This course is for you if you want to combine a highly rigorous academic qualification with real-life practical work experiences, enabling you to put your learning into innovative practice.

You’ll be based at our City Centre Campus, where you’ll use dedicated, industry-standard facilities to research and work on enterprise software and virtual environments to develop business solutions and real-time systems.

You will develop the strategic mindset to address global challenges; the kind that that businesses and communities face on a day-to-day basis to maintain their digital infrastructure. You’ll have access to virtual learning environments, as well as networking, electronic, enterprise systems and business intelligence laboratories.

We are preparing you for the workplace. You’ll learn computing and information technology skills that are needed to design, develop, operate and maintain effective systems. Your knowledge of the application of computing to provide IT solutions will evolve on a daily basis, and we will ensure you are able to innovate in order to deliver business value and sustainable solutions.

Studying computing with us puts you at the heart of an exciting, innovative community. Part of your first-year assessment will involve taking part in our annual Innovation Fest, where students get together to solve society’s problems with creative technology. Previous projects have included medical assistance drones, accessible gaming controllers, and smart housing solutions. The event brings together students, academics and industry guests, so it’s a great way to have fun, build experience and network, and win prizes!

It’s not just about academic and technical knowledge – we’ll also help to develop your personal skills so that you can work effectively as a team member and problem solve at the highest level. This will not only enhance your employability levels, it will make you stand out from the crowd.

Throughout your computing degree you’ll be supported by expert teaching staff, many of whom have worked in the field, are active in research and are continually innovating with industry.

Year 1: In order to complete this programme a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

• Computer Systems – 20 credits

Within the Computer Systems Module, you will gain knowledge and experience of computers and computer hardware.

This module presents a holistic view of how computer systems work and it also provides the underpinning knowledge required:

• for the design of computer architecture
• to show how software interacts with hardware
• to apply electronics principles
• to use number systems for computer technology

• Mathematics for Computing – 20 credits

The module gives you the opportunity to learn mathematical concepts and methods and critically reflect on how they relate to computing and communication systems. You will develop core mathematical and statistical skills which are fundamental in computing and technical work in general. You will be expected to solve mathematical and statistical problems on paper and on a computer.

• Computer Programming – 20 credits

This introductory computer programming module provides the underpinning knowledge and practice for computing students to design, build and test software components. The module will make use of practical sessions primarily to allow you to apply programming principles and constructs in order to creatively solve problems by means of developing small programs. Module content and assessment enables learners to acquire programming skills in a modern imperative language.

• Network Fundamentals – 20 credits

The module provides the opportunity to learn and critically reflect the skills required in building and designing basic networks and their requirements within a network infrastructure. This module builds on the underpinning knowledge and theory of networking systems.

The module consists of:

• Subject specific lectures/laboratory sessions to introduce knowledge and skills relevant to network and information systems, along with communication architecture
• Lectures/laboratory sessions to introduce principles and techniques for information communication within a network and ensuring effective communication
• Global view on information system communication.

• Applied Operating Systems – 20 credits

In this module, you learn how modern operating systems are the glue that bind computer hardware and networks together and how they manage the user experience for individual computers and wider networks. We will focus on the function and purpose of operating systems, with a focus on hands-on practical skills. We will build on learning from your networking, programming and computer systems modules, enhancing and extending skills in all these areas. You will make heavy use of Open Source Software, demonstrating what can be achieved with this huge publicly shareable resource on a very limited budget.

• Innovation Project – 20 credits

This first-year project allows you to develop and cultivate a creative mind-set through collaborative innovative practice, allowing you to bring together knowledge and imagination to construct a viable product. It is an opportunity to express your ideas, skills and talent to the wider community of innovative practice.

The project provides you with an opportunity to be part of a thriving community of innovators that practices connected learning. This is facilitated by putting you into inter-disciplinary project teams supported by innovation mentors, advisors and academics; culminating in you exhibiting your work to an international panel of experts.

 

Year 2 In order to complete this programme a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

• Smart Systems – 20 credits

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of connected computing devices, electromechanical, digital machines, objects with the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. It is estimated that by 2020 there will approx. 50 billion IoT devices. This module will provide knowledge and skills for the research, synthesis and evaluation of solutions incorporating internet communication systems and devices that can be used to make informed and wise decisions.

