Software Development

Testimonials

Below are testimonials from some of our recent graduates.

Neil Armstrong

I graduated last year from the MSc programme in IT having previously done a BSc in Physics & Astronomy at the University of Glasgow. I had previously done small amounts of computer programming and really enjoyed it so I wanted to gain some proper training and qualifications in the subject. This course provided me with all of that and more. The course also covered a wide area of professional skills that I was initially sceptical about, but now as a working graduate I consider to have been an excellent aid to me in my first career. My Masters project was working on a matching algorithm to upgrade a system used by the NHS for allocating graduate doctors to their jobs. As well as being a good experience I'm sure that it aided my employability. I am now working as a graduate Software Engineer with a medium sized international company based just outside of Glasgow. I started there two months after graduating and it has been a tremendous success for me. I don't think this is an opportunity which I would have considered or which would have been available to me had I not studied for my MSc.

Shaun Gourlay

My first degree was a MA in English Literature and Philosophy also from the University of Glasgow. I enjoyed my time at the university so I decided to continue my studies here and do the MSc in Information Technology. I studied computing within the humanities during my English degree and decided to further my knowledge in IT. I liked the intensive work pace of the course which was challenging but also very rewarding. I particularly enjoyed, however, the independent project where I designed a new input technique for a mobile device using the camera to detect light levels and movement. The camera was used to detect a series of gestures which controlled a music player. This was something which had not really been explored before. The MSc IT degree is a valuable qualification and soon after graduation I secured full time employment as a graduate software developer. For anyone thinking about developing their career in computing, I highly recommend this course without any reservation.

Clare Sheehy Hutton

After graduating from Glasgow University with a degree in English Language, I stayed in Glasgow and worked for a few years in the public sector. At work, I gradually became more involved in their technical activities: querying databases, testing software as a user, specifying requirements for a new micro-site. It became obvious that I was interested in IT, so I decided to take the MSc in IT to develop that interest. Glasgow's computing department had a excellent reputation, so it seemed the ideal place to go.

It turned out to be the best career decision I've ever made. The course was hard work but immensely rewarding, and my previous interest quickly turned into a passion as I learned about everything from programming to database design, and much more besides. The breadth of subjects covered was impressive – something which some interviewers commented on when I was job hunting. The masters project offered the opportunity both to develop a deeper understanding of a particular area, and to put some of what I had learned into practice. I implemented a data visualisation system for manipulating large volumes of data from voting records of MPs at Westminster. I have now just started working for Toshiba Medical Visualization Systems as a software engineer. So far, there have been a lot of new things for me to learn, but thanks to the solid grounding that the MSc gave me, I am well prepared and learning quickly. Looking back, I can hardly believe how far I've come in a little over a year!