This one-year course is ideal for students looking to develop knowledge in information technology and the application of IT in business. The course is a distance learning final year top-up programme to help you gain the skills to pursue a career in the field.
You’ll graduate with a range of different skills employers want. This will include business-oriented knowledge and awareness, communication, technical computing, project management, and many more. A number of career pathways will be available to you – systems designer or developer, IT project manager, and computer support. You can look forward to joining big-name organisations like KPMG, the NHS, and Citadel Insurance, to name just a few.
One of the ways you’ll apply all the learned skills is by undertaking an individual project. You’ll work with a supervisor who has specialist knowledge of their field to choose and pursue a theme that suits your interests and career goals. It’ll give you the chance to problem-solve, just like you would in a place of work. All supervisory sessions will be held online during the academic year and you will not be required to attend face to face meetings.
The demand for IT specialists is rising, so a top-up business information systems course could be exactly what you need to succeed in your chosen career.
We ensure every student has adequate support throughout their time with us. That’s why you’ll get matched with a Personal Tutor as well as a Student Learning Assistant and a Graduate Academic Assistant. They’ll have experience in your subject area and will be able to help whenever you need. All support is available online during the academic year using a range of online tools and e-learning platforms.
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The final year is comprised of four compulsory modules. You will be able to analyse and communicate users' perceptions and responses resulting from the anticipated use of an IT product or system. You will understand the technical, organisational and physical environment in which IT products or systems may operate. Finally, you will have the opportunity to undertake an individual project with a supervisor who has specialist knowledge of their field.
You will gain an awareness of the social, professional, legal and ethical issues involved in designing, managing and using information technologies. You will also gain an understanding of the advantages of strategically aligning information systems with different organisational and business goals and operational activities.
This module aims to provide you with the ability to apply key skills in information systems to the business management domain. The module also aims to enable you to obtain important aptitudes towards using information technology solutions such as business intelligence (e.g. data analytics), digital technology solutions (e.g. smart environments) and modern forms of communication (e.g. social networks) to improve business processes. You will acquire knowledge in a number of topics aligned to the following key areas: (i) information systems and business intelligence (in particular the development, management, application and implementation of information systems and their impact upon organisations, (ii) communications (in particular the comprehension and use of relevant communications for application in business and management, including the use of digital tools) and (iii) digital business (in particular the development of strategic priorities to deliver business at speed in an environment where digital technology has reshaped traditional revenue and business models).
This module provides you with the opportunity of choosing and working on a project that reflects your interests and aims and outcomes of your programme. It should constitute a practical problem-solving project relevant to your programme of study. The primary aim of the module is to consolidate and deepen your understanding of material taught on your programme, to exercise professional judgement, to undertake individual research and to conduct an investigation and/or develop a product, process or application relevant to the focus of your programme. It provides you with the opportunity of engaging in significant system development, the typical output of which represents the solution of a problem akin to those that you as a fledgling professional practitioner are likely to encounter in future employment. The module intends that your choice of individual project will provide you with a significant opportunity to reflect on your learning progress and to develop your learning for life-long and career development.
This module aims to develop an understanding of the techniques and approaches used to capture, store and analyse data generated by organisations for purposes of business intelligence. In a digital age it is important for businesses to make use of data captured about its entities. You will learn about information retrieval, data presentation, pattern recognition techniques and data models that can be used in business intelligence applications. Descriptive data models can be used to gain a better understanding of overall organisation and predictive data models inform the decision making in all aspects of the business.
Through this module you will gain understanding of underpinning concepts and practical techniques relevant when considering humans, both in the organisation of design and design processes, and as a way of incorporating a user perspective in the design of products and services. The module also includes analysis of user experience, the characteristics of users and their tasks, and the technical, organisational and physical environment in which products or systems may operate.
You can find more information about this course in the Programme Specification. Module and programme information is indicative and may be subject to change.
The course will provide you with opportunities to test your knowledge and understanding informally through ‘formative’ assessment. This will be completed before your formal ‘summative’ assessment which will count towards your final marks. Each module normally contains at least one piece of formative assessment from which you will receive feedback from your tutor. Formative assessments are developmental and any grade you receive from formative assessment does not count towards your final marks.
There is formal ‘summative’ assessment as part of the module, usually towards the end of the module. Assessment is generally by coursework only – this includes project reports, both individual and group presentations and other written work. The grades from the summative assessments count towards your module mark. Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback, to suit content or based on feedback from an external examiner.
The balance of assessment will depend on the modules that you complete throughout your course. The approximate percentage of the course which is assessed by coursework is outlined below:
Level 6 | 100% coursework |
You will receive feedback on the formative assessment, and written summative assessments. Feedback on examination performance can be requested from the module leader. Feedback is intended to help you learn and progress, and you are encouraged to review and discuss your feedback with your module or personal tutor.
We will aim to provide you with feedback within 15 working days of submission.
Details of progression and pass marks for assessment can be found in the university regulations.
The teaching format will be 100% online, the lectures will be pre-recorded for asynchronous online delivery. The seminars/labs/workshops will be delivered online synchronously.
Lectures allow you to gain and develop knowledge in specific subjects. You can discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures and practicals in smaller seminar groups usually made up of around 20 students. In workshops, you will be able to develop your skills by doing exercises, with teaching staff at hand to provide help and answer questions. In addition, you can arrange one to one sessions with your personal tutor or module leader.
During your distance learning top-up year (level 6), your weekly timetable will typically consist of:
When not attending your teaching, sessions mentioned above, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and examinations. Your independent learning is supported by the facilities available including the library and Study Hub, Laptop hire, and with online materials in MyUniHub (see student support section below).
Your overall workload will include the activities listed above, and with each credit being completed equating to 10 hours of study time (You will complete 120 credits per level of study, which are broken down into modules of typically 30 credits). While your actual hours may depend on the optional module that you choose (if available), the following information will give you an indication of how much time is allocated to teaching and independent study on your course:
Level 6
20% of your time is spent in timetabled Teaching and learning - typical structure activity:
You will have access to academic support services that you assist you in the following areas;
These services can be accessed online via Unihelp.
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team who have expertise, knowledge and experience that is closely aligned to the content of the modules on offer. The team includes academics, professional practitioners, and technical staff. Graduate Teaching Assistants or trained postgraduate research students may also have input into your teaching under the supervision of the module leader.
Our degree prepares you for a wide range of varied careers. As a graduate, you will have excellent career prospects, and the range of potential employers will be vast across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. There is also the potential to work as a self-employed director of your own business. This programme will appeal to students considering careers as IT consultants, application developers, Internet and web designers, or computer support.
Graduates can progress into careers in organisations such as:
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.