Electronic Engineering
Postgraduate Programmes
Guide to Choosing Modules
There are three main considerations when choosing modules for a programme.- Which selection of modules do I need to choose from? Which modules will meet the requirements for my desired qualification and are offered through the mechanism through which I wish to study?
- Which modules are most suitable to choose from this selection? Given my background knowledge, which modules will I be capable of achieving and in which order should I take them?
- What is my progression rate, study mechanism and corresponding timetable? I wish to undertake the programme part-time, but am unsure of the pace at which to undertake modules? What is the actual timetable for physical lectures? Which modules should I take to optimise my timetable (more applicable to part-time attending students)
1. Which selection of modules do I need to choose from?
To use this facility, select the programme you are interested in completing. The facility will highlight the module requirements for each of the programme titles. Please be aware that it is the students responsibility to choose the correct modules on registration.Note: Module list may be subject to changes/semester switches before the beginning of each academic year. Please bear this in mind when making your module selections.
Two weeks are allowed for examination preparation and two weeks for examination at the end of each semester.
The Project element is only undertaken by students taking a Masters Programme and is assigned in either October (Part-time students) or March (Full-time students). For more information regarding the project please see the pages for Registered Students.
2. Which modules are most suitable to choose?
There are no enforced prerequisites in these programmes. However, these modules are Masters level programmes and modules frequently have some expectation of prior student knowledge. Sometimes this knowledge can be achieved by taking modules in a particular order (ie. where some concept used (but not explained) in module B, is covered in detail in module A). A chart has been compiled to give students a reasonable foresight on what to expect from a knowledge point of view, as well as some suggestions of the order in which to take modules.3. What is my progression rate, study mechanism and corresponding timetable?
Students frequently have unique requirements from programmes and we attempt to facilitate these requirements through flexible and dynamic programmes.3.1 - Progression Rate
Full-time, on-campus students have little difficulty with this question: they are expected to complete the programme in one year, taking four modules per academic semester and their project largely completed over the summer months. The timetable is of interest to these students, as while all effort has been made to ensure that modules do not overlap this may occur in rare circumstances. However, where this occurs, the modules have been made available in a web-based format, enabling students to take any module combinations.Part-time students have more decisions to make with this question: How quickly am I hoping to complete the programme? How much time can I allocate to my studies? Can I travel to DCU to attend lectures? Can I take fewer modules next year while I work abroad/get married/have children? .... The list goes on.
In short, the rate at which you take modules is almost entirely up to you. The faster the rate at which modules are taken, the quicker the progression. There are two additional considerations to be noted:
- Foreign students requiring a VISA may have restrictions placed upon them by their VISA (i.e. you will most likely be required to take programmes/modules in a full-time manner)
- Students may not spend more than FOUR YEARS pursuing a qualification and are expected to demonstrate that they have engaged satisfactorily with the programme from year-to-year.
| Programme Type | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Year Total | Completion |
| Masters Full-time | 4 | 4 | 8 + Project | 1 Year |
| Masters Part-time | 2 | 2 | 4 + 1/2 Proj | 2 Years |
| Grad. Dip. Full-time | 4 | 4 | 8 | 1 Year |
| Grad. Dip. Part-time | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 Years |
| Grad. Dip. Part-time | 1 | 2 | 3 | ~3 Years |
| Certificate | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 Year |
This list above is by no means restrictive and many alternatives are available, depending
on personal preference. However, please note that registering for a programme
part-time indicates an intention to complete the programme within 2 years - if it is
intended to take a longer time to completion, there may be associated
fee implications. Please contact us for further details.
3.2 - Study Mechanism
The principle decision most students will make will be whether to take modules through an on-campus approach or an online approach. The vast majority of modules can be taken through either mechanism, or indeed through a combination of both. Online students are free to attend campus lectures when they wish and on-campus students may participate in the programme entirely through online means if preferred. The following are some suggestions regarding mechanism and progression rate to be considered before selection:- If you can attend on-campus for one year, then a full time
Masters or Graduate Diploma full-time option should be selected.
- For part-time students, it is recommended that two modules per semester are selected. It has been found that this is the optimal
number, which employees find manageable, while proceeding efficiently towards a qualification.
- For industry-based part-time students who are able to take a full day of leave from work throughout each semester, it is suggested that two on-campus
modules are taken per semester.
- For employees who are able to take a half day of leave from work, which allows for one module to
be taken on campus, it is recommended that an additional remote module be taken (via
the RACeE mechanism) towards completing a qualification in
the optimal time.
- In the scenario where it is not possible to reach the campus, either through work or location restraints, it is possible that a qualification could be completed using the RACeE mechanism exclusively. This needs to be negotiated with the programme leader, due to restraints on module selection/projects. It should also be noted that one single half day of attendence is required to complete the exam (per module).
For further details, please visit the Programme
Information. Alternatively, visit the case
studies, which describe some of the possible scenarios.
3.3 - Timetable
To get a better idea of how the lectures are scheduled on a
weekly basis, you can use the following Timetabling Tool.
To view the modules for Semester 1 select "MEN" "C" Weeks "1" to "12" and "Day".
For Semester 2 select Weeks "20" to "31" and select "Day and Evening"
- Timetabling Tool
- Quick Link: Semester 1 Timetable
- Quick Link: Semester 2 Timetable
Note: The timetables are set up close to the beginning of each semester, and there may be changes from year to year. At various times of the year, the timetable system may link to the previous semester timetable or will be a work in progress. As a result, there will be some time between Semesters when the timetables are not available or inaccurate. In these scenarios, the timetables will be made available here, when available.
