Module Identifier | CS38010 | ||
Module Title | PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING | ||
Academic Year | 2002/2003 | ||
Co-ordinator | Dr Mark B Ratcliffe | ||
Semester | Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters) | ||
Other staff | Miss Allison Coleman, Dr Diane Rowland, Mrs Janet H Hardy, Mr Rhys Parry | ||
Mutually Exclusive | Only available to students registered for degrees in the Department | ||
Course delivery | Lecture | 22 lectures | |
Assessment | Semester Assessment | Course Work: Development of a business plan for a small business | 50% |
Semester Assessment | Essay: | 50% | |
Supplementary Assessment | Will take the same form, under the terms of the Department's policy. | 100% | |
Further details | http://www.aber.ac.uk/compsci/ModuleInfo/CS38010 |
2. Company Finance
The need for capital; investment and working capital; sources of funds; equity capital and loan capital. Cash flow and its importance. Costing: fixed costs and variable costs; overheads; opportunity costs; depreciation. Problems of cost allocation. Budgeting. Assessment of capital investment. Discounted cash flow analysis, with particular reference investment in software tolls and new product development. Financial accounts: balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, cash flow statements. The treatment of software in company accounts. Ownership of rights in software as goodwill.
3. Intellectual Property
The nature of intellectual property. The law relating to different types of intellectual property (confidential information, copyright, trade marks, patents) and the relevance of each type to the software industry.
4. Health and Safety
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and other relevant statutory provisions. Human factors. Financial considerations.
Regulatory issues as they affect software systems: standards, certification and licensing, professional codes of practice, legal regulation. Liability: negligence and product liability; the Consumer Protection Act 1987; negligence. Is software a product?
5. The Engineering Profession
The structure of the engineering profession, both in the UK and abroad. Professional codes of conduct and codes of practice.