System and Network Engineering
Networking track
'Thanks to this Master programme, I have a better comprehension of organisational structures and the effects of technical innovations on the rest of an organisation. This helps me in my current job, since I have direct contact with clients and other departments. I'm not stuck in an office behind a computer, I need to understand the organisation on a bigger scale.' (Marc Smeets, former student)
General description
As a System and Network Engineer you need more than just strong technical skills. Whether you are working in the research or business field, you are always operating within a certain framework. That is why the Networking track aims to give you more insight in various management aspects, like the intern organisation of corporate networks and communication lines. We focus on the interaction between technology and other (non-technological) aspects and competences of an organisation. What are the implications of certain technical innovations for the organisation's staff? What effect does one application have on a complex system or network? These are the kind of questions we ask ourselves during the two Networking courses and research projects.
Courses
During the first course, InterNetworking and Routing, the focus is on the physical and logical structure of the Internet. This includes the internal organisation of a company through the intranet. Much attention will be given to 'local' routing through an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), such as RIP, OSPF and IS-IS routing. At the same time we will look at 'global' routing in the form of an Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP) such as BGP. This course will also focus on new network technology areas such as optical switching and MPLS-based VPNs, as well as IPv6, the new layer-3 IP protocol. Finally, the course aims to give you more insight in the world of the Internet Service Providers.
The second course, ICT and Company Practice, addresses a number of non (or less) technically oriented subjects. Attention is paid to management policies in terms of account and user management, as well as security issues. Furthermore, we look at the role of enterprise systems (ERP, CRM) for 'legacy'-issues and the subject of Project and Change Management.
You end the track programme with a master thesis on a track specific topic. Due to the direct link with the University's top-notch research group, you have access to the knowledge and expertise of professionals in the Networking field.
'Several of our students research projects made the national news. For example, we were the first to hack the security structure of the OV Chip card. We also entered the worldwide Forensic Challenge, a competition where you get a computer with preset protocols and you have to figure out what happened with it. Our students won this challenge last year. Students also won the Joop Bautz Security Award twice, including a study of drive-by infections (contracting a virus by surfing online).'
(Karst Koymans, programme director)
Job prospects
The career outlook for graduates in System and Network Engineering is very positive. The largest part of the graduate population ends up at various organisations, from Internet Service Providers to consultancy agencies and banks. A smaller group continues in the research field. In general wherever ICT contains complex systems and is incorporated on a large scale, graduates in System and Network Engineering can play an essential role.