MSc in Applied Software Technology

eoinah

i have the apptitude test in the next weeks, just finished a degree in software development. so you have to work for ericsson for 2 years after the masters? not sure if I can spend that much time in athlone to be honest!

razor2013

eoinah wrote: »

i have the apptitude test in the next weeks, just finished a degree in software development. so you have to work for ericsson for 2 years after the masters? not sure if I can spend that much time in athlone to be honest!

Yes, you have to work for 2 years. My first time in Athlone was on the day that I did the interview and I liked it. I travelled out to Lough Ree after the interview and to be honest, it's quite something!

loctite

Hi,
I'm actually working in Ericsson now and would have been part of the second batch of DIT MSc graduates that would have taken up their roles in Ericsson.

From what we have been hearing, some of the first year DIT graduates are no longer there and left to pursue other roles with other companies and they were not pursued for the repayment of the course. I don't know how true this is, as the information has not come from any of the aforementioned past graduates. Perhaps if there are any previous graduates of the program who fall into that category and who are following this thread perhaps clarify the situation.;);)

leo2a6

whats the bursary and salary during first 2 years like ?

bombay1982

leo2a6 wrote: »

whats the bursary and salary during first 2 years like ?

+1

KizzyMonster

The bursary is €1,500 every three months and the salary is €24,000 during the internship (3 months) and €29,000 afterwards.

doranusan

I was on the first year of this course and am still in Ericsson now.

I know of a few different cases where people have left during the 2 years. In general if you choose to leave they pursue for the full course fee and bursary + the cost of any extra training. They don't itemise this, and it's hefty (18k+)

• I Don't know how people who dropped out at MSc stage got on with fees.
• People that got let go at any stage during employment didn't have to pay fees.
• Not many people have chosen to leave early but in all cases those that did were pursued and most payed out.

I wouldn't take the 2 year thing lightly. There is a potentially great opportunity with this course if Athlone suits you and you are keen to get into software engineering, but you'd be wasting time, a lot of hard work and someone elses opportunity if you go in with your eye on the exit door.

The MSc itself is tough, but from a coding perspective I'd say far better than the conversion courses in most other dublin colleges (ucd and dcu) in terms of what you're intended to be able to do afterwards. I came from a science background then did a hdip in IT. I felt that this course covered similar areas to the hdip but in more detail. You're expected to be much more technically competent at the end of this.

Athlone is what you make of it, I'm from Dublin but in general I like it. Good nightlife, know loads of people because of the MSc. Cheap rent.

The job in Ericsson is different depending on where you work. It's a big facility, and different people will have different experiences. I have no idea how they decide where to place graduates/interns. In general not everyone will be coding or working with new technology. Some jobs would be in testing, documentation, customer support, maintenance of legacy systems and administration. This can be disappointing to some people, but suits others.

There's a lot of team work, collaboration, discussion, meetings etc. You are listened to, so if you are confident you can make an impact.
Very well suited to a family life, flexible hours and they put a fair bit of time into training. Overtime is paid well but isn't excessive, neither is stress, but then again pay is fairly low.


Just regarding one of the comments there, to be honest if you already have a degree in computing / software, I doubt you'd get enough from this masters to justify doing it. I'd expect you to be well able for it technically, but the hardest part of this course is the time management. The number of projects on the go at once is at least very annoying and at worst infuriatingly stressful, especially once the project starts. Yeah you get a piece of paper at the end, but you won't learn much over what you did on a degree and it takes an extra college year. If you've a degree in Computing and are struggling to get a foot in the door somewhere, there's no reason not to consider job bridge as a viable alternative to this MSc unless Ericsson and/or Athlone are especially attractive to you. (Dole + job bridge allowance even for 6 months would be more than the bursary here and you have much greater flexibility).

engrob

doranusan, you say you did science then a HDip. I did a bioscience degree and the the HDip Applied Comp Sci at UCC. I did well but had little programming or systems knowledge prior to it - would I need to do the prep course to be granted a place?

I can't find details anywhere on when that course starts or how long it runs for? I'll need to move back to Ireland in time for doing it! Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Also it seems like a helpful old thread about the course was removed, but I'd love to know things like the application time-scales, what to expect in the aptitude test and the interview format. Sent my CV in yesterday and it'll cost me a lot of time and cash to go through applying, so I'd like to go a bit prepared!

Cheers lads

engrob

Just got through to second stage - aptitude test some time soon. Any advice on what to expect, eg. an example of a typical type of question that would be on the test, would be fantastic. Hate going in totally blind with so much importance riding on it!



Thanks

Rob

IrishCule

KizzyMonster wrote: »

The bursary is €1,500 every three months and the salary is €24,000 during the internship (3 months) and €29,000 afterwards.

€1,900 for the bursary, €5,700 total. At least it was for me.

engrob wrote: »

Just got through to second stage - aptitude test some time soon. Any advice on what to expect, eg. an example of a typical type of question that would be on the test, would be fantastic. Hate going in totally blind with so much importance riding on it!



