Chinese University is taking the concept of student choice to a new level by asking anyone signing up for the MSc in computer science to vote for what they want to study.
'We have a poll every year to ask incoming and continuing students what kind of courses they need,' said programme director Leung Ho-fung. 'Student preference is our major consideration, so we send out information about the proposed courses and content, and the votes received are the main factor in deciding what makes the final list.'
Professor Leung believes this method is unique for MSc programmes in Hong Kong and makes it possible to adjust quickly to demand and move with the times. He stresses, though, that other considerations come into play, such as the availability of teachers each semester and the need for students to have an appropriate combination of courses to graduate.
'We are practical and look at student requirements and what society needs,' he said. 'But the list is always changing and, if you look at the newer choices, you will see they are more service-oriented.'
Recent additions include courses on computer crime and forensics, data mining and knowledge discovery, network security and computational finance. They have joined established favourites such as computer game software, information technology (IT) project management and advanced topics in software systems and computer architecture. There is a period of discussion and development before any new course is put to the vote. It may involve surveys, questionnaires, meetings of the faculty's advisory committee and input from industry representatives and alumni now running IT businesses.
'If we then believe a course is necessary, we ask experts in our department to propose and develop it,' Professor Leung said. The basic MSc programme structure is similar to the one-year full-time and two-year part-time modes. The minimum requirement is to complete eight courses, though students can take more at no extra charge. The university stipulates a grade point average of 2.0 for graduates and generally tries to allow as much flexibility as possible.
Full-time students can also attend evening classes, intended primarily for those taking the part-time option. Mostly, the two modes cover identical material, but some evening courses, such as service-oriented computing, are intended to have direct applications in the workplace. Daytime courses might be more theoretical.
