Audit & Security
The overall aim of this course is to show the need to consider information security threats and their subsequent audit and control at management level within an organisation. Students will be expected to utilise professional skills learnt in other parts of the programme and apply them to practical audit and reporting tasks. The main taught element will focus on how to identify security issues and apply principles of audit and control to management reporting.

As part of the taught programme the course will aim to provide students with an understanding of the threats to information and information systems and the awareness of controls that may be applied to reduce risk from threats. The importance of good security policy at management level will also be covered.

Information, Methods and Culture
We live in a world that is increasingly dependent upon the use of technology and information. As technology changes and advances, the art of representing information and building appropriate systems is becoming progressively inexact and blurred. The Information Engineer of the future must be equipped with the appropriate skills to meet these challenges.
The aim of this course is to understand the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of methods for information systems development. It explores the relationship between data, information and knowledge and the way macro and micro culture affects the system model and the success or failure of the resulting information system. It critically examines a number of 'soft' development approaches and how they add to the systems development process.

Systems Planning and Management
In order to fully exploit the advantages that information systems offer to business organisations, students need to understand the strategic options available and their effective implementation. The aim of the course is to provide students with sufficient knowledge to contribute to the development of a systems planning framework that will function as an integral part of the organisation's approach to its strategic development.

Data Warehousing
Today's businesses require the ability to access and combine data from a variety of sources, perform complex data analysis on the data and create multidimensional views of data that represent the business analyst's perspective. Students will gain a thorough knowledge of the architecture of systems and how data from different systems can be used to plan design and implement a data warehouse. This course will teach the student how to use an OLAP tool to analyse the business and provide data when and where required that is at the correct level of detail.

One of the aims of this course is to encourage a critical assessment of the use of business intelligence tools in finding timely answers to critical business questions. The course will also advance the student's knowledge of the business potential of organizing and utilizing data to support cross-functional systems. It also develops the student's practical skills in defining an architecture of a Data Warehouse and in capturing, cleaning, transporting and applying data in a Data Warehouse. Student will gain skills in querying, reporting and using tools to
summarize and discover new patterns in the data.

Internet and Web Technologies (Open Source)
The Internet has emerged as the dominating areas of IT development. The ever expanding range of applications within a global community that communicates, trades and exchanges information seamlessly has meant that the Internet and its associated technologies is a rapidly growing and changing area that requires in-depth knowledge as well as a wide range of skills. These web technologies have also been used to develop intranet and extranet systems to meet the needs of modern businesses. While vendor based technologies such as .Net play a major role as development tools for a lot of Web applications there is a growing community of Web technologies being developed using "Open Source" Technology.
The aim of this course is to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively use modern "Open Sources" web technologies. Specific aims are to develop students' knowledge about the technical and social issues affecting the emergence and development of the Internet, intranets and extranets and to encourage a critical assessment of the issues affecting the Internet. It will also develop practical skills in developing advanced Web applications using "Open Source" web technologies.

Strategic IT for e-Business
This course aims to give an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how strategic information systems (SIS) and emerging information technologies, particularly applications that use internet technologies, can affect the way that businesses operate. It also critically reviews the application of new technologies in e-commerce.

Strategic IT in e-Marketing
The ever increasing reliance of business on the emerging technology forms an essential part of strategic decisions made by companies in order to safeguard or gain competitive advantage over their rivals. Companies are putting more and more resources into the adoption and implementation of the emerging technologies. The growth and the commercialisation of the Internet have led to a new era of electronic commerce and direct marketing. This course will help managers in business and IT to appreciate the role that IT must play in the E-Business age.
This course aims to give an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how strategic information systems and emerging information technologies, particularly those associated with applications that use Internet technologies, can affect the way that businesses operate to-day. It also critically reviews the application of new technologies in e-marketing.

System Modelling
An engineering approach for building systems requires methods and tools to ensure that systems are built in the most effective way. In order to fully utilise corporate data a system must be well designed and well understood. This course will develop all aspects of designing an information system by using a CASE tool. Tools for Object Oriented design and Structured design will be used. To be able to use these tools creatively the student will need a sound knowledge of the techniques and methods employed in the design of information systems.
The aims of this course are to advance the student's knowledge of design methodologies and how CASE tools can be used to aid the designer and develop the student's practical skills in the use of case tools to design systems. It also addresses the difficulties and intricacies of large scale system development and develops the student's ability to choose the most suitable modelling method for different problems.

Project
Project and dissertation (60 credits including a course in Critical Thinking & Research Methods) - A substantial individual project on a topic chosen by the student

 Back to the Top