Thanks

Rob

You can't prepare for an aptitude test really. I only remember two of the sections (4 total), one was geared towards coding. It had code with mistakes in it and you had to find the errors but the rules of the "code" (it wasn't actually a real programming language) are defined at the start and then you have to find things that break these rules.

The other part was the last section which was kind of a combination of shapes and logic gates to from a puzzle. The shapes pass through a gate and change to another shape, this tells you what that gate does and then you use that information to figure out the rest of the puzzle or another puzzle. This one was really difficult.

I did mine two years ago now so it might have changed.

Darith

Does one have to get a 2.1 overall across both semesters to get a job or is that 2.1 overall including the internship? I got a 2.1 in the hdip computing in Dit Kevin st. I found it hard work. Plus i see the bursary is what 1900 per three months, so one has to live off 2800 from September to May?

connollyboy

Howere ya lads, wondering does anyone have any example questions that came from the interview section? I've an interview scheduled on the 31-7 and would love some last minute pointers? As I studied physics in college so my programming knowledge is limited Would be much appreciated!

jimmyendless

Darith wrote: »

Does one have to get a 2.1 overall across both semesters to get a job or is that 2.1 overall including the internship? I got a 2.1 in the hdip computing in Dit Kevin st. I found it hard work. Plus i see the bursary is what 1900 per three months, so one has to live off 2800 from September to May?

2.1 overall is what is required. Saying that, if the placement goes badly you might not be offered the full time position even with a 2.1.

If you are not on the dole the bursary is the only financial support available.

jimmyendless

connollyboy wrote: »

Howere ya lads, wondering does anyone have any example questions that came from the interview section? I've an interview scheduled on the 31-7 and would love some last minute pointers? As I studied physics in college so my programming knowledge is limited Would be much appreciated!

There was a bunch of senior/master engineers doing the interviews I think, so the questions didn't stick to any format afaik. Re-read your CV and maybe your undergrad thesis as I was asked about mine in detail.

Emer29

Hi. Does anyone know if they are going to run this course in AIT in 2015/16 and when does the application process start??

kevinmcinerney

I'm very interested in applying for the 2015 MSc in Applied Software Engineering. However, I'm finishing an MSc Conversion in Computer Science at UCD atm and I've been offered a scholarship to study abroad for 6 extra months. I'm worried that this will prevent me from getting an interview for the course. Will DIT/Ericsson allow me to do a skype interview do you think? Also, isn't being on the dole one of the qualifications for entry? If I'm still a student when i apply will i be passed over in favour of other unemployed candidates?

I'm considering hanging around ireland so I don't miss the interview. The placement with Ericsson is very nice.

IrishCule

I was a student when I applied had no problem. Went straight from finishing my BSc into the MSc (after a summer off :pac: ). Unless its change since 2012.

Fakman87

kevinmcinerney wrote: »

I'm very interested in applying for the 2015 MSc in Applied Software Engineering. However, I'm finishing an MSc Conversion in Computer Science at UCD atm and I've been offered a scholarship to study abroad for 6 extra months. I'm worried that this will prevent me from getting an interview for the course. Will DIT/Ericsson allow me to do a skype interview do you think? Also, isn't being on the dole one of the qualifications for entry? If I'm still a student when i apply will i be passed over in favour of other unemployed candidates?

I'm considering hanging around ireland so I don't miss the interview. The placement with Ericsson is very nice.

I'm really interested in the MSc in UCD and wondering if it's good for jobs. The fact you're interested in doing another MSc has me wondering.

Shotgun Sister

kevinmcinerney wrote: »

I'm very interested in applying for the 2015 MSc in Applied Software Engineering. However, I'm finishing an MSc Conversion in Computer Science at UCD.

Hi Kevin,

Why would you want to go from one conversion course straight into studying another conversion course?

Would it not make more sense to apply for a graduate job at Ericsson, if it's the job part you're particularly interested in?

Genuine question from someone considering both of those courses.

mayo23

Emer29 wrote: »

Hi. Does anyone know if they are going to run this course in AIT in 2015/16 and when does the application process start??

The course is run in both AIT and DIT. The 10 week mandatory preparation course starts in July for DIT and September for AIT (this could change), meaning the other stages begin 3 months later in Athlone than in Dublin. The closing date to apply is the 30th of April 2015


The application process takes place at the same time for both locations. There are 3 stages: CV screening, aptitude tests and an interview. You will be asked for your preference of Athlone or Dublin, but you may not get your preference if there are no places available in that location. As the DIT course begins sooner, I would expect that would fill quicker.

Hope that answers your question.

kevinmcinerney

Fakman87 wrote: »

I'm really interested in the MSc in UCD and wondering if it's good for jobs. The fact you're interested in doing another MSc has me wondering.

