloud Application Development
• Cloud Infrastructure Management
• Career Bridge

Year 1 / Semester 2
• Utility Computing
• Cloud Architecture
• Business Strategies for Cloud Computing
• Career Bridge

Year 1 / Semester 3
• Research in Computing
• Cloud Application Services
- Elective
• Programming for Data Analytics
- Elective
• Virtualisation - Elective
• Data Storage and Management
- Elective
• Career Bridge

Relevant Employment / Placement can be undertaken within the course timeline, generally 2nd or 3rd semester, or commenced within 3 months of course completion.

*Note that all modules count towards the final award classification.

Comment

Award: The Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Cloud Computing is awarded by QQI at Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Assessment method

The course will be assessed with a blend of project work and exams. This varies between modules but typically assessment is 50% continuous assessment and 50% exam. Please note that in some instances exams may take place in the daytime.