Updates to the SOC programs and web pages

You can find updated information about the SOC graduate programs at the main web page. The main change is that we have reduced the number of required courses for the MS/SOC, and dropped the application area, to make the program more flexible.

For CS students interested in the SOC graduate certificate program, we allow either CS 546 Web Programming or CS 549 Distributed Systems to be substituted for SOC 606 Introduction to Developing Internet Applications. Two of the other courses in the program, Privacy and HCI, are already crosslisted with CS courses. So a MS/CS student can fulfill the requirements for this graduate certificate program by taking SOC 611 Web Fundamentals as a free elective (you are allowed up to three free electives in the MS/CS program).

We are also developing a new security course for the program, SOC 594 Enterprise Security and Information Assurance. I will have more to say about that in a future post. We expect the course to be offered for the first time in Spring 2011 (or Fall 2010 if we decide to go straight to Webcampus delivery).

SOC graduate programs

Since I'm director of the Service Oriented Computing (SOC) masters and graduate certificate programs, I'm going to be blogging about developments with that program. I'll tag such posts with the label "SOC" for SOC students that want to follow along specifically for SOC developments.

The first piece of news is that this fall, we are beginning the on-line roll-out of the SOC program.

1. SOC 605 Introduction to Service Oriented Computing is an introductory programming course, in C#. It has two audiences: students who never had any introductory programming course or experience (or have forgotten it all), and students who would like to learn C#. SOC 605 is being offered via Webcampus this fall, taught by Prof. Ruth Schwartz who already has a lot of experience teaching introductory programming in CS 105.
2. SOC 606 Introduction to Developing Internet Applications assumes knowledge of the material in SOC 605. This course is essentially going to be an introduction to Web programming using ASP.NET, using C#. I am developing this course, to be offered via Webcampus in the spring semester.

In developing these courses, Prof. Schwartz and I will be using proper on-line pedagogical techniques for teaching these courses, including providing podcasts of lecture and laboratory material, and on-line office hours. You can see examples of the kind of material we will be delivering in iTunes University, for example CS 549 (which reflects material I have developed after learning from my mistakes in earlier courses).

Looking forward

Gregg Vesonder gave me the idea of blogging as an adjunct to teaching. I hope some former students will come back and let me know what they're doing. I'll post occasional ruminations myself on both teaching and research. I'm coming out of a busy couple of years launching some new graduate programs. Developing those programs has given me several research ideas that I'm anxious to pursue. It's an interesting time in Computer Science. I'm convinced we are witnessing the end of the age of the desktop, and there are lots of interesting research questions to be addressed. If you're thinking of going back to graduate school to do a Ph.D., drop me a line.