Programme

Computing Stream

If you have a computing background and you are interested in the technical aspects of data protection, data governance, cybersecurity and AI, the computing stream is the right pathway for you. Please double-check here the entry requirements for this stream.

Computing stream students will complete the first year at DCU, gaining an introduction to the main topics related to law, data and AI. In year 2, students will complete their mobility at one of our partner universities, specialising in either data governance (Study Track A, taught in French and offered by Avignon Université) or cybersecurity (Study Track B, taught in Spanish and offered by Universidad de León).

Please click on the tabs below for a detailed description of the programme:

Study Stream

Computing

Year

1

Area of Specialisation

Introduction to Law, Data and Artificial Intelligence

Partner University

Dublin City University

Language

English

Summer Period

Optional language module (non credit-bearing)

English for Academic Purposes (3 weeks; 20 hours per week; offered in August at DCU)

Semester 1

Compulsory modules (30 ECTS)

  1. Professional and Research Practice (10 ECTS)
  2. EU Data Protection Law (10 ECTS)
  3. Data Management and Visualisation (10 ECTS)

Optional language modules (5 ECTS; non-contributory)

  1. Advanced English Language Skills 1 (5 ECTS)
  2. Intermediate French Language Skills 5 (5 ECTS)
  3. Intermediate Spanish Language Skills 5 (5 ECTS)

Semester 2

Compulsory modules (20 ECTS)

  1. Artificial Intelligence, Information and Information Seeking (10 ECTS)
  2. Data Governance (10 ECTS)

Optional modules (10 ECTS)

  1. Comparative Digital Law: Privacy, Data and AI (10 ECTS)
  2. Law and Politics of Brexit (10 ECTS)
  3. European and International Human Rights Law (10 ECTS)

Optional language modules (5 ECTS; non-contributory)

  1. Advanced English Language Skills 2 (5 ECTS)
  2. Intermediate French Language Skills 6 (5 ECTS)
  3. Intermediate Spanish Language Skills 6 (5 ECTS)

Summer Period

Compulsory modules (non credit-bearing)

Summer school (organised on a rotating basis by one of the PUs)

Optional modules (non credit-bearing)

Work placement (May-August)

Study Stream

Computing

Year

2

Study Track

A

Area of Specialisation

Data Governance

Partner University

Avignon Université

Language

French

Summer Period

Optional language module (non credit-bearing)

Intensive French Language Course (1 week, 12 hours, offered during the Welcome Week in September at AU)

Semester 3

Compulsory modules (30 ECTS)

  1. Advanced digital law (8 ECTS)
    1. IP, databases, software and networks (2 ECTS)
    2. Document management and archiving law (2 ECTS)
    3. Sociology of quantification (2 ECTS) or Sociology of computing infrastructures (2 ECTS) or Information and personal data economy (2 ECTS)
    4. Sociology of quantification (2 ECTS) or Sociology of computing infrastructures (2 ECTS) or Information and personal data economy (2 ECTS)
  2. Regulation and strategies in a digital context (8 ECTS)
    1. Digital governance (2 ECTS)
    2. Yield management (2 ECTS)
    3. Public management and data-based regulation (2 ECTS)
    4. Economic intelligence and cybersecurity (2 ECTS)
  3. Strategic information management (6 ECTS)
    1. Organisation of data accessibility and sharing (2 ECTS)
    2. Security and encryption key management (2 ECTS)
    3. Integration of predictive platforms (2 ECTS)
  4. Professional practice (8 ECTS)
    1. Digital players (2 ECTS)
    2. Tutored Project (4 ECTS)
    3. Methodology of the dissertation (1 ECTS)
    4. Professionalisation and internship search (1 ECTS)

Optional language module (non credit-bearing)

French as a Foreign language (weekly, 18hrs over the semester at AU)

Semester 4

Compulsory modules (30 ECTS)

  1. Personal data (4 ECTS)
    1. GDPR audit (1 ECTS)
    2. Management of connected applications and objects (1 ECTS)
    3. Health data (1 ECTS)
    4. Fundamental rights in the digital society (1 ECTS) or Administrative data law and e-administration (1 ECTS)
  2. Big data and artificial intelligence (4 ECTS)
    1. Audit of big data sources (1 ECTS) 
    2. Incremental learning (1 ECTS) 
    3. Data Crossing Algorithms (1 ECTS)
    4. Digital traces (1 ECTS) 
  3. Open data (4 ECTS)
    1. Steering Open data projects (1 ECTS)  
    2. Statistical data services (1 ECTS) 
    3. Smart cities and spatial data (1 ECTS) 
    4. Data visualisation (1 ECTS) 
  4. Social data sciences (5 ECTS) 
    1. Digital humanities and digital methods (1 ECTS)
    2. Tutored research (2 ECTS)
    3. Economy of platforms and networks (1 ECTS) or Information systems management (1 ECTS)
    4. E-government and open data (1 ECTS) or Civic tech (1 ECTS)
  5. Internship and dissertation (13 ECTS)
    1. Methodological support for the dissertation (1 ECTS)
    2. Internship & Dissertation (12 ECTS)

Optional language module (non credit-bearing)

French as a Foreign language (weekly, 18hrs over the semester at AU)

Summer Period

Compulsory module (non credit-bearing)

Summer school (organised on a rotating basis by one of the PUs)

Study Stream

Computing

Year

2

Study Track

B

Area of Specialisation

Cybersecurity

Partner University

Universidad de León

Language

Spanish

Summer Period

Optional language module (non credit-bearing)

Summer Spanish language courses (offered during the Summer months before the semester at ULE)

Semester 3

Compulsory modules (29 ECTS)

  1. Foundations of Cybersecurity, Cyber Defence and Cybercrime (4 ECTS)
  2. Secure Design and Programming (4 ECTS)
  3. Trustworthy Systems (5 ECTS)
  4. Cryptography (4 ECTS)
  5. Forensic Analysis (4 ECTS)
  6. Security in Cyberphysical Systems (4 ECTS)
  7. Software Analysis I (4 ECTS)

Optional modules (3 ECTS)

  1. Practicum I (3 ECTS)
  2. Industrial Cybersecurity I (3 ECTS)
  3. Deep Learning Foundations (3 ECTS)

Optional language module (non credit-bearing)

  1. Three-month Spanish language courses (offered during the semester)
  2. Reinforcement Spanish language courses (offered during the semester)

Semester 4

Compulsory modules (22 ECTS)

  1. Cybersecurity Law (4 ECTS)
  2. Mobile and Distributed Systems (4 ECTS)
  3. Security Audit (4 ECTS)
  4. New Trends and Research in Cybersecurity (4 ECTS)
  5. Dissertation (6 ECTS)

Optional modules (6 ECTS)

  1. Practicum II (3 ECTS)
  2. Practicum III (3 ECTS)
  3. Foundations of Machine Learning and Cybersecurity Applications (3 ECTS)
  4. Network Modelling and Applications to Cybersecurity (3 ECTS)
  5. Software Analysis II (3 ECTS)
  6. Authentication Technologies in Cybersecurity (3 ECTS)
  7. Industrial Cybersecurity II (3 ECTS)
  8. Machine Learning Application to Cybersecurity and Cybercrime (3 ECTS)

Optional language modules (non credit-bearing)

  1. Three-month Spanish language courses (offered during the semester)
  2. Reinforcement Spanish language courses (offered during the semester)

Summer Period

Compulsory module (non credit-bearing)

Summer school (organised on a rotating basis by one of the PUs)