• Server Systems – 20 credits

Within the module Server Systems, you will learn that servers are the engines that deliver the data of the worldwide Internet and cloud revolution. In this module you will learn how to design, configure and troubleshoot servers to provide both the data and network services required in modern networks. You will spend a lot of time actually configuring and troubleshooting servers in this module to give you the hands-on skills required by industry. This will be backed up by theory delivered via videos and reading and short lectures.

• Human Computer Interaction – 20 credits

In this module will you will focus on combining theoretical concepts around user experience design with practical “hands-on” approaches widely used in industry and academia to create effective interactive experiences.

Current technology developments involve humans using information centred applications, both physically and cognitively. With the advent of ubiquitous computing and connected products, digitalisation has enabled information architectures that are not solely focused in software based applications, but also in tangible computing devices. In this context, you will learn about the user-centred design process that places a core emphasis on designing products and applications for “people”.

• Foundations of Database Systems – 20 credits

This module provides a thorough grounding in all aspects of: conceptual data modelling (entity relationship models), relational theory and relational algebra, CASE tools for designing a database and its interface, database design and normalization. It also looks at SQLPlus to for querying data in a relational database system.

The module will make use of practical sessions to practice database design theory and apply the techniques to producing a quality database design.

• Networking Technologies – 20 credits

In this module you will have the opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills required for Network Technologies. This module builds your knowledge and underpinning theory for the networking modules and you will review the requirements from a small to medium scale network deployment engineering context.

• Enterprise Practice Project – 20 credits

This module forms part of the Research and Enterprise strand that runs through each programme curriculum from level 4 to 7. It builds on the core concepts, which were introduced to you at level 4 in the practice based computing related modules and the underpinning role innovation plays in this.

As you have chosen to major in developing your technical capability, knowledge and skills required for you chosen career path, this module is designed to draw upon your technical learning framework through Reflection, Evaluation, Entrepreneurialism and Management (REEM). REEM forms the principles of this module allowing you to explore and to further build on your strengths and achievements to pursue excellence in a professional context.

 

Year 3: In order to complete this programme a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

• Data Centre Systems Management – 20 credits

A Data Centre (DC) is the Infrastructure supporting the Application Ecosystem (AE). It is a facility that centralises an organisation’s IT operations and equipment, as well as where it stores, manages, and disseminates its data. Data centres house a network’s most critical systems and are vital to the continuity of daily operations.

In this module, you will learn how to:

• Research case studies
• Design and develop a solution to meet a business client needs
• Troubleshoot a solution
• Analyse industry standard Data Centre systems and technologies
• Present your findings

 

 

• Consultancy and IT Management – 20 credits

This module enables you to gain an understanding of the processes, scope and role when providing guidance or advice in a professional consulting capacity. It will also assist you if you join a larger organisation with the aspiration to become a leader and manager.

The module provides awareness on the wider consulting profession and practice, the consulting role in computing and the management of client relationships. The focus will be to analyse and evaluate the frameworks, processes and techniques applied by computing consultants, managers and leaders.

• IT Infrastructure – 20 credits

In this module, you will learn how to:

• Research case studies,
• Design and develop a solution to meet a business client needs,
• Troubleshoot a solution,
• Analysing modern infrastructure technologies used in industry,
• Present your findings.

This module prepares you for industry by guest lectures, industry talks, industrial visits and real life case studies. The case studies and assessments have been designed in collaboration with practising IT Consultants and IT Architects.

• Business Systems Solutions – 20 credits

This module aims to provide you with a conceptual understanding of Business Systems and the practical experience for the technologies used in developing an integrated business solution. It focuses on information systems that underpin the business context of organisations and the demand for business intelligence.

The module draws on transactional value of real-time data through mobile/IOT devices. Intelligence has become a key aspect of most organisations competitiveness, be it customer or resource informed.

• Individual Honours Project – 40 credits

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.

At this level, you will be expected to work independently but you will receive additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress on the module, extra support will be available and this may take the form of group seminars, workshops and online materials that will help to develop your project.

Undergraduate

• We are happy to consider students with a General Secondary Education Certificate Grade C/70% PLUS Higher College of Technology Diploma with minimum grade C+ / 2.3 / 70%
• Higher qualifications may be considered for Stage 2 or Stage 3 undergraduate entry. Please contact the admissions@bcu.ac.ae team for further information.

Course Fee: AED 36,750 per year (Including tax)

Scholarships Available