TVU - education that works
Courses
AT A GLANCE
Attendance:
Study mode: Part-time - weekend
Location: Ealing campus
(St Marys Road)
Duration: 2 Years. Please note attendance will on alternate Saturdays.
Start date: September 2009
Days Taught: Sat
About this course:
Study level: Certificate (Level 4)
Faculty: Reading Higher Education
Department: Professional Studies
FdSc Computer Systems Management (with Hewlett Packard Certified Professional)
 
Summary
The national and local labour market information that tells us that the UK IT industry is facing a skills shortage. The national picture shows that the skills gaps are particularly pronounced in the areas of systems integration, systems testing, and systems installation and commissioning.

As a result this course has been developed in conjunction with Hewlett Packard, one of the world’s leading ICT solution providers, to provide a generic core set of skills that will enable foundation graduates to undertake a wide range of roles together with specialist, up-to-date, industry designed training and education that specifically addresses the major skills gap.
Details
The programme is designed to give you the knowledge and skills necessary to progress in the fast growing Computing Systems Management environment, with a particular focus on HP technical platforms. We have carefully selected the modules that you will study to enable you to analyse user needs, and then propose, implement and manage IT solutions in the business context. The course also places emphasis on the key transferable skills necessary to be effective in work and draws on your current or previous employment to enable you to apply your learning to specific workplace situations. For those students in full-time employment the course will be delivered flexibly with a balance of attending workshops at TVU, studying with open learning materials and working with tutors both in person and electronically.

This course is being offered as part of a national programme being offered by TVU in centres across England.

In each year of the course attendance is alternate Saturdays plus four blocks of three days (Thursday to Saturday)

Year 1:

- Commercial Systems Management (40 credits)

- Professional IT (10 credits)

- Software Development (30 credits) Introduction to Internet

- Technology (20 credits)

- Negotiated Work Based Learning (20 credits)

Year 2:

- Commercial Systems Management (40 credits)

- Professional IT (10 credits)

- User Requirements Specification (10 credits)

- Object Oriented Modelling (20 credits)

- Database Design and Management (20 credits)

- Negotiated Work Based Learning (20 credits)
Entry criteria
The formal qualifications required for the FdSc will normally be:
One GCE ‘A’ level pass or
A GNVQ ‘Advanced’ pass or equivalent qualification or
An NVQ level 3.

Typically students will:
Have a demonstrable interest in Computing and Information Systems in a business context,
Have or plan to have work experience in business or the IT industry .

Ideally students will appreciate the rapidly changing business environment and the need for a high level of flexibility in order to manage IT systems that support an organisations in local, regional, nation and international contexts.

Students without the above qualifications but with suitable experience within the IT Professional and IT User communities are encouraged to apply.

International entry criteria
International students need to meet our English language requirement at either IELTS at 5.5 or above, TOEFL paper based test score at 525 or above, TOEFL computer based test score at 196 or above, TOEFL internet based test score at 69 or above. Contact our International Office to find out what international qualifications you need to get onto a course www.tvu.ac.uk/international
During the course

Notable aspects
With a unique blend of academic and practical skills, this integrated foundation degree offers an academic qualification and HP Certified Professional accreditation. Graduates of this highly practical course will be immediately effective as administrators and managers of IT technologies in business and have the option to continue to the final year of the BSc.

Teaching methods
Case Study, Lectures, Workshops, Tutorials, Presentations

Exams
Work based learning will be used for at least one module on each level of the course. Assignments will be used both group work and individual. There will also be vendor based assignments when students undertake specific HP courses. This will be added with TVU assessments where students have to evaluate and reflect on the course in terms of relevance to established theory and to the workplace.

The Business related assessment requires the students to look at business systems and the use business skills but not necessarily in relation to their own employment.
On course completion

Career progression
With a unique blend of academic and practical skills, this integrated foundation degree offers an academic qualification and HP Certified Professional accreditation. Graduates of this highly practical course will be immediately effective as administrators and managers of IT technologies in business and have the option to continue to the final year of the BSc.

Study progression
Upon completion of the course students have the option to study for a further year to complete a BSc (Hons).
TQI information
Higher education institutions produce a set of teaching quality information (TQI) with a view to assuring quality and standards of teaching, and meeting the information needs of stakeholders, particularly students and their advisors.