Hi Fakman87 and Shotgun Sister. I understand your concerns, but you shouldn't be put off by my willingness to attend other Conversion courses. Since that post I have been offered a job elsewhere with a large financial services company - as a programmer. This company also do a 6 month training period so it's quite normal. My girlfriend did the same the course and was also offered a job at a large well-known tech company.

However, be warned that my girlfriend and I worked exceptionally hard doing extra online courses and going beyond the specifications whenever possible. You can learn a huge amount in 15 months if you completely clear your schedule, work very hard, and enjoy the subject.

Personally, I feel very comfortable interviewing alongside undergraduates for technical roles. My technical interviews haven't been very challenging because I've read the textbooks front to back and I do well in competency based interviews (behavioural questions). Even technical interviews can be mostly behavioural! It's down the person ultimately. If your good enough to be a programmer then 15 months is more than long enough to find out.

eoinp11

kevinmcinerney wrote: »

Since that post I have been offered a job elsewhere with a large financial services company - as a programmer. This company also do a 6 month training period so it's quite normal. My girlfriend did the same the course and was also offered a job at a large well-known tech company.

However, be warned that my girlfriend and I worked exceptionally hard doing extra online courses and going beyond the specifications whenever possible. You can learn a huge amount in 15 months if you completely clear your schedule, work very hard, and enjoy the subject.
.

Can i ask your opinion of the UCD conversion course? Was there a work placement on it?
If so, could you tell me more about it?

I was originally looking at the UCD conversion course, but have since started leaning towards the Erricson Masters program.

In either case, i have an Ordinary degree, but have been teaching myself Java and seem to be enjoying it.

eoinp11

Emer29 wrote: »

Hi. Does anyone know if they are going to run this course in AIT in 2015/16 and when does the application process start??

Have you applied yet? It is running again and applications are being worked on now i believe as i have my aptitude test this week.

eoinp11

jimmyendless wrote: »

2.1 overall is what is required. Saying that, if the placement goes badly you might not be offered the full time position even with a 2.1.

If you are not on the dole the bursary is the only financial support available.

How common was it for people to not get hired afterwards?

As for the bursary/dole, do you mean if someone is on the dole, they get that on top of the bursary?

IrishCule

eoinp11 wrote: »

How common was it for people to not get hired afterwards?

As for the bursary/dole, do you mean if someone is on the dole, they get that on top of the bursary?

Think there was about 6 or 7 of the 49 that didn't get offered the job. Another left of his on accord about 6 months later and then I think 1 (think it was just the one) didn't make it through the probation period after being made full time.

Someone else will have to confirm the 2nd part but I believe if you are getting the dole you can keep getting it while doing the course but you DON'T get the bursary. Its either the dole or the bursary not both.

eoinp11

IrishCule wrote: »

Think there was about 6 or 7 of the 49 that didn't get offered the job. Another left of his on accord about 6 months later and then I think 1 (think it was just the one) didn't make it through the probation period after being made full time.

Someone else will have to confirm the 2nd part but I believe if you are getting the dole you can keep getting it while doing the course but you DON'T get the bursary. Its either the dole or the bursary not both.

Yea makes sense about the dole vs bursay, i'm working now anyway so wouldn't be entitled, but good to be able to inform others.

I can only assume the guy that left after 6 months had to pay back the full amount. Makes sense to just stick it out. How about you, are you working there now? Do you enjoy it?

L'prof

eoinp11 wrote: »

Yea makes sense about the dole vs bursay, i'm working now anyway so wouldn't be entitled, but good to be able to inform others.

I can only assume the guy that left after 6 months had to pay back the full amount. Makes sense to just stick it out. How about you, are you working there now? Do you enjoy it?

I was working and got through to the interviews last year. Messed that up so I didn't get the course but o wouldn't let that put you off applying.

eoinp11

L'prof wrote: »

I was working and got through to the interviews last year. Messed that up so I didn't get the course but o wouldn't let that put you off applying.

Aw no way, how did you mess it up? I hope it was somethin hilariously inappropriate.

L'prof

eoinp11 wrote: »

Aw no way, how did you mess it up? I hope it was somethin hilariously inappropriate.

Nah, just wasn't well enough prepared. Hadn't done an interview in years. Knew straight away I'd made a balls of it. To be honest, I would have had a long commute so maybe it's for the best. I've since gotten an intern job in the company I was working for, so I'm happy out.

IrishCule

eoinp11 wrote: »

Yea makes sense about the dole vs bursay, i'm working now anyway so wouldn't be entitled, but good to be able to inform others.

I can only assume the guy that left after 6 months had to pay back the full amount. Makes sense to just stick it out. How about you, are you working there now? Do you enjoy it?

As far as I know he has to pay back the full amount.

Yeah I am, love it there to be honest. Good company to work for, you will get good experience and great to have on your CV if you only plan to stay for a while and if you want to stay for the long haul its good too, lots of people have been there for 10-20 years.

There are plenty of frustrations as to be expected with any large software company but overall I am happy that I did the course and went to work there. The course is tough though, tough year but worth it IMO.