The course can be completed as a three or four year programme with an optional twelve month placement in year three.
In each year of study you will complete a combination of DMU and HP modules, all taught lectures will be delivered from the DMU campus in Leicester.
Year 1
Information Systems Development
The intention of this module is to provide the student with a practical, integrated overview of the Information Systems (IS) development process, from project selection and inception, through the capture and analysis of user requirements, to the design and production of a simple prototype system that satisfies those requirements. A constrained case study is used to take the student through a complete structured development cycle.
Applied Internet Technologies
This module introduces the principal concepts in e-business, explaining the business processes and the technology, and teaches relevant vocabulary. It develops an understanding of-
a) How e-business is used by organisations in interactions with customers, with other businesses and with their employees.
b) The technology, including the software and standards, that drives e-business implementations.
Visual Web Development
This module introduces the fundamentals of programming. No previous knowledge or experience is assumed. The aim is to provide students with a sufficiently detailed, generally applicable background in programming. This way, they can either develop their programming skills further in subsequent modules or, if they choose to move away from programming, still have a working knowledge of software development to implement small applications and, maybe more importantly, be appreciative of programming in general during their computing-related careers.
Connected Devices (HP module)
Business computing has moved on. It's no longer just a terminal and printer in the office or workplace. In fact the workplace has moved on to the virtual world. this topic covers the multitude of connected devices that support business in the physical and virtual space and includes topics on:
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PCs and thin and thick technology
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Mobile and internet computing
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Virtual environments and devices
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Printing and printing services
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Security and access management
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Using cloud Services
Systems Networking (HP module)
The world of the wired LAN and the corporate WAN has moved on and connectivity is now the nerve system of the virtual computing world with wireless and fibre optic communications reaching places and speeds that have never been achieved before. With the event of wireless technology, hacking into a system could potentially be far easier to achieve on a remote basis and so this topic includes discussion on:
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Wired networks
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Wireless networks
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Network communication protocols
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Network security
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Network management
Year 2
Frameworks and Methods
This module provides the student with a thorough grounding in the essentials of application development through 'lightweight' processes that put the developer in command. These approaches are compared and contrasted with other existing approaches such as the Waterfall Model, the Spiral Model, the V-Model and the Rational Unified Process (RUP). In making this comparison the focus is on each approach's handling of requirements gathering, change and management in order to deliver systems and applications that are fit for their business purpose.
Systems Thinking and Strategy
This module examines the strategic and systems side of e-commerce systems. It encompasses the strategic issues around the decision to implement e-commerce within an organisation and the systems issues involved in defining and implementing e-commerce.
Database Design & Implementation
This module provides the student with a thorough grounding in the essentials of data modelling, developing the skills of producing a data model from a business perspective to meet stated requirements using commercially realistic scenarios. It develops the student's ability to map the data model to a relational database management system (such as Oracle) using the SQL Data Definition Language. It develops skills in database querying and data retrieval using the SQL Data Manipulation Language. In addition, the module considers key aspects of DBMSs such as transaction management, access control and security.
Virtualisation and Information Systems (HP module)
From the hanger full of hardware to the same power in a matchbox, computers have advanced beyond recognition and the system servers at the centre of the processing world have moved from major racked components to multiple processors on single boards in a slide in slide out, fault tolerant Blade technology. Along with this comes the world of storage where in a few years we have moved from a few mega bytes being the norm to the 2.5 inch disk containing terabyte of data. Fast random access with multiple copy features for security and failover are features expected in today's storage devices. This topic will address:
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Server technology and applications
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Storage methods and technology
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Security
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Access management
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Storage access and security issues
Project Management PRINCE 2 (HP module)
IT Services are delivered through projects and delivering a project to schedule and within budget is both an art form and the application of science. This module will include the fundamentals of project management including:
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Planning
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Budgeting
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Resourcing
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Tools for job
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Personal and professional skills
Year 3
Twelve month placement.
Year 4
Information Security Management
This module provides the student with an understanding of how vulnerabilities and threats can be identified, safeguards put in place, and effective responses prepared for security incidents when they occur, with reference to the 3 main information security concerns of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.
It develops the student's ability to identify the issues to be addressed in developing and implementing an information security policy for the organisation, while putting in place effective organisational structures and communication channels to support this.
Information Systems Strategy and Service
This module takes a service view of information systems in which the IS departments role concerns the provision of services and support for the information technology (IT) function. The module explores the application of service management concepts to the delivery and quality management. It examines operational issues surrounding the management of resources and computer capacity, the provision of help desk services and the management of IT assets.
Computing Project
The project provides students with the opportunity to carry out a significant piece of work involving critical analysis and reflection to provide an effective solution to a given technical and/or research-based problem. It enables students to apply and integrate previous material covered on the student's course as well as to extend the work covered on the course through research and self-learning. Students will be expected to demonstrate appropriate and proactive project management, and written/verbal presentation skills throughout the period of the project. As well as analysing, designing, delivering and appraising a product of suitable quality, they will be expected to undertake research, analyse, evaluate and report on some aspects of a subject explicitly allied to the project.
Computing Ethics
The module addresses the ethical and social responsibility issues surrounding advances in ICT. It considers in detail how the development of system might encompass computer ethics. The value of professional codes of conduct is discussed. Ethical concepts and consideration of computer ethics as a discipline provide a necessary philosophical foundation for this module. The module draws heavily upon the research activity of the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility.
Cloud Computing (HP module)
Cloud computing has become a term in common usage today, but is really the realisation of the dreams of the early pioneers of computing. When the early computer designers dreamt of global access to vast quantities of data in a rapid mode from a single point through a simple secure access point or terminal, they were not far from what today we can achieve.
Cloud computing is all about access to the services that are right for your business where and when you want them without the cost of ownership.
You cannot see inside a cloud and in cloud computing you don't need to see inside the box or even own the box, you simply but the service and computing time as you want it bringing cost of ownership down. So this module will cover:
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Cloud fundamentals
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Integrating host and cloud services
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Cross technology integration – making all available to whoever wants it
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Business advantages of the cloud concept
IT Service management (HP module)
For many years the relationship between business and the IT department was fraught. Business might ask for a service and IT would deliver what they thought the business needed. For IT to give the business what it really wants, requires a good understanding of the business processes , what the security issues are, how to migrate from release to release of a system, how to manage change. IT Service Management and the IT Infrastructure Library is about reaching an understanding that enables IT services to meet the business needs. This module includes:
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ITIL introduction and fundamentals
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Service Transition
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Architecture and Technology
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Roles and Functions
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Service Operations
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Life cycle Stages
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Continual service improvement
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Service Design