Graduate Diploma in Information Technology (Computer Science)
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Unit code: IFQ551

About this unit

Investigate the architectural principles that underpin modern computer systems: how they are structured and how they operate.

In this unit you will build your own computer system using simulation software, learn about the ongoing evolution of computer systems, and master fundamental hardware and software concepts that allow you to understand the building blocks that comprise computer systems.

Unit code: IFQ555

About this unit

Programming is a technical skill well worth taking the time to master. Even if you haven’t learnt any programming in the past, this unit will introduce you to the basic building blocks of programming algorithms: sequence, selection, iteration, and how algorithmic thinking itself is used to break down problems into simpler steps.

Using C# language to express these steps in universal programming language, you will learn about the imperative style of programming in which a sequence of statements change the program’s state.

You will learn practical troubleshooting skills, and how to debug and test programs to ensure their correctness, as you simultaneously develop an understanding of program syntax and compiler errors.

Unit code: IFQ558

About this unit

Organisations are continually transforming to leverage the potential of information systems. A key part of this ongoing evolution is ensuring leadership teams are aware of the nature of an information system, how best to manage its components and subsystems effectively, and how to make informed decisions based on data.

This purpose of this is to provide insights into how to appropriately identify issues facing organisations, and then develop information systems that help resolve these issues.

Drawing on real-world case studies, you explore core concepts including the components of information systems, the design cycle, business analytics, and ethical and privacy considerations.

Unit code: IFQ552

About this unit

IT systems are powerful tools capable of solving business problems, but to do so operational problems need first to be identified and defined. This unit equips you with both soft skills – to collaborate as part of a team and identify problems – and technical skills in system design to navigate complexities and solve problems.

You will apply visual communication tools as analytical tools to explain design outputs and gain feedback from users and peers, after which you will devise elegant design solutions to resolve contemporary industry problems.

Unit code: IFQ556

About this unit

Object oriented programming is a multi-dimensional method of combating complexity, particularly when developing larger programs. In this unit you will explore the key concepts of abstraction, encapsulation and polymorphism:

• Abstraction is the process of naming known quantities and identifying common properties of a collection of objects.
• Encapsulation is the process “putting things in a box” – selectively exposing some aspects of what’s in the box, but deliberately hiding other aspects.
• Polymorphism is the concept of an object being able to have different.

By using the C# programming language in combination with these concepts, you will learn how to break down complexity and develop practical programming solutions.

Unit code: IFQ557

About this unit

Explore the conceptual frameworks that guide web application development, learning how frameworks such as Bootstrap and Python-Flask are integral to robust and effective web development.

This unit covers the web development process, from initial design to development and finally deployment.

You will gain hands-on experience with the model view controller (MVC) architecture pattern, and learn about the specific functionality of MVC components, and how these contribute to the software architecture of a web application. You will also make use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that are managed through MVC platforms.

Unit code: IFQ553

About this unit

Cyber security breaches – network infiltration, malware attacks, personal and corporate data theft – are commonplace and on the rise. In an increasingly globalised world with interconnected computer systems, the risks of malicious cyber security attacks are already threatening to have a global impact.

This unit introduces essential information security concepts such as confidentiality, integrity and availability. You will study the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model in order to better understand network communications, and enhance your ability to identify information security vulnerabilities and threats in a range of networked scenarios.

You will develop a practical skill set that allows you to identify and anticipate cyber security risks and vulnerabilities, and work towards reinforcing cyber security practices in an organisation through the use of numerous strategies including cryptography, identity control, and general network and communications security.

Unit code: IFQ554

About this unit

Database management is both a technical challenge for businesses and organisations, as well as a societal and ethical one.

This unit covers the design thinking behind rigorous database management, standard database querying techniques, all in accordance with the ethical aspects of data management, storage and use.

You will study conceptual data modelling techniques to understand, analyse and capture an abstraction of the complex data aspect of business domains. By doing so you will learn to design a database from a relational database schema and implement effective, ethical and culturally sensitive solutions to database management problems.

Unit code: IFQ563

About this unit

Object Oriented Design is a methodology that identifies potential objects and classes by analysing programming models, allowing you to solve complex problems with real-world implications. Basing software design on entities that exist in the real world maximises the chance that software architecture will age and evolve gracefully, primarily because the choice of objects remain stable.

In this unit you will learn about and apply standard software design principles such as SOLID, DRY, KISS and YAGNI. Crucially, you will learn how such designs are professionally communicated and used as part of agile design processes.

This is a 6 credit point micro unit.

Unit code: IFQ564

Contact hours: 12–15 hours per week

About this unit

Data structures define modern computer science, for instance those used to represent strings, dictionaries, lists, trees and graphs.

In this unit you will learn and implement the algorithms commonly used for searching, sorting and processing these data. You will learn both how to assess the efficiency of these algorithms and distinguish between those that can process large amounts of data efficiently, and those that run unacceptably slowly as the size of the input grows.

This is a 6 credit point micro unit.

Unit code: IFQ541

Contact hours: 12–15 hours per week

About this unit

Information is a vital organisational asset. Information systems store, process and exchange information, and most economic sectors are dependent on electronic and automated systems. Interconnectivity is important for many organisations, but this is also increases the exposure to adverse events, necessitating the need for thorough information security management.

This unit builds upon fundamental information security concepts, including the management of information systems that affect organisational information security: identity management, authentication, access control, monitoring, risk management, incident response and disaster recovery.

Unit code: IFQ509

About this unit

In the information age, with astronomical amounts of data produced and made available every minute, data exploration and mining becomes necessary for individuals and organisations who need to make decisions. With the advancements in data storage technology and the need for automation, data analytics skills are now essential.

This data science unit addresses the core concepts, techniques and practices of data exploration and mining.  Data analytics methods enable users to manage, interpret, understand, process and analyse the data to find useful insight.

This unit will introduce you to a wide range of data analytics methods and theories to manipulate, model and analyse.

Unit code: IFQ666

About this unit

This unit provides a technical introduction to web and mobile application development and the software patterns that support them. Students will explore JavaScript from both the client and the server perspectives, and will build applications targeting desktops and mobile devices using modern standards and frameworks such as React and React Native.

You will design and implement clean and responsive user interfaces, taking account of accessibility and internationalisation. We will introduce you to server side web computing using node.js and Express.

Upon completing the unit, you will have a much stronger understanding of security threats and their mitigation, and gain practical experience
of HTTPS deployment.