BSc (Hons) Information Technology
Course Leader: Terence Keefe
t.keefe@shu.ac.uk
This is part of the Summer School Programme. This course is designed as a final year degree continuation from the Advanced Diploma studied in Malaysia. The course has been designed to broaden and deepen the knowledge you have gained in your Advanced Diploma.
The University has validated your study at TAR College, and has approved an additional programme of three computing and information management units which will, when taken following your TAR College Advanced Diploma, give you a total study experience worthy of recognition for a UK Bachelor of Science honours degree. The programme you will undertake here at Sheffield comprises 60 credits of work at UK degree level 6.
Entry Requirements
This course is only available for students who have completed their Advanced Diploma at Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Malaysia in or after 2002 in one of the following courses:
- Internet Technology
- Information Systems Engineering
- Business Information Systems
- Computer Science & Statistics
- Computer Science & Computer Mathematics
- Computer Science & Management Mathematics
Overall aims of the course
Provide students with an insight into organisational decision support systems and associated information provisioning systems, and
- afford students an opportunity to enhance their insights into complex information systems software through the study of information-centric businesses
- explore technologies and leading edge platforms for the development of enterprise business applications
- prepare students for professional practice where they would have to analyse, design and develop IT solutions to complex business problems
Modules of Study
In your Advanced Diploma you learned practical and theoretical skills about the organisation and application of data. Most of the examples will have been quite small ones. In this Honours course we look at larger-scale systems, and look at skills typically needed by actual industrial/commercial applications.
Advanced Web Applications
In your course you have studied Web application development and the associated technologies. The discipline of Web application development is rapidly diversifying. Students who are seeking a vocation as Web practitioners are now expected to possess a broad knowledge of available technologies, for example server scripting tools, XML, the Microsoft.net framework, module platforms and numerous Web development software tools.
This module will further arm you with a critical insight into the numerous technologies which are today driving cutting edge Web applications. This will enable you to make an informed choice of appropriate server-side technology, relative to the project in hand. Additionally, you will be introduced to a number of software innovations which are enabling businesses to converge Web applications across diverse platforms. The approach will incorporate practical, hands-on learning in combination with analysis of business case studies.
Practical Projects - Computer Applications
Professional skills, technical knowledge and project planning and delivery techniques taught in earlier modules are used to give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can work independently and apply their learning to solve specific problems. It also allows them the chance to critically assess methods, techniques and tools in real problem solving contexts within a quality framework. The latter is engineered by each individual student to fit individual project needs, but has salient characteristics, such as the project plan, definition of milestones, feedback and review at prescribed times, product change and enhancement, matching user expectations and considerations of the wider context of the project.
As part of this module, there will be an opportunity to engage with businesses, industry professionals and practitioners.
Business Appraisal and Infopreneurship or E-Business Management
The aims of either one of these modules are to build on understanding of organisational structure and design to provide insights into the characteristics of 'intelligent' and 'virtual' organisations. Also you will develop appropriate analytical and business information systems consultancy skills for the appraisal of enterprises and developing business planning processes necessary to secure funding. You will learn to distinguish between the needs and characteristics of Entrepreneurs, Intrapreneurs and Infopreneurs and their associated reward mechanisms and appreciate the impact of technologically based developments through knowledge workers on culture, ethics and privacy.
Pattern of Study
Although the course runs for approximately the standard dates for summer-based TAR courses, this course has a distance-learning based "Preparation Studies" period prior to your arrival in Sheffield. This takes the equivalent of two weeks of full-time study, and may be done at any time in the period March to the end of May. Sheffield Hallam will provide a Blackboard web site linked to an integrated email system to support this study period.
You will require access to the Internet (using any standard web browser) to complete the work of this Study period. It is a compulsory part of the course.
Because the equivalent of two weeks of the course is taught by Distance Learning, we hope that it is possible to arrange teaching in Sheffield to have a one-week gap in teaching to enable travel, plus other smaller gaps to allow you complete the assessment work of the modules.
Applications
If you would like to apply for this course, please follow the application process. The Portfolio Manager for the course is Denise Perry. For more information email D.Perry@shu.ac.uk
