Introduction

Information Technology is a vital area in modern business. Indeed, many businesses would simply not be able to function without it. The influence and range of applications of information technology systems is constantly widening and the Internet has recently expanded the range of opportunities to sell products and services. There is a wide range of careers in Information Technology and this course aims to fit you to pursue a career in your preferred field.


Information Technology is a wide field but this technically challenging course intends to give you experience of the activities involved in a wide range of typical business applications. As well as becoming familiar with aspects of typical software, hardware and communications you will gain an appreciation of how Information Technology can be used and managed in an efficient and effective way.


You will learn to program in a variety of commercial languages and you will also learn to analyse user requirements and design systems using the latest techniques. You will become expert in a wide range of commercial software and you will understand the fundamentals of hardware, networks, communications, how to set up systems and how to support users. You will also learn the essentials of e-commerce and become knowledgeable about the techniques used to set up and run e-commerce sites and operations. Finally, you will learn the basics of managing information technology in business and how it can be exploited to gain commercial advantage.


The emphasis will be on practical activities. Much of the teaching will be in a workshop environment and there will be a large number of projects throughout the course. Seminars and tutorials will be used to assist and guide students with the execution of these projects. In addition, computer-based learning methods will be used in parts of the course where this is appropriate. This will allow students to schedule their own learning and give them choices on methods, time scales and locations.

 

Is information systems different from computer science or computer engineering?

Computer Science and Engineering are technology focused and technology driven. They are concerned primarily with building new technological objects. The use of those objects is a secondary concern. The primary focus of information systems is putting these technological objects to use in real organizations. The study of computer science or engineering and information systems are complementary; without the technologies, there would be nothing for the information systems students to worry about using; but, if the technologies cannot be used effectively, there is little reason to worry about developing them. Information Systems is an applied discipline that draws on a number of the social and mathematical science fields in addition to computer science and engineering.

 

Your Choice of Programme

Information Technology is a technically challenging course intending to give students a range of experiences involved in a wide variety of business applications. Students study the following five themes

# E-business
# Commercial off the shelf software
# Programming and Design
# Commercial off the shelf software
# IT support/Infrastructure.

 

What are the career prospects for an information systems student?

In a word, the career prospects for information systems students are GREAT!

It is hard to imagine a profession in which savvy users of technology don't outdistance their colleagues. This is true of medicine, law, engineering as well as management and careers in cultural/social agencies.


Alternatively, you might want to consider making Information Systems your career path. The use of information technology is growing rapidly, and there is a continuing shortage of people trained to deal with those technologies and to make them work in an organizational context. There are a number of different entry level jobs possible, including: programmer, systems analyst, user support personnel, as well as technical marketing and sales. The prospects for job and career growth are also quite good. Jobs can be found at hardware and software vendors, consulting firms, industrial and service organizations, even museums, political parties and hospitals.


Computer scientists and database administrators should continue to enjoy favorable job prospects. As technology becomes more sophisticated and complex, however, employers demand a higher level of skill and expertise from their employees. Individuals with an advanced degree in computer science or computer engineering or with an MBA with a concentration in information systems should enjoy favorable employment prospects. College graduates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, information science, or MIS also should enjoy favorable prospects, particularly if they have supplemented their formal education with practical experience. Because employers continue to seek computer specialists who can combine strong technical skills with good interpersonal and business skills, graduates with degrees in fields other than computer science who have had courses in computer programming, systems analysis, and other information technology areas also should continue to find jobs in these computer fields. In fact, individuals with the right experience and training can work in these computer occupations regardless of their college major or level of formal education.