Computer Science
Master's Degree Program
Field: | Computer Science |
Form: | full-time |
Typical duration: | 2 years |
Language of courses: | English |
Program director: | |
Co-Guarantors: | doc. Mgr. Bronislava Brejová, PhD. |
Related programs: | bachelor's degree programs Computer Science and Bioinformatics |
Program description
The main objective of the second degree of the Informatics study programme is to prepare students for employment in positions that require above-average intellectual input, a high level of informatics expertise, knowledge of modern technologies, the ability to adapt quickly in a changing environment and to accurately analyse and critically evaluate even non-standard and complex systems. The profile of the graduate is tailored to achieve this goal, based on the supporting topics of the core knowledge of the field of informatics and the specifics and traditions of the study of informatics at FMFI UK.
The graduate acquires a computer science education that enables him/her to cope with the increasing demands of scientific, technical, social and economic development in the present and in the future. The acquired knowledge substantially broadens and deepens the knowledge acquired by the Bachelor's degree in Informatics. In the programme, theoretical and application-oriented subjects are balanced and interconnected. The composition of the compulsory elective courses and the rules of curriculum design ensure that every student completes both theoretical and application-oriented courses. In the final thesis, students document their ability to creatively apply the acquired knowledge.
Theoretical subjects provide the graduate with flexibility in the rapidly changing field of computer science and information technology by shaping his way of thinking (exactness, ability to abstract). Together with a repertoire of generally applicable knowledge and problem-solving techniques, this provides a basis with which to follow current research trends and to supplement and update their technological knowledge through lifelong learning. The graduate possesses a broad portfolio of mathematical and algorithmic techniques, which provides him/her with the tools for the analysis and formal description of complex systems from various application areas.
Application-oriented courses allow students to specialize more deeply in an application domain and thus to integrate more quickly into practice after graduation. When studying practice-oriented problems, the student creatively applies generally applicable knowledge and methods acquired during the study of theoretical subjects, is able to independently obtain and process information about solutions to the problem, assess the suitability of existing solutions in terms of complexity, efficiency and safety and, if necessary, formulate the problem accurately and propose its own solution procedure. The graduate is familiar with the principles of current cutting-edge technologies, understands how they follow from generally applicable fundamentals, and is prepared to apply them in practice and adapt to their development.
The graduate is able to work in a team, after gaining the necessary experience to lead work on projects. He/she is able to present his/her results in a professional forum, to communicate with computer scientists, as well as with managers and specialists from other disciplines. Understands complex information and communication systems, is able to ensure their operation and understands the interrelationship between theory and practice. He or she is also prepared to creatively apply acquired knowledge and techniques as a member of research and development teams in solving practical problems. Is aware of the ethical, legal and societal implications of his/her profession.
What to Expect
FMFI UK has been providing undergraduate studies in informatics since 1973 and its graduates consistently find very good employment. The experience gained during this period is reflected in the structure of the study programme, especially in the emphasis on the flexibility of graduates and the balance of theoretical and practical knowledge. The programme is designed in such a way that it is directly related to the first degree programme. The study programme is characterised by considerable variability, which makes it possible to take into account the individual needs and ideas of the student. During the course of study, each student follows an individualised study plan, which includes compulsory subjects, the required selection of compulsory electives and is supplemented by a further selection of subjects depending on the student's specialisation. Each of the individualized study plans may prepare for different, but always justified, professional careers. On the one hand, a curriculum can be designed to provide students with opportunities to choose courses from a wide range of subjects belonging to different areas of computer science. On the other hand, the curriculum can focus on one specific aspect of computer science and cover it in greater depth. Thanks to this variability of the Master's degree programme in Informatics, it is possible to prepare a graduate capable of finding a job in practice immediately after graduation, but also a graduate capable of successfully continuing his/her studies in Informatics through the third degree of higher education. A student's individual study plan must be designed to meet the requirements of the Faculty's study regulations and the description of the field of study Informatics and that its completion fulfils the graduate's profile and provides the student with a high-quality and balanced informatics education. It is the responsibility of the guarantor to check that these criteria have been met, and the guarantor may modify the student's proposed plan if necessary.
Master’s Thesis
With the diploma thesis, the student has to demonstrate the ability to independently acquire theoretical and practical knowledge based on the current state of science and creatively apply, use and develop them. The final thesis will be prepared by the student under the guidance of the thesis supervisor. The supervisor of the final thesis will prepare a written report on the final thesis and propose its evaluation. The final work is assessed by the opponent. The opponent will prepare a written report on the final thesis and propose its evaluation.
Examples of successful final theses of our students:
- Marek Košta (2011): Rozšírené zásobníkové automaty
- Martin Jurčík (2012): Using SELinux to Enforce Two-Dimensional Labelled Security Model with Partially Trusted Subjects
- Peter Kostolányi (2013): Balanced Use of Resources in Computations
- Michal Anderle (2016): Analýza algoritmov pre L(2,1) farbenie grafov
- Ladislav Pápay (2016): Use of SAT Solvers in Cryptanalysis
- Vladimír Macko (2018): Improving LSA word weights for document classification
- Askar Gafurov (2018): Probabilistic Models for Genome Assembly with Chromatin Interaction Frequencies
- Radoslav Chládek (2019): Algorithms for isometric gene tree reconciliation
- Zuzana Hromcová (2019): A Secure Linux Desktop Environment
- Jozef Rajník (2019): Small critical snarks and their generalizations
Graduates' Career Opportunities
Informatics is now firmly established as a sector that has a fundamental impact not only on the relevant fields of science and industry, but on the society as a whole. At the same time, it is a sector that is developing extremely rapidly. In practice, therefore, there is a great demand from companies for professionals who are able to work with the latest technologies and apply them to the development of specific products. The programme meets these demands and, in addition to acquiring a solid theoretical foundation and a sufficiently broad outlook, allows students to specialise in a variety of areas, from software engineering and software systems development, through the theoretical and practical aspects of computer security, bioinformatics and machine learning, to data science and theoretical computer science. This variability is echoed by the variability of the specialisations in which graduates apply themselves. They find employment mainly in IT (especially software) companies, often as software developers or project managers within the specialisation of a particular company. Other indicated occupations include systems analysts, designers and lead programmers in software firms, security managers, administrators of large-scale software systems (database systems, computer networks) in various institutions, or as computer scientists/programmers in specialist non-IT teams.
The ability of graduates to understand new technologies and transfer them into practice is reflected in the fact that they are often employed in development teams and are often the founders of technology start-ups. The ability to analyse complex systems from different domains in an exact way and to formulate problems and solutions in them makes them valuable members of interdisciplinary teams. The solid theoretical foundation of the graduates allows them to continue their third degree studies in Slovakia and abroad and gives them the prerequisites for a successful international academic career. Last but not least, the theoretical background and the ability of exact thinking gives graduates the possibility of employment outside computer science in all areas of economy, management and public administration. Graduates can thus find employment in all kinds of businesses and organisations that depend (even indirectly) on information and communication technologies; in various sectors of industry, in the education system, in research, in both the public and private sectors, in banking, transport, healthcare, ecology, etc.