Course summary

Offering the in-depth technical and professional training you need for a career as an information technologist, this course is run in collaboration with local companies so you gain real-world experience while studying. In your first year, you develop the skills to study the specialist topics later in the course including an introduction to software; hardware and how computers are built; how computers work with databases; and Structured Query Language (NoSQL). You will also learn about software applications (such as Microsoft, Oracle and Java) and hardware installation, configuration and maintenance. In year two, you focus on software design and development; how software and hardware work together; designing secure systems; and approaches for testing software. Learning in your final year focuses on research methods and emerging technologies as you undertake an independent IT project. Foundation Year In the foundation year you will study three days per week. The focus will be on academic writing skills and numeracy, plus subject-specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree. The course has been designed to develop your skills and to prepare you for entry onto the first year of your chosen course. It provides a balance between content related to your chosen subject and the range of wider skills required for undergraduate study. This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will be required to pass the foundation year in order to progress to the first year of your bachelor’s degree. This course is ideal for those who do not meet our standard entry requirements or those with a non-standard educational background. It will allow you to graduate with a full undergraduate degree in your chosen subject in four years. Why choose this course?

• It offers in-depth technical and professional training, including CompTia, Security+ and CCNA, which are required to practise as an information technologist

• Throughout the course, you benefit from work-based learning projects and hands-on experience which prepare you to graduate as a professional

• You learn how a wide range of technology can be deployed to provide systems that support organisations to achieve their business objectives

• You develop the knowledge and skills to draw out user requirements from non-IT experts and transform these into implemented system-level designs

• You will be able to lead an IT project, using transferable skills such as effective collaboration and critical thinking