IT Software Development (BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma)

Specific Entry Criteria

Grade C in Maths.

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About the Subject

This is a two year course leading to a National Award which is equivalent to one A level. The programme would suit anyone who is considering a career in the Software Development/Programming Industry and would like to improve their employment prospects by gaining skills relevant to the workplace.

This course will help students understand how to design and write programs in modern programming languages such as Java and Visual Basic; enables students to discover how computers work and gain confidence in setting up a computer system. We will look at different types of software and gain experience in selecting and using the best software for a given task. Appreciate why computers are used in nearly all businesses and select the best combination of both hardware and software for a particular business. The course includes the study of specific areas of computer programming and computer hardware, that are popular and growing areas of IT within industry today.

Students studying on this programme will have the opportunity to obtain an industry recognized IT qualification awarded by CISCO systems.

Course Content

Year 1

In the first year the emphasis is on gaining a thorough understanding of the software development process. You will learn how to create computer programs using programming languages such as Pascal, Java or Delphi and Visual Basic. You will also study Personal Computer hardware where you will learn to get an overview of how to repair Personal Computer Systems.

Year 2

The second year focuses on software used in Businesses today. Typically we will create databases and advanced spreadsheets thereby learning how to use create software applications to solve business related problems.

In addition we may use programming skills to develop basic computer games concepts

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Assessment

The course is made up of 6 units. 3 units should be completed in year 1 and 3 in year 2. Each unit will be assessed by your teacher.

You will be expected to take an active responsibility for planning, organising and completing your work on time. Each unit will be awarded a grade and also a number of points. The IT based project is equivalent to two units and therefore is worth twice the number of points awarded for a standard unit. This points score is cumulative and will ultimately determine your final grade.