- Programme in brief
- Content of the programme
- Admission requirements
- Fontys way of studying
Programme in brief
This exchange programme offers a specialisation programme in Software Engineering. It’s actually the fourth semester of an Informatics bachelor programme which allows to specialize in advanced software concepts as: operating systems and concurrency, advanced database concepts, different programming paradigms and an introduction to programming for the internet of things. The project of that semester is about developing an app (for iOS or Android or hybrid platform) smartphones with a Cloud architecture.
What to expect from us
The semester consists of four modules with theory lectures and practical work, and a project in which students work together in groups. Educational activities are interactive and take place in small classes. Our classes are quite international: Dutch, German (due to our location at the border) and “real” international students. Speaking English is the standard.
What do we expect from you?
Foreknowledge in the IT domain is needed, you at least have finished the first year of an IT bachelor programme or have comparable experience. Furthermore, interest in the IT discipline and an active and eager-to-learn attitude is all we expect.
* This programme is only offered in the spring semester.
The total workload for this programme is 30 European Credits, duration is 1 semester. All courses have to be taken in order to achieve the full credits. The following minor parts (courses) have been defined:
| Modules | Studyload in ECTS |
| Operating Systems | 5 |
| Unmanaged Programming Languages | 5 |
| Databases 2 | 5 |
| Programming Paradigms | 5 |
| App Development | 10 |
In case students are familiar with some of the mentioned topics, some modules can possibly be interchanged by modules from another semester.
OSCO – Operating Systems – 5 EC
Operating Systems are a fundamental building block in any serious computer system, on which applications are provided with services such as memory management and CPU management. The architecture of the operating system and the provided services through system Application Programming Interfaces influences the way applications can and or should be programmed. Working with the ‘low level’ API calls in the context of process control on at least one platform will give the student an understanding of and experience with applying such an API. For modern machines, one may expect some kind of parallelism to be supported in hardware. Even mobile platforms typically have multi-core CPUs, making addressing the advantages on the one hand and the complexity of concurrent operations on the other a mandatory part of a state of the art Software Engineering course.
UNPL – Unmanaged Programming Languages – 5 EC
In the previous semesters student learned to apply managed languages like Java and C# in web and desktop based applications. Many software though, like operating systems, device drivers or IoT applications which run on microcontrollers and embedded devices, are implemented using unmanaged languages C and C++. The main goal of the course is to get students familiar with these programming languages.
DBS2 – Databases 2 – 5 EC
A DBMS supports the creation, usage, and maintenance of a database. It consists of several modules, each with its specific functionality, that work together according to a predefined architecture. In module DBS2, we focus on this internal architecture and on a classification of DBMSs along different dimensions. The latter is accompanied by an introduction to several modern DBMSs.
PPAR Programming Paradigms – 5 EC
Being able to decide for an appropriate programming language makes it necessary to have understood different programming paradigms. Only then, one is able to choose that paradigm which fits most for a given problem. To this end, this module looks into three important programming paradigms (Object Orientation – Functional Programming – Logical Programming).
PRJ4 – App Development – 10 EC
Mobile App Development is still in development, as is IT in general. Fact is, that it is a very important application area. The mobile apps development world is divided into different technologies. The most important technologies are ios, android, hybrid and html/css/javascript. Because the server centered software development is already covered by other courses, we have chosen for the device centered and platform dependent major technologies: ios and android.
Admission requirements
For this exchange programme we have the following admission requirements:
- English level: equivalent to IELTS 6.0;
Intermediate level of IT knowledge is required. The level of this programme is advanced.
Fontys way of studying
At Fontys you will study in various ways. There are tutorials and lectures in classrooms with about 25 other students. In these sessions you will work in small groups or independently and depending on course choices, within a project team on your assignments. The campus offers a wide array of facilities to study alone or with a group. Here at Fontys, we believe that collaborative learning stimulates a hands on, independent way of working. At Fontys we believe in interaction. We like it when you ask questions during lectures and also outside lectures we are there for you.
Recognition
How will your course programme be recognised by your home university?
Fontys will provide you with a so-called ‘Transcript of Records’, which will clarify the results that you have achieved. Depending on your results, you will receive a maximum of 30 ECTS credits. ECTS credits are recognised throughout Europe. The agreement between your home university and Fontys University of Applied Sciences will usually include a condition whereby the credits that you obtain will be recognised and transferred into the records kept by your home university.
Scholarschips
Fontys does not provide scholarships for its exchange students
Studycoach
If you encounter problems regarding a certain subject, you can either speak to your lecturer or contact your exchange coordinator.
