CS3102 Data Communications and Networks

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

15

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 9

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

To be arranged.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module Staff

TBC Module coordinator(s): Honours Coordinator - Computer Science (hons-coord-cs@st-andrews.ac.uk)

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module covers the principles and practice of modern computer communications through studying network abstractions, protocols, architectures and technologies at all levels of the five-layer Internet reference model. Students are not advised to take this module unless they have some prior knowledge of networking including naming, addressing, routing, security and privacy, IP, TCP, UDP and HTTP, and experience of writing, running and debugging networked socket-based applications using TCP and UDP directly.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS CS2002 AND (PASS CS2101 OR PASS CS2001) AND (TAKE CS2003 OR AUDIT CS2003 AND DEMONSTRATE ENGAGING WITH RELEVANT CS2003 MATERIAL TO THE SATISFACTION OF HONOURS ADVISER)

Anti-requisites

YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS MODULE IF YOU TAKE CS5020

Assessment pattern

3-hour Examination = 40%, Coursework = 60%

Re-assessment

3-hour Examination = 40%, Existing Coursework = 60%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2.5 hr x 11 weeks lectures/discussion.

Scheduled learning hours

28

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

122

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.